St. Aldegonde, or Marnix (by which name he is very commonly known), is celebrated for his share in the great development of Dutch literature which followed the classical period represented by such writers as the poet and historian
Pieter Hooft. Of his works, the best known is the
Roman Bee-hive (
De roomsche byen-korf), published in 1569 during his exile in Friesland, a bitter satire on the faith and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. This was translated, or adapted, in French, German and English (by
George Gilpin). He also wrote an educational treatise dedicated to John, Count of Nassau. As a poet, St. Aldegonde is mainly known through his metrical translation of the
Psalms (1580/1591); and, the Dutch national anthem
Wilhelmus van Nassouwe is also ascribed to him. His complete works, edited by
Lacroix and
Quinet, were published at Brussels in 7 volumes (1855–1859), and his religious and theological writings, edited by Van Toorenenbergen, at The Hague, in 4 volumes (1871–1891). Marnix wrote one of the earliest Bible translations into Dutch. Less known to the general public is his work as a cryptographer. St. Aldegonde is considered to be the first Dutch
cryptographer (cfr.
The Codebreakers). For
Stadholder William the Silent, he deciphered secret messages that were intercepted from the
Spaniards. His interest in cryptography possibly shows in the
Wilhelmus, where the first letters of the couplets form the name
Willem van Nassov, i.e. William 'the Silent' of
Nassau, the Prince of Orange, but such
acrostics - and far more intricate poetic devices - were a common feature of the
Rederijker school in the Lowlands. There is a marble sculpture of him by
Paul de Vigne in Brussels. Marnix could speak Spanish, and this influenced his writing style. ==See also==