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The earliest of these letters that survive are a series written by Langen from Adwert in the spring of 1469 to Vrye at Soest. Despite the grave interest in serious study that the letters show, there are human touches about them. One begins: 'You promised faithfully to return, and yet you have not come.
The 'Vrye Fries' for the Frisian congratulates himself on never having been conquered, but always having in days of war and tribal feud made his own terms more or less with an adversary stands higher in culture and intellect, and is also more enterprising, than the great majority of the Dutch peasants.
In the well-known Frisian family, the Canters of Groningen, parents and children and even the maidservant are said to have spoken regularly in Latin. Antony Vrye of Soest, one of the Adwert circle, wrote to his wife in Latin; and his daughter helped him with the teaching of Latin in the various schools over which he presided, at Campen and Amsterdam and Alcmar.
One very advanced sect of modern Dutch Protestants not yet, however, numbering a great many adherents does not go quite to this extreme, but in the 'Vrye Gemeente, or 'Free Community, they represent religion as a thing complete in itself, a thing purely pertaining to the individual, personal spiritual life.
But I cannot blame you; for the road is deep in mud, and I myself too am so feeble a walker that I can imagine the weariness of others' feet. Another ends in haste, not with the departure of the post, but 'The servants are waiting to conduct me to bed'. Here is a longer sample: I. LANGEN TO VRYE: from Adwert, 27 Feb. <1469>.
What we have been saying may be well illustrated by the letter just alluded to from Antony Vrye 'to his dear wife, Berta of Groningen'. It was written 'from Cologne in haste'; and as it appears in Vrye's Epistolarum Compendium, it may be dated c. 1477. 'Your letter was most welcome, and relieved me of anxiety about you all.
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