this penfion, and his other appointments in the` univerfity, it appears he had a very comfortable income, befides gratuities for teaching perfons of the firft diftinction to write, particularly prince Edward, the princefs Elizabeth, and the two brothers, Henry and Charles Brandon, dukes of Suffolk.

Upon the acceffion of Edward VI. Mr. Afcham's penfion was renewed, and he was defired to continue at Cambridge, to promote the caufe of the Reformation, in conjunction with his learned friend Bucer, the celebrated German divine, who had been invited over by the univerfity, to fill the chair of divinity profeffor. But the death of Grindal brought him to court, to attend the princess Elizabeth, whofe ftudies he directed for two years, by her own appointment; and, in this time, the acquired a confiderable knowledge of the beft Greek and Latin authors, by reading them familiarly with Mr. Afcham. This pleafing tafk performed, he re. turned to his former ftation at the university; and in 1550, being upon a vifit in Yorkthire, he received intelligence that he was appointed fecretary to Sir Richard Morifine, who was preparing to fet. out on an embaffy to Charles V. emperor of Germany. This promoti n obliged him to proceed directly to London, but in his journey he vifited Lady Jane Grey, at her father's houfe at Broadgate in Leicester fhire. He found her reading the Phoedo of Plato in Greek; and he difcovered fuch an uncommon fhare of learning and good fenfe in her converfation, that he mentions her in his works, as the wonder of her fex.

Mr. Afcham attended the ambaffador to Germany, and remained with him three years, during which time he cultivated the friendship of the learned in that country, and applied himfelf to the study of politicks, which made him very ufeful

to Sir Richard, whom he affifted in his private ftudies, and in the public bufinefs of his embaffy. Yet neither the concerns of his ftation, nor his affiduity in reading the Greek authors with the ambaffador, prevented his keeping up a correfpondence with his friends at Cambridge, to whom he wrote feveral letters, which are still preserved with his other works, and fhew him to have been an accurate obferver of men and manners; but his abilities as a political writer likewife appeared, in a curious treatife which he wrote, while he was on an excurfion to Italy. It is intituled "A report and difcourfe of the affairs and ftaté of Germany," and is addreffed in the form of a letter to his friend, Mr. John Aftley, to whom he gives the cleareft account of any writer of those times, of the motives which induced the emperor to refign his crown to his fon, and retire from the world. It contains alfo a great number of hiftorical and political anecdotes and reflections of a very interefting nature.

While he was thus agreeably employed, his friends at home procured him the poft of Latin fecretary to the king; but before he could return to take poffeffion of his new dignity, he received the melancholy news of the death of his royal mafter, by which fatal event he not only loft his place and his penfion, but feemed to have loft every profpect of future preferment. However, contrary to his expectations, being protected by lord Paget, he was raifed to the fame poft under queen Mary, and fuch was his diligence and dispatch, that it is faid, he compofed and tranfcribed, in three days, no lefs than forty feven. Latin letters to princes and other foreigners of diftinction, particularly to the cardinals, on the fubject of electing cardinal Pole to the papal chair. He was greatly careffed by the cardinal on account

of

of his literary talents; and though Pole was himfelf particularly eminent for his kill in Latin, he yet thought fo highly of Afcham's ftyle, that he employed him to tranflate into Latin the fpeech which he made to the parliament when he reconciled the kingdom to the fee of Rome; and our author's tranflation was fent to Rome, where it was greatly admired, for the purity of the diction.

In 1554, Mr. Afcham refigned his fellowship, and married Mrs. Margaret Howe, a young lady of good family, with whom he had fome fortune; and though he always made open profeffion of the reformed religion, he had the good fortune to continue unmolefted, during the remainder of the reign of Mary.

Upon the acceffion of Elizabeth, his royal pupil, he was fent for to court, continued in his ftation of Latin fecictary, and allowed the fame falary as in the late reign, which was only twenty pounds per annum; and though he was admitted to a degree of familiarity with the queen, fometimes affifting her in her private ftudies, and at others partaking of her diverfions, the never made any addition to his fortune, except a prebend in the cathedral of York, which was bestowed on him in 1559. This inconfiderable preferment was fo inadequate to his fervices, and to the rank he held at court in the reign of Edward VI. that it has been thought extraordinary, that he should not have received more fubftantial favours from the queen. But Elizabeth was not naturally bountiful; and Afcham, though he often felt the want of money, feems not to have been well verfed in thofe arts, by which court favours are obtained. He was alfo deficient in ceconomy; and Camden tells us, that he impaired his fortune by a love of dice and cock-fighting. "But, however he might "fail in his œconomy," fays Dr. Johnfon, it B 4

were

66

were indecent to treat with wanton levity the memory of a man, who fhared his frailties with all, but whofe learning or virtues few can attain, "and by whofe excellencies many may be improved, while himself only fuffered by his faults."

In 1563, he compofed his celebrated treatise, intituled The SCHOOL-MASTER," which he undertook at the requeft of Sir Richard Sackville ; but this work was not publifhed till after his death.

From this time, to the year 1568, we have no account of any exertion of his literary talents; and it appears, that his bad flate of health obliged him to forbear all clofe application to ftudy, except in the morning. Yet, as a laft effort, he attempted to compofe a poem this year, to be prefented to the queen on the anniversary of her accef fion; but his diffemper, which was a comfumption, growing worfe by this attempt, and depriving him of reft, he was obliged to decline it, and prepare to meet his approaching end, which he did with pious fortitude and refignation. He died on the 30th of December, 1568, and was interred in St. Sepulchre's church, London, in the most private manner, agreeably to his own direction. Being only in the fifty-third year of his age, his death was greatly lamented by the queen, and by all his contemporaries in the literary world, who juftly confidered it as a public lofs, efteeming him one of the most learned men of the age, and one of the greatest improvers of his native language.

*

** Authorities. Graunt's Oration in honour of Afcham, prefixed to his Epiftles. Life of Afcham, written by Dr. Johnfon, prefixed to Mr. Bennet's edition of Afcham's English works, publifhed in 4to. in 1761.

THE

THE LIFE OF

JOHN JE WEL,

BISHOP OF SALISBURY.

THIS

[A. D. 1522, to 1571.]

HIS eminent divine, and zealous "champion for the Proteftant caufe, was a defcendant of an antient family in Devonthire, and was born at the village of Buden, in that county, in 1522. When he was feven years of age, he was inftructed in the rudiments of grammar learning by his maternal uncle, Mr. John Bellamy, rector of Hamton. He was afterwards fent to fchool at Branton, whence he was removed to South molton, and from thence to Barnstaple. Before he was fourteen years of age, he was fent to the univerfity of Oxford, and placed in Merton college, under the tuition of Peter Burrey, a man of inconfiderable learning, and no great friend to the Reformation. But he was afterwards committed to the care of Mr. John Parkhurft, fellow of the fame college, who was a learned man, and a zealous Proteftant. Under this preceptor, who was afterwards bishop of Norwich, young Jewel was initiated in the principles of the reformed religion, and made a confiderable progrefs in his academical ftudies.