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buoyancy of youth, and, in company with several of his countrymen, became the pupil of Angelo Politian, the most elegant Latinist of his day, and of Demetrius Chalcondylas, one of those learned men who had fled from Constantinople when it was taken by the Turks. To the prelections of these two excellent instructors he devoted two years, and then returned to Oxford, where he commenced teaching the Greek language, and was the first who introduced the new pronunciation of it. While he was thus engaged, the celebrated Erasmus visited Oxford, and became one of Grocyn's pupils. The foreign scholar was in straitened circumstances, but the professor, though not rich himself, kindly took him into his house, and supplied his wants from his own limited means. Erasmus was not ungrateful, and took every opportunity which subsequently offered itself of extolling the learning and hospitality of his friend. Grocyn's favourite classic was Aristotle; and he had formed a design, in conjunction with his friends, Latimer and Linacre, of translating the whole works of that philosopher, but they did not pursue it. When Colet, dean of St Paul's, introduced the practice of prelecting on a portion of the Scriptures in his cathedral, he engaged Grocyn to perform that duty, as the fittest for the task in England. While thus engaged, Grocyn commenced a series of lectures on the book of Dionysius, called 'Hierarchia Ecclesiastica,' and took occasion to preface his course, by declaiming, with great warmth, against all those who denied or doubted the authority of that work; but, after he had continued to read a few weeks he began to doubt the authenticity of that work himself, and, having finally convinced himself that it was spurious, he openly and frankly confessed that he had been in error, and recalled his former opinion. He died at Maidstone, in 1519, of a paralytic affection, which had made him outlive his faculties. A Latin epistle of his to Aldus Manutius is prefixed to Linacre's translation of Proclus de Sphæra.' Bale, Leland, and Tanner mention some other pieces of his, but they are few. Erasmus says he was of so refined a taste, that he never could satisfy himself with any thing which he wrote, and was not easily peruaded to handle his pen.

John Colet.

BORN A. D. 1466.-DIED A. D. 1519.

THIS learned English divine was the first born of the eleven sons and eleven daughters of Sir Henry Colet, mayor of London. He was born in 1466, and received the rudiments of education in London. In 1483 he was entered of Magdalene college, Oxford, and spent seven years at the university, chiefly in the study of logic and philosophy. Greek was not cultivated at Oxford while Colet resided there, and the proverb, 'Cave à Græcis, ne fias hæreticus,' was still current at that seat of learning, for Linacre, Grocyn, Erasmus, and their associates had not yet broken ground against the Trojans, as the opponents of Greek learning quaintly called themselves; but Colet continued to make himself acquainted with some of the Greek writers, by means of a Latin translation, and subsequently obtained such instruction, during four years of foreign travel, as enabled him to master the originals themselves. Colet

appears to have remained on the continent from 1493 to 1497. In Paris he became acquainted with Budæus, Erasmus, Politian, and several of the leading scholars of the age, in whose society he perfected his acquaintance with the classics, and improved himself greatly in the belles lettres of the age. On his return to England, he spent some time at court, and narrowly escaped giving himself up to the attractions and dissipations of fashionable life; for, to the qualifications of a scholar, he added the habits and accomplishments of a gentleman, and his natural disposition was by no means favourable to the life of a recluse and a scholar. At last he tore himself from the gaieties of the capital, and, retiring to Oxford, betook himself to a life of close study and application.

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While in Italy, he had applied himself to the study of theology, and had carefully perused the New Testament in the original; he had also made himself acquainted with the writings of the fathers, particularly those of Origen, Cyprian, Ambrose, and Jerome; he was, therefore, well qualified, according to the measure of the times, for prelecting on the Scriptures, and, having made choice of Paul's epistles for that purpose, he gave a course of public readings on them, which excited great attention, and drew crowds of scholars to Oxford. He continued these lectures three years, and in 1501 was admitted to proceed in divinity, or to the reading of the Sentences.' In 1504 he was created D.D., and, in May 1505, was instituted to the prebend of Mora, in St Paul's, London, and, immediately afterwards, appointed dean of that church. Of this last office he discharged the duties with exemplary zeal, by introducing a more strict and regular discipline, by preaching in the cathedral every Sunday, and by procuring some of his learned friends to read weekly lectures on divinity. These lectures roused a spirit of inquiry after the Scriptures, and tended greatly to prepare men's minds for the reformation which was soon to follow. The dean himself censured the ignorance and vices of his brother-clergy with great boldness of speech, and might have suffered for his honesty had he not been protected by Archbishop Warham. The bitterness which his ene inies manifested towards him, however, had the effect of inducing him to resolve on retiring from public life at an earlier age than called for such a step. With this view he had built a house for himself near Richmond palace, in Surrey. But having been twice attacked by the sweating sickness, and relapsing a third time, a consumption ensued, which terminated his life on the 16th of September, 1519.

Several of Colet's writings are printed amongst the epistles of Eras mus, and at the end of Knight's life of him. He was the author of the Rudimenta Grammatices,' commonly called 'Paul's Accidence,' which was first published in 1539, in octavo; also of a work entitled 'Absolutissimus de octu Orationis Partium constructione Libellus,' which formed the basis of Lilly's grammar, published at Antwerp in 1530. His preaching was plain and popular; and he had imbibed some of the opi nions which ultimately led to the reformation of religion in England. Erasmus, in an epistle to Jodocus Jonas, has described with some minuteness the habits and qualities of his friend Colet.

William Lily.

BORN CIRC. A. D. 1468.-died a. d. 1523.

THIS eminent English grammarian was born at Odiham, in Hampshire, about the year 1468. He was educated at Oxford, where he took the degree of B. A. Soon after leaving the university, he appears to have made a journey to Jerusalem, but whether he was influenced by religious motives in this undertaking or not, is now matter only of conjecture. Pits, Wood, and Tanner, say he was; but their predecessor, and only authority on the point, Balc, gives no intimation of such motives having existed on Lily's part. It is indeed most probable that, catching the dawning spirit of the times, our scholar took his journey to the east for the purpose of acquiring some knowledge of the Greek language, the beauties of which were just beginning to make themselves known to western scholars. And this conjecture receives additional support from the fact, that he remained five years stationary in the island of Rhodes, where he enjoyed the company of many learned Greek refugees, who, after the taking of Constantinople, had found shelter here, under the gallant and hospitable protection of the knights of St John.

From Rhodes, Lily went to Rome, where he enjoyed the instructions of Joannes Sulpitius and Pomponius Sabinus, two of the most accomplished scholars of their day. He returned to England in 1509, soon after which date he appears to have settled in London, and opened a private grammar-school in that city. His success and reputation soon gained for him the mastership of Dean Colet's school. In this laborious, but useful and honourable employment, he spent the remainder of his life, until cut off by the plague, in 1523. We have the authority of Erasmus for regarding Lily as not only one of the best scholars, but one of the most skilful pedagogues of his day. Many of his scholars attained to high eminence in public life, and still more were distinguished for their superior literary attainments.

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He had a principal hand in the compilation of the 'Brevissima institutio, seu Ratio grammatices cognoscendi,' first published in London, in 1513, and still used under the name of Lily's Grammar.' In conjunction with his accomplished friend, Sir Thomas More, he translated several Greek epigrams, which were published at Basil, in 1518, under the title of Progymnasmata Thomæ Mori et Gulielmi Lilii, sodalium.' Among his other pieces, are, Poemata varia,' sundry Apologia;' and a treatise, 'De laudibus Dei-pari Virginis.' Lily's two sons, George and Peter, were both good scholars, and obtained ecclesiastical preferments; but neither of them enjoyed his father's reputation.

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Thomas Linacre, M. D.

BORN CIRC. A. D. 1460.-died a. d. 1524.

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THIS learned physician was born about the year 1460, at Canter bury. His education was begun at the King's school in that city,

where his teacher was William Sellings, a man of great learning. He went very soon to Oxford, where he was elected fellow of All Souls college. His former master, Sellings, being sent on an embassy to the court of Rome by Henry VII., Linacre accompanied him for the sake of further improvement. He remained for some time at Florence, where he had the good fortune to be patronized by the celebrated Lorenzo de Medici, at that time one of the best-informed men of his age, and the greatest patron of literature. Angelo Politiano, who instructed the children of the duke, was commanded by the latter to admit Linacre to his lessons; under which circumstances the young student acquired a thorough acquaintance with the Latin language, so that he was even said to excel his master in elegance and correctness of style. His Greek master was Demetrius Chalcondylas. Printing was but a recent invention, and its first appearance in Italy did not take place till 1465. There can be little doubt that the edition of Homer, afterwards published by Demetrius Chalcon lylas, was in progress at the time when Linacre enjoyed the benefit of the instructions of that learned man. Having acquired much classical knowledge, Linacre now left the court of Lorenzo, and went to study natural philosophy and medicine in Rome, under Hermolaus Barbarus. He made himself master of the writings of Aristotle and Galen, graduated at Padua, and returned to England. He now received the degree of M.D. from the university of Oxford, and began the practice of medicine in that city. He was soon made public professor of medicine, and gave lectures that summer: at the same time teaching the Greek language, as a private teacher connected with the university, there being at that time no regular professor of Greek. The reputation of Linacre increased rapidly, and he was not allowed to remain long in Oxford. Henry VII. having heard of his learning and medical talents, called him to court, and appointed him physician and preceptor to Prince Arthur. It is also said that he superintended the studies of the Princess Catharine of Spain, especially in the Italian language.

When Henry VIII. came to the throne, Linacre was at once at the head of the medical profession and of general literature in England. To him must be given much of the honour of having excited in his own country that spirit of learning which prevailed in his time. Nor was he wanting in attention to the cultivation of his own profession. In Oxford he founded two lectures on medicine, in connection with Merton college; and in Cambridge one, in St John's college. When Linacre commenced practice in England, the medical profession did not hold that respectable rank which it has since done. This depended entirely upon the character of the professors of it, who were chiefly monks and empirics, and upon the nature of those qualifications which procured a license to practise. In those days there was neither a college of physicians nor a college of surgeons, the members of which being of ap proved skill and learning, could take upon themselves the task of inquiring into the qualifications of those who proposed to practise the art. This task deferred upon the bishops, whose qualifications for it we may well suppose to have been of a very low order. While the practice of physic was engrossed by illiterate monks and empirics, the consequence was as already stated: it was reserved for Linacre to suggest a plan for remedying the evil. The foundation of the Royal

college of Physicians in London, in 1518, was the result of his influence with Cardinal Wolsey, and he had the honour of first sitting in the president's chair of that learned body.

A few years before his death, Linacre resigned his profession, and devoted himself to divinity. Having taken orders, he was first made rector of Marsham, in October, 1509. This he soon resigned, and accepted a prebend in the diocese of Wells, and afterwards, in 1518, in that of York. He held also a chantership in the cathedral of York, which he soon resigned. It does not seem to be well ascertained what other preferments he had. Dr Knight says that he was a prebendary of St Stephens, in Westminster; Bishop Tanner mentions, that he held the rectory of Wigan, in Lancashire. It is difficult to divine the motives which led him to a choice of this profession at that period of life, and as much so to ascertain the causes of the frequent changes which he made. No one seems to suspect him of the desire of gain, for the nature of his preferments sufficiently prevent such a charge. He suffered, about this time, from the stone, of which he afterwards died, at the age of 64, on the 21st of October, 1524. He was buried in St Paul's cathedral, where a monument was erected to his memory in 1557, with an inscription by Dr Caius. The character of Linacre appears to be extremely worthy of admiration. Dr Caius, who succeeded him in his professional honours, describes him as a faithful friend, valued and beloved by all ranks of men, with an utter detestation of any thing trickish or dishonourable. His excellent good sense has been demonstrated by the active part he took in founding the college of physicians, at that time a very necessary institution. It may perhaps be doubted whether the constitution of that body be adapted to the circumstances of the present age; but its utility cannot be denied, especially in reference to the general principle on which it was founded. He was decidedly the most learned physician of his day, and even out of his own profession he held a high rank among men of science and learning. In conjunction with Colet, Lily, Grocyn, and Latimer, all of whom got their knowledge of the Greek tongue abroad, Linacre was one of the first to revive the learning of the ancients in his native country. His Latin style was, in the highest degree, elegant and accurate, so much so that his friend, Erasmus, thought it too elaborate. He translated into most elegant Latin several of the works of Galen. Two copies of this work, originally presented to Henry VIII. and Cardinal Wolsey, printed on vellum, are preserved in the British museum. He published a translation of Proclus de Sphæra,' in Latin, at Venice, 1499 and 1500. This was dedicated to his pupil, Prince Arthur. He also wrote, for the use of the Princess Mary, a treatise on the rudiments of grammar, afterwards published by Buchanan, in a Latin form, at Paris, in 1533. His treatise, 'De emendata structura Latini sermonis,' first printed at London in 1524, according to Dr Knight, has always been held in the highest estimation as a classical production.

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