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An Eastern Patriarch's Education in England
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 December 2013
Extract
In The Times of January 28th, 1925, appeared tne interesting announcement that ‘Mar Shimun XXI, the Patriarch of the Nestorian or Assyrian Christians, who is only sixteen years of age, arrived in England yesterday, and proceeded to St. Augustine's College, Canterbury, where he is to be educated.’
This is not the first occasion on which a Patriarch of an Eastern Church has received his education in England, and it may be instructive to follow the career of the Orthodox predecessor of the Nestorian Patriarch Mar Shimun XXI, especially as we possess a good deal of information about him, which is, I believe, practically unknown in England. The Greek in question was Metrophanes Critopoulos, who subsequently became Patriarch of Alexandria. He arrived in London about the middle of the year 1617.
The whole story of this mission of Critopoulos is extremely interesting, for it is closely bound up with the struggle between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism in the Thirty Years' War, and with the aspirations of Cyril Loucaris, that Patriarch of Constantinople who was in close touch with Western ideas, was accused of being a Calvinist, and was duly anathematised therefor by the Council of Constantinople in 1638. He is probably best known in this country for his present of the celebrated Codex Alexandrinus to King Charles I in 1628.
It is not my intention to describe the career of Cyril Loucaris, except in so far as it touches upon the story of Critopoulos; it has been presented at length by Neale, as has also the episode of Metrophanes Critopoulos as far as the information about him was then available.
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- Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1926
References
1 Hist. of the Holy Eastern Church. The Patriarchate of Alexandria, vol. ii. p. 356 ff.
2 Rhenieres, Markos, Μητροψάνης Κριτόπουλος (Παράρτημα Β′ τῆς ίστορικῆς καὶ ἐθ ολογικῆς ἑταιρίας τῆς Ἑλλάδος), Athens, 1893.Google Scholar I wish here to acknowledge my great indebtedness to this work, an indebtedness indeed so great that a large part of this article may be described as a summary of Rhenieres, and on this account I do not as a rule give specific references to his work. I have to thank the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece for kind permission to make free use of this publication.
3 The Negotiations of Sir T. Roe (edited by Richardson, S.), London, 1740.Google Scholar Henceforward citedas Richardson.
4 Neale, p. 385 f.
5 Ibid., p. 388 f.
* Signifies throughout that the person is included in the Dictionary of National Biography.
6 Debemus Christo nos nostraque.
Non possidentem multa vocaveris
Rite beatum, rectius occupat
Nomen beati, qui Jehovae
Muneribus sapienter uti
Duramque callet pauperiem pati
Peiusque leto flagitium timet.
Haec scripsi ad amoris et benevolentiae memoriam perpetuo conservandam, quae mihi cum eruditissimo amatissimoque viro Metrophane Critopulo primum inita fuit Londini in Collegío Greshamensi quinquennium abhinc, hic autem per biennium continuata et aucta quamque integram inter nos servandam spero, ix. cal. Nov. 1622. Henricus Briggs publicus Geometriae professor Savillianus in celeberrimâ academiâ Oxoniensi.
7 Οὐκ ἔνι ᾿ Ιουδαῖος οὐδέ ῾´ Ελλην᾿ πἀντες γὰρ ὑμεῖς εἶς ἐστὲ ἐν Χριστῷ ᾿ Ιησοῦ Gal. 3. 28.
Hane in Jesu Christo unionem testor et voveo, doctissimo Possessori Dno Metrophani Critopulo Graeco qui quinquennium pie iuste et sobrie apud nos transegit.
Johannes Prideaux S. Theolog. Professor Regius et Collegii Exoniensis Rector. Oxon. Anglorum. Oct. 21. 1622.
8 Lumen ab Oriente.
Metrophani Critopulo, beatissimi Cyrilli Patriarchae Constantinopolitani Cancellario, omnium Graecorum qui huc appulerunt flori delibato, et suadae Atticae μυελῷ,pietatis, modestiae, humanitatis, et, ut verbo dicam, πασᾶν ἀρετᾶν κορυφὰς δρέποντι, hoc immortalis amicitiae et suavissimae cum eo per integrum annum necessitudinis σύμβολον et μνημόσυνον dico dedico.
Daniel Featly SS. Theol. Prof. Archiepiscop. Cantabr. a sacris.
9 Αὐτοφυὲς ἔχει φίλτρον πᾶσα συνήθης Χώρα.
Ut tua, Metrophanes, dicatur Graecia verax Oxonii nostri sis memor usque, vale.
Make this word true, Metrophanes, indeed—Remember Oxford still, and so God speed.
Φιλομαθεῖ καὶ πολυμαθεῖ ἀνδρὶ Μητροφάνει τῷ Κριτοπούλψ ᾿´ Ελληνι Βερροιαίψ τοῦτο φιλίας Μνημόσυνον ἔθηκεν, ᾿´ Ετει ξρλά ἡλίου τὴν δωδωκάτην μοῖραν ἀνατρέ-χοντος ᾿ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ Ο ΒΑΙΝΒΡΙΓΓΙΟΣ ἰατρὸς καὶ ἀστρονομίας ἐν ᾿ Ακαδημίᾳ τῇ ἐν ᾿ Οξωνίᾳ διδάσκαλος.
I leave the explanation of Bainbridge's date, which presumably = 1622, to some astronomer.
10 Judaei signa petunt et Graeci sapientiam, nos autem praedieamus Christum crucifixum. 1 Cor. ver. 22.
Hanc sapientiam crucis studiis suis, moribus et doctrinâ didicit, docuit, firmavit vir probus, pius, Graecus Metrophanes Critopulus in Academia Oxoniensi.
Ita testatur Rich. Cobbett aedis Christi decanus.
11 Πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω.
In peregrinatione vitam agentibus hoc evenit ut multa habeant hospitia, nullas amicitias. Tibi, venerande Metrophanes, aliter contingit, qui et hospitia benigna et amicitias veras (quas humanitas tua bene meruit) invenisti et nunc licet coelum certe amicos non mutabis.
Dia ambitio venerabilis Critopuli has mihi dictavit literas, quod me in albô suorum annumerari dignatus est. Octobr. 21, 1622.
Tho. Goff artium magister ex aede Christi.
12 Μὴ ὑπερφρονεῖν παρ᾿ ὄ δεῖ φρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ σωφρονεῖν Rom. 12. 3.
Doctissimo et humanissimo viro Metrophani Critopulo, amico coniunctissimo, Mericus Casaubonus Is. F. scripsit in diuturnae conversationis et aeterni amoris testimonium.
Μαρτ. 3, 1623.
† See Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (under Holste).
13 Holstenius' entry is:
Μή μοι γενοιθ᾿ ἃ βούλομαι ἀλλ᾿ ἃ ξυμφέρει .Μένανδρ.
Im stillschweigen und hoffen.
Τῷ σοφωτἁτῳ καὶ εὐτεβεστάτῳ ἀνδρὶ κυρίῳ Μητροφάνει τῷ Κριτοπούλῳ φιλίας φιλτάτης ἔνεκα ἔγραψεν ἐν τῇ τῆς ᾿ Οξωνίας ᾿ Ακαδημίᾳ Λουκᾶς δ῾ Ολστείνιος Σἁξων. Ἔτει τῆς ἐνσάρκου οἱκονομίας αχκβ. ᾿ Οκτω-βριου ιθ
14 Ἄμεινόν ἐστι φίλον ἔχειν ἄξιον ἢ πολλοὺς μηδενὸς ἀξίους .
In haec verba Critopulum suum doctum, probum et modestum valere jubet et Augustissimae Bodleianae, quam olim frequentavit, memorem esse
Jo. Rous, Bibliothecarius Oxon.
15 Dum vadis in patriam ventosa per aequora, amice,
Clementes caelos et astra benigna precabor.
Ἐλπὶς ἄγκυρα ψυχῆς.
Sit tibi et mihi, clarissime Critopule, qui Deus est tuus, Deus est meus, utrisque semper benignus adsit.
Comes itineris Oxoniâ Londinum.
Thomas Jackson, S.T.D.
16 I pede fausto.
Libens hoc posuit Georgius Abbott, in gratiam Μητροφάνους Κριτοπούλου viri πάσῃ τῇ ἀρετῇ ὑπερφέροντος.
17 p. 413 ff.
18 Richardson, p. 36.
19 Ibid., p. 102.
20 Richardson, pp. 134 and 146.
21 Richardson, p. 171.
22 Demetrakopoulos, , Δοκίμιον περὶ τοῦ βίου καὶ τῶν συγγραμμάτων Μητροψάνους τοῦ Κριτοπούλου, 1870, p. 9 f.Google Scholar
23 Richardson, p. 213. The 1623 there is clearly an error.
24 Ibid., p. 184.
25 Richardson, p. 253.
26 Ibid., p. 320.
27 Ibid., p. 373.
28 In a letter of indebtedness, dated Venice, October 28th, 1630, Critopoulos states that he owes twenty-four Venetian pounds for two sets of books published by Metaxas. See Rhenieres, op. cit., p. 94.
29 Fasti Oxonienses, ii. 394 (ed. Bliss, 1815).
30 Πρῶτον δεῖ τάξαι τὴν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀλογίαν τε καὶ ῥαθνμίαν ἔπειτα οὔτως ἐπιβἀλλειν τῇ τῶν θειο-τέρων γνώσει ἄσπερ γὰρ ὀφθαλμῷ λημῶντι καὶ οὐ κεκαθαρμένῳ τὰ σφόδρα φωτεινὰ ίδεῖν οὐχ οἶόν τε, οὔτως καὶ ψυχῇ μὴ ἀρετὴν κεκτημένῃ τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐνυπτρίσασθαι κάλλος μὴ καθαρῷ καθαροῦ ἐφάπτεσθαι μὴ οὐ θεμιτὸν ᾖ. ἔστι δὲ ἡ μὲν πρακτικὴ φιλοσοφία ἀρετῆς ποιητική ἡ δὲ θεωρητικὴ ἀληθείας
Ut in paucis verbis amicitiae illius memoria conservetur quae mihi cum Viro clar. Do Metrophane Critopulo Macedone intercessit, adscripsi haec L.M.G., amator tum Literarum quas in eo cognovi plurimas et Graecia etiam vetere dignissimas, tum pietatis et virtutis quae hominem Deô sacratum et Hieromonachum commendent.
31 Χριστὸς ἐυοδίην δῴη καὶ ἄγγελον ἐσθλὸν Πομπόν ἀλεξητῆρα βοηθόον ὔφρα σε πάντεν ῾ Ηματίων νυχίων τε κακῶν ἀπὸ τήλο-θ᾿ ἐέργων Καὶ τέλος ἐσθλὸν ὁδοῖο χαριζόμενος μογέοντι Οἴκοθεν ἀρτεμέοντα καὶ οἴκαδέ σ᾿ αὐθις ἀγινοῖ
Greg. Nazianz.
Virum amicissimum iuxta et Dum Metrophanem Critopulum, quem propter eximiam eius eruditionem, morum probitatem et vitae sanotimoniam (quae Maecenati suo Archiepiscopo Cantuarensi [N.B.—This was written twelve days before Abbot's condemnatory letter to Roe] et viribus (sic !) omnibus probis charum et commendatum reddiderunt) praesentem semper coluit: in patriam post quinquennium redeuntem, Gregoru Theologi voto prosequitur et faustaomnia à Deo Opt. Max. precatur.
Patricius Junius Scotus magno magnae Britanniae regi Jacobo et Seremo Principi Carolo a Bibliothecis.
Londini Cal. Augusti 
32 ῾᾿ Οστις βιῶσαι βούλεται Χριστῷ μάκαρ Δεῖ τοῦτον αὐτῷ ἐκβιοῖν καθ᾿ ἡμέραν
᾿´ Εγραψα σημεῖόν μου τῆς πρὸς ἐΛλογιμώτατον ἄνδρα Μητροφἁνη Κριτόπουλον φιλίας τῆς εἰς ἅπαντα χρόνον διαμενούσης. ᾿ Εν Λονδίνψ ἔτει ἀπό τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ Θεοῦ χιλιοστοῦ ἑξακοσιοστοῦ εἰκοστοῦ τρίτου μηνὸς ᾿ Ιουλίου ὀγδώῃ
ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ ὁ ΚΑΜΕΡΩΝ
33 Fasti Oxonienses, ii. 300 (ed. Bliss).
34 ᾿´Εστιν ἄνθρωπος ζῶον τῶν μὲν ὔντων θεωρητικόν τῶν δὲ δεόντων πρακτικόν Secundum hoc τῆς ἐξοχῆς ἀνθρωπίνης elogium se vere hominem nihilque a se humani alienum esse monstravit vir comitate, morum probitate, Atticae linguae purioris elegantiâ, rerumque tam divinarum quam humanarum scientiâ spectatissimus DnusΜητροφάνης Κριτόπουλος Βεροιαῖος qui ἅμα θεωρητικοῦ καὶ πρακτικοῦ ἕνεκα fidelissimo et prudentissimo Oratorie Consilio paruit monentis: μὴ κατόκνει μακρὰν ὁδὸν πορεύεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς διδάσκειν τι χρήσιμον ἐπαγγελλομένους· οὕτω γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις χαλεπῶς εὑρημένα συμβήσεταί σοι ῥαδίως μανθάνειν. Quem ideo inter εὐγενεστέρους illos Βεριοιαίους, Act. 17, censori optimo iure monentem sic valere jubet.
Laurentius Whitakerus Collegii StiJoannis Evangelistae in Academiâ Cantabrigiensi quondam alumnus ibique Artium Magister, iam Londini in suburbanis accola.
26 Junii 1623.
35 ὡς τυφλὸς πρὸς ὀξὺ βλέποντας, οὕτως ἀναποδήμητος πρὸς ἐκδεδημηκότας. Philo Judaeus.
Γνῶσις βροτῶν μέγιστον ἐν βίῳ κλέος. !Greg. Naz.
Ὁμιλία ἔτεκε τέχνας. Eur.
Eximio Viro Dno Metrophani Critopulo ex Graeciâ oriundo Patriarchae Constantinopolitani Cancellarlo sapientiae et religionis ergo apud Britannos peregrinanti convictori suo clarissimo benevolentiae hoc symbolum scripsit ac reliquit.
Robertus Ashxeyus Anglus olim Collegii Magd, apud Oxon. Socius, nunc apud Templarios Londonenses Juris consultus. Aug. 1623.
36 Προδοσία τῆς σωτηρίας ἀμφότερα ταῦτα, καὶ τὸ θαρρεῖν ἑστῶτα καὶ τὸ ἀπογινώσκειν κείμενον· διὸ τὸν δίκαιον ὁ Θεὸς φόβῳ στηρίςει, τὸν δὲ ἁμαρτωλὸν τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ διεγείρει.
Μητρόφανες, τὸ καλὸν πεφιλημένε, βόσκε τὰ μῆλα, Χαῖρε καὶ οὖλε· Θεὸς δέ τοι ἤπιος ὄλβια δοίη.
Hoc quoque tecum habeas nostri servesque sepulcro.
Raph. Thorius, medicus, tui admirator et amator.
Londini, Junii 24, 1623.
37 ᾿´Ω ξένε φίλτατε οὐλέ τε καὶ μέγα χαῖρε θεὸς δέ τοι ὔλβια δοίη
Sic apprecatur et sic votis usque suis prosequitur abeuntem et ubicunque absentem amicum suum omni virtutum laude cumulatissimum nec non doctrina et pietate insignem.
Λονδίνοις ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ ὁ ΤΑΒΕΡΝΑΡΙΟΣ ἐκ φροντιστ. Γρεσσάμ
38 De Metrophane Critopulo huius Academiae quondam cive, Altdorf, 1769, quoted by Demetrakopoulos, p. 4.
39 Μητρηφάνης Κριτόπουλος Πατριάρχης ᾿ Αλε ξανδρείας Cairo, 1884. Not accessible to me and quoted after Rhenieres.
40 Apparently included in Wood, , Fasti Ox., Index, ii. 237 (wrong reference), ed. Bliss, .Google Scholar
41 Μητροφἀνει τῷ Κριτοποὑλῳ τῷ λογιωτάτῳ ἔλληνι καὶ τῆς ἐν ᾿ Αλεξανδρείᾳ τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἱερουργῷ εὐδοκιμωτάτῳ, τοῦτο τὸ βιβλίον, τῆς εὐνοίας καὶ φιλοφροσύνης ξύμβολον, φίλος φιλτάτῳ ἐχαρίσατο Θωμᾶς ὁ Δραπήρ, πρὸ μικροῦ μὲν ᾿ Οξωνιεύς , ἐν δὲ τῷ παοόντι διάγων ἐν τῇ Λυνδίνῳ, τῇ τῆς Μεγάλης Βρεττανίας βασιλευούσνͺ πόλει, πατρίδι τε ἐαυτοῦ φιλτάτῃ. ἔτει ἀπὸ θεογονίας αχκγ´ δεκάτῃ μηνὸς Σκιρροφοριῶντος κατὰ ἀρχαιότερον ψηφισμόν
῾ Ο Κύριος τὰς νήσους ἀπὸ τῆς ἠπείρον διὰ θαλἁσης διέστησε, τούς τε νησιώτας τοῖς ἠπει ρώταις διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης συνέδησε
Βασίλ. τοῖς ἐπισκόποις παραλιώταις
42 Richardson, p. 663.
43 Richardson, p. 757 ff.