some punishment, open warning was given to all the fellows; 'none to be so hardy to give me his vote at that election.' And yet, for all those open threats, the good father himself privily procured that I should even then be chosen fellow." At the age of 21, in the year 1537, he was inaugurated A. M., and from this time, and perhaps sooner, publicly took upon him the office of tutor.

The high reputation which he had already acquired in Greek learning, and the recommendations of his friend Pemberton, brought the young tutor many pupils, several of whom proved eminent scholars, and rose to great eminence. Among the rest, William Grindal was so much distinguished, that, on the recommendation of Sir John Cheke, he was appointed master of languages to the princess Elizabeth. How it happened that Ascham himself was not nominated to this honourable post is not certain; but from one of his letters, it seems probable that he was at that time too fond of an academical life to exchange it for a station at court. Though no regular lectureship in Greek had yet been established at Oxford, Ascham was apppointed to read public lectures on that language in the schools, for which he received a liberal salary from the university. At this time, a controversy existed in the university concerning the right pronunciation of the Greek language, in which Ascham at first opposed the method introduced by Sir John Cheke and Sir Thomas Smith, but afterwards, upon giving the matter a fuller examination, came over to their opinion and practice. It is probable that it is in part owing to the ingenuity with which he defended it, (see his letter to Hubertus Languetus,) that this mode of pronunciation was generally adopted, and has since prevailed in the schools of England.

Among the amusements with which Ascham enlivened his hours of leisure was that of instrumental music. He was also an accomplished penman, and often amused himself in his study by embellishing the pages of his manuscripts, according to the custom of the age, with elegant draughts and illuminations. In the open air he frequently exercised his body and relieved his mind from fatigue by the diversion of archery. His love of this exercise led him to compose a treatise on the art, which he entitled, Toxophilus.' This ingenious treatise, though, as a book of precepts, perhaps of little value, might, at the time when it was written, materially contribute to the improvement of the English language; for it was well adapted to answer the author's intention, expressed in a letter to Bishop Gardiner, of introducing in English prose a more natural, easy, and truly English diction, than was then in common use. Ascham has the honesty to confess, that another more selfish motive had a considerable share in producing this treatise. He wished to make a tour into Italy, at this time the ca pital of the republic of letters, and particularly the chief seat of Greek learning; and he hoped, by dedicating his book to the king, to obtain a pension which might enable him to accomplish this favourite design. It may reflect a small ray of honour on the name of Henry VIII., that this modest wish of the learned Ascham was not altogether frustrated. The king, in the year 1544, settled upon him an annual pension of £10;-a sum which Dr Johnson, reckoning together the wants which this sum would enable Ascham to supply, and the wants from which, bby the general habits of the times, and the peculiar habits of a student'>

ife, he was exempt, estimates at more than one hundred pounds in the present day. This pension was for some time discontinued after the king's death, but was restored by Edward VI., and doubled by Queen Mary. Ascham, also, the same year, received the pecuniary benefit, as well as the honour of an appointment to the office of orator to the university-an office which, while he remained in the university, he filled with great credit.

The name of Ascham had now, by means of his pupils and writings, acquired considerable celebrity. At length, in 1548, upon the death of his pupil Grindal, preceptor to the Lady Elizabeth, that princess, to whom he had already given lessons in writing, called Ascham from his college to direct her studies. He accepted the honourable charge, and instructed his pupil in the learned languages with great diligence and success. He read with her the greater part of Cicero and Livy, the select orations of Socrates, the plays of Sophocles, and the Greek Testament; but after two years, some unknown cause of dissatisfaction arose, which led Ascham to take an abrupt leave of the princess, and return to the university. This circumstance did not, however, alienate her regard for her preceptor; for, in the same year, 1550, after visiting his native place and his old acquaintance in Yorkshire, he was recalled to the court and appointed secretary to Sir Richard Morisine, who was then going as ambassador to the emperor, Charles V. On his return to London, he paid a visit to Lady Jane Grey, to whom he acknowledges himself exceedingly beholden, and of whom he relates that he found her, while the duke and duchess, with the rest of the household, were hunting in the park, reading in her chamber Plato's Phædo in Greek, and that,' says he, with as much delight as some gentlemen would read a merry tale in Boccace.'

During his foreign expedition, which lasted three years, he travelled through a great part of Germany, and visited many learned men. When he was with the ambassador, he was useful to him, both in his private studies and the management of his public concerns. On three days in the week, he read with him in the morning some pages of Herodotus or Demosthenes, and in the afternoon a portion of Sopho cles or Euripides. On the other days he wrote the letters of public business, and at night continued his diary, or remarks, and wrote prirate letters. One of the fruits of this tour was a curious and now scarce tract, entitled, A Report and Discourse of the Affairs and State of Germany,' &c., which contains valuable information and judicious reflections. It bears no date, but was probably written in 1532. Ascham made a short excursion into Italy, but was much dis gusted with the manners of the inhabitants, particularly of the Venc. tians.

On the death of Edward VI., in 1553, Morisine was recalled, and Ascham returned to his college with no other support than his fellowship, and his salary as orator to the university. Through the interest of Lord Paget and of Bishop Gardiner, who, though he well knew that Ascham was a protestant, had the generosity not to desert him, he was appointed Latin secretary to the queen, with a salary of £10 a year, and permission to keep his college preferment. If it be thought surprising that he met with such good fortune under the intolerant reign of Mary, let it not be imputed to any servile compliance on his part.

Ascham was prudent, but not dishonest. He maintained his interest with Elizabeth in the most perilous times; and to the fidelity of his friendship with Cecil, he in part owed his prosperity under the next reign. The fact probably was, that besides the respect paid by all parties to Ascham for his learning, the facility and elegance of his Latin pen rendered him, in some sort, necessary at court. It is a striking instance of uncommon readiness and assiduity, that, in his capacity of Latin secretary, he wrote, in three days, forty-seven despatches to foreign personages of the highest rank, on the subject of electing Cardinal Pole to the papal chair. Among his own foreign correspondents were Sturmius of Strasburg, Osorius, Nannius of Louvain, and Jerom Wolfius. In 1554 he resigned his fellowship, and married Miss Margaret Howe, a young lady of good family.

The transmission of the crown from a popish to a protestant princess made little change in the situation of Ascham. He had been protected and favoured by Mary; and, upon the accession of Elizabeth, he was continued in his former employments with the same salary. He was, indeed, daily admitted to the presence of the queen, and read with her in the learned languages some hours every day; and of her proficiency under so excellent a master many proofs remain. We shall select one testimony from Ascham himself,-"Point forth six of the best given gentlemen of this court, and all they together show not so much good will, spend not so much time, bestow not so many hours daily, orderly, and constantly, for the increase of learning and knowledge, as doth the queen's majesty herself. Yea, I believe that, beside her perfect readiness in Latin Italian, French, and Spanish, she readeth here more Greek every day than some prebendary of this church doth read Latin in a whole week. And, that which is most praiseworthy of all, within the walls of her privy-chamber she hath obtained that excellence of learning, to understand, speak, and write, both wittily with head and fair with hand, as scarcely one or two wits in both universities have in many years reached unto." For the master who taught his sovereign with so much success, and who was sometimes permitted to play with her at draughts and chess, a recompense might have been expected more worthy of royal munificence than a pension of £20 a-year, and the prebend of Westwang in the church of York; yet, through the queen's parsimony, Ascham remained thus pitifully provided for till his death, It has been suggested that the queen kept him poor because she knew him to be extravagant; and he is accused, not unjustly it would appear, of a propensity disgraceful to a man of letters and humanity,—a fondness for dice and for cock-fighting. In his Schoolmaster,' Ascham intimates an inten tion of writing a book Of the Cockpit,' which he reckons among the kinds of pastime fit for a gentleman.

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In the year 1563, a conversation arose in the apartment of the secretary, Sir William Cecil, at Windsor, on the subject of education. Some Eton scholars having that morning run away from the school for fear of chastisement, the discourse turned upon the severity of the correction used in the public schools. Contrary opinions were maintained upon the subject. Sir Richard Sackville, one of the company, was silent, but was so struck with the arguments of Ascham, in favour of a mild treatment of boys, that he afterwards entreated his advice and assistance in the education of his grandson, and, at the same time, requested that he

would compose a treatise on the general subject of education. These circumstances gave birth to an excellent performance, entitled, 'The Schoolmaster.' The work is strongly expressive of the author's humanity and good sense, and abounds with proofs of extensive and accurate erudition. It contains excellent practical advice, particularly on the method of teaching classical learning. This treatise was published after the author's death by his widow, in 1571, and was reprinted with notes, in 8vo., at London, by Upton, in 1711. His last illness was occasioned by too close application to the composition of a poem, which he meant to present to the queen on the New-year's-day of 1569. He died in his fifty-third year, on the 23d, or, according to some, the 30th of December, 1568, and was interred in St Sepulchre's church. His funeral sermon was preached by Dr Alex. Nowel, dean of St Paul's. His character is well drawn by Buchanan, in the following epigram, which he consecrated to the memory of his friend :—

Aschamum extinctum patriæ Gracæque camenæ,

Et Latiti vera cum pretate dolent.
Principibus vixit carus, jucundus amicis,

Re modica; in mores dicere fama nequit.

The epistles of Ascham were published after his death by the mas ter of Westminster school, and soon passed through four editions at home, and three abroad. The last and best edition is that by Elstob, Oxford, 1763. An edition of his works, with a life by Dr Johnson, was published by Bennet, in 4to., in 1761.1

Walter Haddon, LL.D.

BORN A. D. 1516.-DIED A. D. 1572.

THIS most distinguished and elegant scholar, one of the brightest lay ornaments of the Reformation, was born of a respectable family in Buckinghamshire, in the year 1516. He was educated first at Eton, under Dr Cox, bishop of Ely, and, in 1533, was elected scholar of King's college, Cambridge, and was afterwards made fellow. He stood high among scholars, for the purity of his Latin style, and was considered a proficient both in oratory and poetry. Queen Elizabeth was once asked which she preferred, Buchanan or Haddon? Her rereply was, "Buchannum omnibus antepono; Haddonum nemini postpono." At the university he was accounted one of its brightest ornaments, and scarcely inferior in eloquence and Latinity to Cicero himself. His chief pursuit, however, was civil law, in which he took his degree, and was made public lecturer. He held also the professorship of rhe toric and oratory. During the short reign of Edward the Sixth, he was made master of Trinity, in the room of Bishop Gardiner. The office of vice-chancellor was conferred upon him in 1550, and, two years after, though not qualified for the office according to the statutes, he was chosen president of Magdalen college, Oxford. On the accession of Queen Mary, he withdrew from his public offices and retired into private life. The perils of that agitated and gloomy period he escaped,

Aikin's Biog. Dict.-Biog. Brit. —Grant's Oration — Bayle.

through the privacy which he sought; but, upon the death of Mary, he again appeared under the sanction of royal favour, and became one of the most distinguished ornaments of his country, under the patronage of Elizabeth. By her he was made master of requests, and was appointed, by Archbishop Parker, judge of the prerogative court of Canterbury. By the queen he was also employed on several embassies, and was made a commissioner at the royal visitation of the university of Cambridge. In 1565 and 1566, he was appointed, with Dr Walton, agent at Bruges, for restoring the ancient commerce between England and the Netherlands. He was esteemed an eminent lawyer, and had fair prospects of the highest promotion; but it is said he was always exceedingly reserved on the point of the succession, for though the earl of Leicester frequently solicited his opinion, it always remained locked in his own breast. He died in 1572, in the 56th year of his age. He was principally concerned in drawing up and putting into Latin the code of ecclesiastical law, entitled Reformatio Legum Ecclesiasticarum,' edited by John Fox in 1571. In 1563, he published a reply to Jerome Osorio's letter, entitled, 'Admonitio ad Elizabetham Reginam Angliæ.' His other works were collected and published by Thomas Hacker of King's college, Cambridge, under the title of Lucubrationes G. Haddoni,' 4to. 1567; all Latin, and consisting mostly of orations, poems, and letters, on various subjects. Several of his original letters are preserved in the Harleian MSS.

John Caius, M.D.

BORN A. D. 1510.-DIED A. D. 1573.

THIS eminent physician was born at Norwich, October 6th, 1510. He received his elementary education in that city, and, in September, 1529, was sent to Gonville hall, in Cambridge. He appears to have distinguished himself there by literary labours of different kinds; in due course he received the degrees of bachelor and master in arts, and, in 1533, he was appointed to a fellowship. Six years afterwards, he travelled in France, Flanders, and Germany, and went to Padua, in order to complete his professional education. He studied there under Montanus, along with the celebrated anatomist, Vesalius. He graduated in medicine either in Padua or Bologna, after which, in 1542, he assisted Realdus Columbus in giving lectures on the Greek text of Aristotle, in the former university. In 1543, he travelled through Italy; after which, on his return to England, in the following year, taking his medical degree in Cambridge, he commenced the practice of medicine in Shrewsbury and Norwich. He did not remain long there, for we find him soon after giving anatomical demonstrations before the college of surgeons in London, which was followed by his appointment as physician to Edward VI. In this honourable office he continued under Mary and Elizabeth, till 1568, when his dismissal is said to have arisen from a suspicion that he was attached to the popish religion. He became a fellow of the college of physicians in 1547, and held several honourable offices in that body, of which he was president for seven years. He supported the college against all attacks,