CHAP. VI. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. A. D. 1547-1603. OHN LELAND, the first and last antiquary-royal in England, died in 1552. He was bred under William Lily, and ftudied fucceffively at Cambridge, Oxford, and Paris. On entering into orders he became chaplain and librarian to Henry VIII. By vir tue of the royal commiffion, he fearched various cathedrals and religious houfes for curious records and fecrets of antiquity, in which employment he fpent fix years, travelling over every part of the kingdom. Having completed his labours, he was prefented to the valuable living of Hafely, in Oxfordshire, and to a prebend in the church of Salisbury. The Collectanea and Itinerary of Leland, the MSS. of which are in the Bodleian collection, are invaluable performances. This great man was infane fome time before his decease, which happened opportunely, as Leland, who was a proteftant, had been too active in monaftic researches to have efcaped the refentment of the bigot Mary. Upon the whole, he may not unjustly be styled the father of the English antiquaries. Thomas Sternhold, whofe verfion of David's Pfalms is well known, was groom of the robes to Henry VII. and Edward VI. and died in 1549. His coadjutor John Hopkins, a clergyman and fchoolmafter of Suffolk, is rather a better English poet than Sternhold, and tranflated 58 of the pfalms, diftinguished by the initials of his name. Mr. Warton fays, that this tranflation, by afcertaining the fignification of many radical words, and by difplaying original modes of the Englifh language, may be juftly deemed no inconfiderable monument of our ancient literature, if not of our ancient poetry. From the circumftances of the times, however, and the growing refinements of fcience, it must now be obfolete. If Sternhold has any merit, it arifes folely from preferving the expreffion of the profe verfion. His weaknefs immediately appears, when he attempts to add or dilate. It is this circumstance alone, which fupports the two following wellknown ftanzas: 66 The Lord defcended from above, "And bow'd the heavens high; "And underneath his feet he cast, The darkness of the fky. "On cherubs and on cherubim, "Full royally he rode; "And on the wings of all the winds Roger Afcham, who was born in 1515, and bred at St. John's college, Cambridge, diftinguifhed himfelf fo much by his excellence in the Greek and Latin tongues, that Henry VIII. and Edward VI. fucceffively allowed him a pension to enable him to travel. In 1548 he was appointed tutor to Elizabeth, with hom he read most of Cicero's works, the orations of Ifocrates, the plays of Sophocles, and other ancient authors. After being employed in this honourable manner for two years, he returned to Cambridge, where he' filled the office of public orator with great reputation. His attachment to dice and cock-fighting kept him miferably poor. This poverty is noticed by Buchanan, in an epigram, which has been charged with difplaying more wit than friendship. Afcham had the fingular good fortune, that though known to be a proteftant, he escaped the anger of queen Mary, and even enjoyed her favour. Elizabeth too, when fhe heard of his death, exclaimed that she would rather have loft ten thoufand pounds! This was a ftrong: teftimony of the good-will of that economical princess. His talents were fo blended with activity, that he wrote for Mary, in the space of three days, letters to 47 princes, the meaneft of whom was a cardinal. Mr. Afcham's Latin epiftles have been frequently printed, and are admired by all good judges of elegant compofition. He died in 1568. Sir John Cheke, a learned knight, born in 1511, after being bred at St. John's college, was elected Greek profeffor at Cambridge, his native place. In 1544, his reputation stood so high, that he was appointed to be one of the tutors to prince Edward, who being himself a furprifing scholar, had the highest sense of his preceptor's merit. He not only conferred upon him the honour of knighthood, but made him foon after Chamberlain of the exchequer, and a member of the privy council. But alas! these bright days were soon overcaft. The immature death of this amiable monarch, threw the whole proteftant intereft of this kingdom into the deepest confternation. Sir John took part with the unfortunate lady Jane Grey. As a proteftant and patriot he could not do otherwife. When lady Jane was crowned, he acted as her fecretary during the nine days of her reign. For this he was confined in the tower, and deprived of a great part of his property. In 1554, he was fet at liberty and went abroad, when his eftate was confifcated. Some time after he was feized at Bruffels and conveyed to Antwerp, from whence he was fent to London and committed again to the tower, where he was attended by fome of the clergy, who candidly told him, that he must either recant or go to the ftake. Sir John did not much relish the latter, and therefore figned his abjuration, and was received by cardinal Pole into the bosom of the catholic church. One pities the weakness of the man, but who can anfwer for himself in fo trying a cafe? For the prefent he faved his life, but who was to restore him his peace? Mortified beyond expreffion, he was obliged to be prefent at the examination of heretics, upon almost every occafion; a bondage, to a generous mind, much worfe than death! He did not fong furvive this extreme vexation, but died of grief, in the prime of his days, in 1557. Dr. Cole, dean of St. Paul's, and a native of the Ifle of Wight, was a learned man, though not fo amiable as his contemporary, fir John Cheke. It was doubtlefs a mark of the esteem in which his abilities were held, held, that he was chofen to maintain a public difputation at Oxford, against Cranmer and Ridley, and when the former was defined to the ftake for herefy, Cole preached and published the execution fermon. In Thort, he feems to have been at this time a leading man of a very leading party, as will further appear by a fingular anecdote. Mary, the royal mistress of his fortunes, was determined, it feems, to act the fame fatal tragedy among her proteftant fubjects in Ireland, as fhe had already done at home in Smithfield. For executing this purpose her commiflion was made out, and who fhould have the care of it but her trufty and wellbeloved Doctor Cole? He undertook the charge, and in the progrefs of this bufinefs, making fome ftay at Chefter, he was waited on by the mayor of that city. In the courfe of the converfation which paffed between these two, the doctor was fo full of his commiffion, that he could not forbear, as we fay, to let the cat out of the bag. "I have that with me," faith he, prcducing a little box from his portmanteau, "which will lafh the heretics of Ireland." His hoftefs, a Mrs. Edmonds, had the good luck to overhear this, and being more than half a heretic herself, and having a brother of that perfuafion in Dublin, fhe became much troubled, and taking her opportunity whilft the doctor was gone down to compliment his worship the mayor to the door, fhe ftept into the dean's apartment, took out the commiffion, and put a pack of cards into the box in its room. The doctor, having completed his civilities, returns to his chamber, and puts up the box without the leaft fufpicion of what had happened. Soon after he fet fail for Dublin, where he arrived in the month of December, 1558. Being introduced to the lord lieutenant and privy council, he began with a fpeech in form, to fet forth the nature of his business, and then delivered his box with due ceremony. What have we here?" faid they, "This is nothing but a pack of cards." It is not eafy to conceive the doctor's feelings at the ridiculous figure he now made. He could only fay, that a commiffion he certainly had, but but who had played him this trick he could not tell. Why then, Mr. Dean," fays his lordship, "you have nothing to do but to return to London, and get your commiffion renewed, whilft we in the mean time fhuffle your cards." This farcaftic advice, the doctor, no doubt with infinite chagrin, was obliged to take, though at fo difagreeable a feafon of the year. But as they met with contrary winds and other vexatious delays, the queen died before the bufinefs could be accomplished. Her fucceffor, Elizabeth, was fo well pleafed with this flory, that the allowed Mrs. Edmonds 401. a-year, during her life, for this feasonable and important piece of dexterity. About the fame time flourished Thomas Tuffer, a pleasant poet as well as a good farmer, whofe Georgics may be read without difguft by those who have studied the works of Hefiod, or even of the Mantuan bard. His work was entitled, "Five Hundred Points of good Hufbandry." His directions are entertaining, as they fhew the cuftoms of his age; and from the antiquity of his diction, he may properly be ftyled the English Varro. The directions which he gives for the culture of a hop-garden are remarkably judicious, and finish thus: "The hop, for its profit, I thus do exalt, "It ftrengtheneth drink, and it favoreth malt, And, being well brewed, long kept it will laft, "And drawing abide, if you draw not too faft." The viciffitudes of this man's life have uncommon variety and novelty for the life of an author. He was first placed as a chorifter, or finging-boy, in the collegiate church of Wallingford, Berks. Having a fine voice, he was impressed for the royal chapel. He was foon afterwards admitted into the choir of faint. Paul's cathedral in London, where he made great improvements under the inftruction of John Redford the organift, a famous mufician. He was next fent to Eton fchool, where, at one chaftifement, he received fifty-three ftripes of the rod, from the fevere but celebrated mafter Nicholas Udall. In 1548, he was ad |