year 1450. During the reign of Edward the fourth, he was at Rome; where he wrote an elegant Latin poem in heroic verfe, entitled LUCUBRATIONES TIBURTINA, which he infcribed to pope Sixtus his fingular patron. It has these three chafte and ftrong hexameters, in which he defcribes the person of that illustrious pontiff.

Sane, quifquis in hunc oculos converterit acreis,

In facie vultuque viri fublime videbit

Elucere aliquid, majestatemque verendam.

Leland affures us, that he faw in the libraries of Oxford a Greco-Latin lexicon, compiled by Flemmyng, which has escaped my fearches. He left many volumes, beautifully written and richly illuminated, to Lincoln college in Oxford, where he had received his academical education. About the fame period, John Gunthorpe, afterwards, among other numerous and eminent promotions, dean of Wells, keeper of the privy feal, and master of King's hall in Cambridge, attended also the philological lectures of Guarini: and for the polished latinity with which he wrote EPISTLES and ORATIONS, compofitions at that time much in ufe and requeft, was appointed by king Edward the fourth Latin fecretary to queen Anne, in the year 1487. The manufcripts

z Wood, HIST. UNIV. Oxon. ii. 62. Wharton, APPEND. p. 155. Bate, viii. 21. a Printed at Ferrara, 1477. 8vo. In two books. He was prothonotary to pope Sixtus. In this poem he mentions Baptifta Platina, the librarian at Rome; who, together with moft of the Italian scholars, was his familiar friend. See Carbo's funeral Oration on Guarini. I know not whether one John Opicius, our countryman as it feems, and a Latin poet, improved his tafte in Italy about this time: but he has left fome copies of elegant Latin verses. MSS. COTTON. VESPAS. B. iv. One is, De regis Henrici feptimi in Galliam progreffu. It begins, "Bella canant alii Troja, proAtrataque dicant." Another is, De ejuf

c Pat. 7. Edw. iv. m. 2. Five of his ORATIONS before illuftrious perfonages ars extant, MSS. Bodl. NE. F. ii. 20. In the fame manufcript are his ANNOTATIONES quædam CRITICÆ in verba quædam apud poetas citata. He gave many books, collected in Italy, to Jefus college at Cambridge. Lel. COLL. iii. 13. He was ambaffador to the king of Castile, in 1466, and 1470. Rymer, FOED. xi. 572.653. Bale mentions his Diverfi generis CARMINA. Viii. 42. And a book on Rhetoric.

collected

collected in Italy, which he gave to both the universities of England, were of much more real value, than the fumptuous filver image of the virgin Mary, weighing one hundred and forty-three ounces, which he presented to his cathedral of Wells. William Gray imbibed under the fame preceptors a knowledge of the best Greek and Roman writers: and in the year 1454, was advanced by pope Nicholas the fifth, equally a judge and a protector of scholars, to the bishoprick of Ely. This prelate employed at Venice and Florence many scribes and illuminators', in preparing copies of the claffics and other useful books, which he gave to the library of Baliol college in Oxford, at that time esteemed the best in the university. John Phrea, or Free, an ecclesiastic of Bristol, receiving information from the Italian merchants who trafficked at Bristol, that multitudes of ftrangers were conftantly crouding to the capitals of Italy for instruction in the learned languages, paffed over to Ferrara; where he became a fellow-ftudent with the prelate laft mentioned, by whose patronage and affistance his ftudies were supported *. He tranflated Diodorus Siculus, and many pieces of Xenophon, into Latin". On account of the former work, he was nominated bishop of Bath and Wells by pope Paul the second,

d

Regiftr. Ecclef. Wellenf.

e Wharton, ANGL. SACR. i. 672. One of thofe was Antoninus Marius. In Baliol college library, one of bishop Gray's manufcripts has this entry. "An"tonius Marii filius Florentinus civis tranf"cripfi ab originalibus exemplaribus, 2 "Jul. 1448. &c." MSS. Ixviii. [Apud MSS. Langb. BAL. p. 81.] See Leland. COLL. iii. p. 21.

z Leland, COLL. ut fupr. p. 61.

Among Phrea's EPISTLES in Baliol library, one is PRECEPTORI SUO GUARINO, whofe epiftles are full of encomiums on Phreas, MSS. Bal. Coll. Oxon. G. 9. See ten of his epiftles, five of which are written from Italy to bishop Gray, MSS. Bibl. Bodl. NE. F.ii. 20. In one

of thefe he complains, that the bishop's remittances of money had failed, and that he was obliged to pawn his books and clothes to Jews at Ferrara.

He also tranflated into latin Synefius's PANEGYRIC ON BALDNESS. Printed, Bafil. 1521. 8vo. [Whence Abraham Flemming made his English translation, London, 1579.] Leland mentions fome flowing latin heroics, which he addreffed to his patron Tiptoft, earl of Worcester, in which Bacchus expoftulates with a goat gnawing a vine. COLL. ii. 13. And SCRIPTOR. PHREAS. His COSMOGRAPHIA MUNDI is a collection from Pliny. Leland, COLL. iii. p. 58. See MSS. Br. Twyne, 8. pag. 285.

but

but died before confecration in the year 1464*. His Latin Epiftles, five of which are addreffed to his patron the bishop of Ely, discover an uncommon terseness and facility of expreffion. It was no inconfiderable testimony of Phrea's taste, that he was requested by some of his elegant Italian friends, to compose a new epitaph in Latin elegiacs for Petrarch's tomb: the original infcription in monkish rhymes, not agreeing with the new and improved ideas of Latin verfification'. William Sellynge, a fellow of All Souls college in Oxford, difgufted with the barren and contracted circle of philofophy taught by the irrefragable profeffors of that ample feminary, acquired a familiarity with the most excellent antient authors, and cultivated the converfation of Politian at Bononia", to whom he introduced the learned Linacer". About the year 1460, he returned into England; and being elected prior of Christ-Church at Canterbury, enriched the library of that fraternity with an inestimable collection of Greek and Roman manuscripts, which he had amaffed in Italy. It has been faid, that among these books, which were all foon afterwards accidentally confumed by fire, there was a complete copy of Cicero's Platonic system of politics DE REPUBLICA'. King Henry the feventh fent Sellynge in

I See Leland, COLL. iii. 13.63. Leland fays that he had the new epitaph, Novum ac elegans. SCRIPTOR. Phreas. "Tufcia " me genuit, &c."

m Leland, CELLINGUS. n Id. ITIN. vi. f. 5.

• Wood, HIST. UNIV. OXON. ii. 177. In a monaftic OBITARY, cited by Wharton, he is faid to be, " Latina quoque et GRECA lingua apprime inftitutus." It is added, that he adorned the library over the prior's chapel with exquifite fculptures, and furnished it with books, and that he glazed the fouth fide of the cloyfters of his monaftery, for the use of his studious brethren, placing on the walls new TEXTS, or in

fcriptions, called CAROLI, or carols. ANGL. Sacr. i. p. 145. fef.

P This is afferted on the authority of Leland. SCRIPTOR. ut fupr. [See fupr. p. 218.] Cardinal Pole expended two thoufand crowns in fearching for Tully's Six Books DE REPUBLICA in Poland, but without fuccefs. EPISTOL. Afchami ad Sturm. dat. 14 Sept. 1555. lib. i. p. 99. And Sturmius, in a letter to Afcham [dat. 30 Jan. 1552.] fays, that a perfon in his neighbourhood had flattered him with a promife of this ineftimable treasure. Barthius reports, that they were in the monaftery of Fulda, on vellum, but destroyed by the foldiers in a pillage of that convent. Chriftiani Feuftell. MISCELLAN. p. 47. Compare Mabillon. Mus. ITALIC. tom.

i. p. 79.

the quality of an envoy to the king of France: before whom he spoke a most elegant Latin oration'. It is mentioned on his monument, now remaining in Canterbury cathedral, that he understood Greek.

Doctor theologus Selling, GRÆCA atque Latina
Lingua perdoctus.-

This is an uncommon topic of praise in an abbot's epitaph. William Grocyn, a fellow of New college at Oxford, purfued the fame path about the year 1488: and having perfected his knowledge of the Greek tongue, with which he had been before tinctured, at Florence under Demetrius Chalcondylas and Politian, and at Rome under Hermolaus Barbarus, became the first voluntary lecturer of that language at Oxford, before the year 1490'. Yet Polydore Virgil, perhaps only from a natural partiality to his county, affirms, that Cornelius Vitellus, an Italian of noble birth, and of the most accomplished learning, was the first who taught the Greek and Roman claffics at Oxford'. Nor must I forget to mention John Tiptoft, the unfortunate earl of Worcefter; who, in the reign of Henry the fixth, rivalled the most learned ecclefiaftics of his age, in the diligence and felicity with which he profecuted the politer ftudies. At Padua, his fingular skill in refined Latinity endeared him to

i. p. 79. IfaacBullart relates, that in the year 1576, during the fiege of Moscow, fome noble Polish officers, accompanied by one Voinuskius, a man profoundly skilled in the learned languages, made an excurfion into the interior parts of Mufcovy; where they found, among other valuable monuments of antient literature, Tully's REPUBLIC, written in golden letters. ACAD. Art. Scient. tom. p. 87. It is to be wished, that the fame good fortune which discovers this work of Cicero, will also restore the remainder of Ovid's FASTI, the loft Decads

Vol. II.

of Livy, the ANTICATONES of Cefar, and an entire copy of Petronius.

P From his EPITAPH.

9 Wood, HIST. UNIV. OXON. i. 246. See Fiddes's WOLSEY, p. 201.

ANGL. HISTOR. lib. xxvi. p. 610. 30% edit. Bafil. 1534. fol. But he feems to have only been schoolmaster of Magdalen or New-college. See Nic. Harpsfield, HIST. ECCLES. p. 651. who fays, that this Vitellius fpoke his firft oration at Newcollege. Qui primam fuam orationem in collegio Wiccamenfi habuit."

66

Iii

66

pope

pope Pius the second, and to the most capital ornaments of the Italian school'. His Latin Letters ftill remain, and abundantly prove his abilities and connections. He tranflated Cicero's dialogue on FRIENDSHIP into English. He was the common patron of all his ingenious countrymen, who about this period were making rapid advances in a more rational and ample plan of ftudy; and, among other inftances of his unwearied liberality to true literature, he prepared a prefent of chofen manufcript books, valued at five hundred marcs, for the encrease of the Humphredian library at Oxford, then recently inftituted". These books appear to have been purchased in Italy; at that time the grand and general mart of antient authors, especially the Greek claffics. For the Turkish emperors, now seated at

See Ware, SCRIPT. HIBERN. ii. 133. Camd. BRIT. p. 436. And the Funeral Oration of Ludovico Carbo, on Guarini.

In this correspondence, four letters are written by the earl, viz. To Laurence More, John Fre or Phrea, William Atteclyff, and Magifter Vincent. To the earl are letters of Galeotus Martius, Baptifta Guarini, and other anonymous friends. MSS. Ecclef. Cathedr. Lincoln.

" Printed by Caxton, 1481. fol. Leland thinks, that the verfion of Tully de Senectute, printed alfo by Caxton, was made by this earl. But this tranflation was made by William of Wyrceftre, or William Botoner, an eminent physician and antiquary, from the French of Lawrence Premierfait, and presented by the tranflator to bishop Waynflete, Aug. 20, 1473. See MSS. Harl. 4329. 2. 3. Typtoft alfo tranflated into English two elegant Latin ORATIONS of Banatufius Magnomontanus, fupposed to be fpoken by C. Scipio and C. Flaminius, who were rivals in the courtship of Lucretia. This verfion was printed by Caxton, with Tully's two DIALOGUES abovementioned. He has left other pieces.

w EPIST. Acad. Oxon. 259. Registr. FF. f. 121. I fufpect, that on the earl's

execution, in 1470, they were never received by the univerfity. Wood, ANTIQ Un. Oxon. ii. 50. Who adds, that the earl meditated a benefaction of the fame kind to Cambridge.

As the Greek language became fafhionable in the course of erudition, we find the petty scholars affecting to understand Greek. This appears from the following paffage in Barclay's SHIP OF FOOLES, written, as we have seen, about the end of the fifteenth century:

Another boafteth himself that hath bene In Greece at scholes, and many other lande;

But if that he were appofed well, I wene The Greekes letters he fcant doth underftand.

Edit. 1570. ut fupr. fol. 185. a. With regard to what is here fuggefted, of our countrymen reforting to Greece for inftruction, Rhenanus acquaints us, that Lily, the famous grammarian, was not only intimately acquainted with the whole circle of Greek authors, but with the domeftic life and familiar converfation of the Greeks, he having lived fome time in the island of Rhodes. PRÆFAT. ad T. Mori EPIGRAM.

• Examined.