From Hector Tyndale   Friday Morning (Nov 2/60)

Friday Morning (Nov 2/60)

My dear John

Bent upon sight-seeing with Julia—Mrs Tyndale—I could not reply to your note of yesterday¹ until this moment.

I fear I can give you no information, satisfactory as to the matter of our name and family in their connection with the Reformer Wil^m Tyndale.² For that which is entirely satisfactory to me and to all our family—viz: the internal evidence of our direct and true descent from the same stock and branch as William, will not amount to “information” for others. Therefor I never cite it to others, although I will do so to you, telling you, however, “an oft told tale”.

There has been in our family so long as we can remember or know, an unbroken and unquestioned tradition of our direct connection by blood with the “Martyr Tyndale”. This had the more belief from us because of the known family idiosyncrasies, in which, I think, you largely participate, tending to Theological investigation (with no especial dislike to discussion!) indeed to all manner of investigation; to a religiousness of character making itself manifest, very curiously, in reverent analysis.

A character the more reverent and the more religious that it takes heed of forms but secondarily, and only as they are useful to human or humane relations; and that it subjects tradition to conviction. Knowing well, even the untaught amongst them, that God is always out-flowering into new forms—that is, there is a recognition of the living God within—they are enthusiastic. Then, too, there are temperamental and moral qualities in common—as the same quick temper, the same quick regret for it’s showing, the same hardly given but always given apology for that showing, if unfair; and the same disposition to urge the right even to the bitterest end. All which seem to us to have been characteristic of William Tyndale. Another quality, nearly universal in the family, is that their courage is based mostly, in some cases wholly, upon Conviction or Conscience, wherein they are strong in Courage—while otherwise, tho’ not deficient, they are not particularly or noticeably so—as was with William Tyndale, who, as you remember, fled from place to place from his blood-seekers, as if having a dread of death, or, rather, a care for life, even when life could give no rewards peculiar to itself. Unlike Luther he did not love the fight, tho’ he could die or live (a harder matter in his case) without any disturbance from the Devil, or any shaking of his faith. Again, our family names are (or were until my own Father gave a commemorative set to his children), mostly the same as those of the family of William Tyndale—viz: Matthew, William & John.

But there is another matter, the one you refer to in your note, which gives a more plausible and objective reason than the internal and family-satisfying evidences I have named. It is that of my Brother,³ who died many years ago leaving us without any portrait or likeness of himself, except the very strong and ever-reminding one of William Tyndale an engraving of which we had in a copy of the “Neue Testament”, Tyndale’s translation, a fac simile Old English print published here in London about 25 years ago. My Brother’s loss was very notable to his friends, for he was made of all Goodness, Sweetness, Courage, Manhood. He was entirely faithful. He was, besides all, of fine and even noble personal presence, and exceedingly well gifted. The Martyr’s portrait gave great comfort to us all, for it was as like my Brother as though drawn from his living face—even with all the difference in their years of life, and between the bearded Man and the unbearded youth of twenty one years.

I should mention as coincidental with this resemblance that one of the Progenitors of the Reformer married a Miss Hytchins⁴ here in London and that one of my Mother’s Grand Parents bore the same name and was the child of one of the followers of William Penn to America.

I fear I have bored you with a long and, as you may have reason to think, irrelative reply to your short note, but having time I have “found it in my heart to bestow all my tedium upon you”.

Y[ou]rs Affectionately | Hector Tyndale

What has become of Hirst and yourself or, rather, what of your evenings?

I return to you the circular.⁵ Can you procure me one or two, or more copies of it for sending to America?

RI MS JT/1/T/50

RI MS JT/1/TYP/5/1627–9