IV.

De Pronun

ting scholars upon the study of that learned language, and SECT. for the further advancement of it. For, as he wrote to the foresaid reverend person, "Is this," said he, "to err from Anno 1542. "my office, [as it seems the Bishop had laid to his charge,] ciat. p. 102. "and from the place wherein the King hath set me, to "teach what is most ancient, what is most profitable, "what most distinct? Which, since it was granted me "by the King, it afflicts me not a little, that it is by you "lessened and abridged. For had the University be"stowed this lecture on me, I could not without great "trouble of mind have been drawn away from it, while I "profitably and honestly performed my duty therein. "With what mind then must I bear it, when the King "himself hath bestowed it on me? And by reason of the 66 rejection of that right pronunciation, neither have I the "fruit of reading, nor they that come the desire of hear"ing; and almost all have cast off the study of the Greek 66 tongue. For, when I entered upon this royal office of reading the Greek lecture, I found all my auditors well "instructed in this way of pronouncing, and earnestly ap"plied themselves to the study of the Greek; and all (one "or two only excepted) with all cheerfulness addicted to "this way. Since therefore this pronunciation hath been "received now a good many years, and is widely scat"tered among men by a customary use of it, should I "alone, for no cause, reject that hath been received by all upon very great cause? Should I envy them so great a "benefit, by removing it from them, or take it away by disparaging it? Or rather, should not I pursue this "most glorious institution of the King, by the fruitfulest "way of reading that I could.".

66

66

Chancellor

fect of his

Then he freely told the Bishop the success of his letter Cheke to the University, "That since the order therein con- shews the “tained, many had departed from his lecture; and they the ill ef"that came, came with so sad and melancholic minds, as letter to t 66 one would think they were mourning for the death of a University. "friend. For, as he went on, with reluctancy of the best “learned, and in effect of the whole University, you have

C

I.

66

CHAP. "again ́shut them up in this corrupt confusion; which is so gross that we may almost feel it with our hand. Anno 1542. Wherefore, if any thing hereafter happen otherwise than "the King's Majesty expecteth, it is not to be ascribed to 66 me, who have taken the best way, and followed the me"thod used among us; but it will lay on them who move "things well placed," &c. He subjoined, "Truly, I fear, "we must have no more declaiming in Greek, which we "daily practised before, since that which was distinct and "clear is taken away, and that which is confused and un"sound is only left. For that pronunciation, which our 66 ears so liked and approved, is now gone into the utmost 66 parts of the earth: nor, however profitable it be, how"ever true, however noble and magnificent, can longer "tarry at Cambridge by reason of the punishments and "mulcts threatened.”

Thus did Cheke with an ingenuous boldness express his mind, and argue with the Bishop about this matter: wherein he shewed as well his eloquence, as his conscientious care of discharging the office committed to him by the King, and his zeal for the promoting of learning.

But whatever opposition of injunctions, decrees, and penalties were made against it; yet, as it was said of truth, it is great, and will prevail, so this true way of speaking and reading Greek got the day in the University. Cheke's way And those that were the greatest ornaments of learning Greek pre- then in Cambridge, Redman, Smith, Ponet, Pickering, Ascham, Tong, Bill, and all others, who either read any thing publicly in the schools, or privately in the colleges, gave themselves wholly to this correct way.

of sounding

vails.

Seven let

ters pass between Gar

Cheke.

In fine, there passed seven learned epistles between the Chancellor and our Greek Professor; wherein was comdiner and prised, I think, whatsoever could be said on this argument pro or con, containing considerable learning in them. The originals whereof were left in the hands of Cælius Secundus Curio, a learned man of Basil, by Cheke himself, as he passed through that place in his journey into Italy, in the beginning of Queen Mary's reign. From which ori

+

V.

ginals Cælius printed them anno 1555: dedicating them SECT.
to the learned Sir Anthony Cook, Cheke's dear friend,
and fellow instructor of good King Edward; giving him Anno 1542.
this reason for publishing them, that after he had di-
ligently perused them, he saw nothing in that kind ever
more perfectly written. And therefore judged so great a
good was by all means to be communicated to all that
were studious of good literature.

SECT. V.

What and how Cheke read.

Herodotus.

BUT let us go and hear our Greek Lecturer read. In Cheke reads his readings, among other authors he read Herodotus; and in that ancient historian particularly, the books entitled Euterpe and Polyhymnia, where Cheke had occasion to speak of some places in Italy and Greece, and to describe them. Which he did with that life and advantage of expression, a that one of the most ingenious of his auditors ever after had a most ardent inclination to travel, and see those parts of the world: so that he confessed it could not be quenched by any fears of labour or danger, which commonly are the attendants of travel. It was Ascham, whom we have had occasion several times to mention already. Who afterwards being Secretary to Sir Richard Morisin, King Edward's Ambassador, and now in Germany, had a fresh mind to pursue his long desire, of which he remembers Cheke in a letter to him; adding, that though for the bearing of travel, he had not a robust body, yet that he could bear labour, and cold, and heat, and any kind of food and drink, (the necessary qualification of a hard student, and fit as well for a traveller,) wanting nothing but a purse; praying him, his friend, to assist him by his interest with the rich, to supply him with travelling expenses; promising him, as some recompense, that he would bring him home a fair account of the customs, manners, and fashions of those places, whereof Cheke was a Asch. Epist. iii. 16.

I.

CHAP. ever held with an admiration. He signified what a good husband he would be; and that a little would serve a litAnno 1542. tle ordinary man as he was. No annual pension it was that he desired, but only a little money for the present expedition to set him out. That he had made noble friends in England, and particularly his lady, the Lady Elizabeth, who, he made no doubt, would upon the motion contribute largely to his petition. And the Duchess of Suffolk would be another, who had already promised him largely and nobly: whose son, the Lord Charles, he had instructed for some months in Greek: and her liberality he had reserved for this time and use. The Duke of Suf

The benefit of Cheke's lectures.

Cheke University Ora

tor.

folk, the other son of the Duchess, favoured him also; since by his means and teaching, he wrote so fair a hand as he did. From both the Marquisses also, viz. Dorset and Northampton, he had also great expectation. But the imparting of these his requests, he left to be managed by his friend Cheke, who, as we heard before, had blown up these desires in him; and in his ancient goodwill to him he confided.

Thus did the lectures of Cheke inflame his auditors to noble desires and virtuous enterprises; and tended not barely to instruct them in the understanding of a language, but to enlarge their faculties with good knowledge, and to furnish their minds with principles of wisdom, by his learned expositions and commentaries upon the authors he read to them. In short, we must dismiss our Greek Reader with the character Leland gave him:

Chacus Cecropii gloria prima gregis.

"Cheke the chief glory of th' Athenian tribe."

SECT. VI.

Cheke University Orator.

CHEKE was an orator as well as a linguist; and the University made him some time their Orator. And in that office he adorned the Roman language, as well as in his

lectures he did the Grecian. Which place he held till he SECT. removed to Court; and then was succeeded by Mr. Ascham

of the same college.

VI.

Anno 1543.

two Homi

sostom.

It was about the year 1543, that Cheke, being still at Publishes Cambridge, gave the first specimen in print of his Greek lies of Chrylearning, as well as public testimony of his gratitude to the King. For having gotten an authentic Greek MS. of two of St. Chrysostom's Homilies, he translated them into elegant Latin, and printed them at London, with a dedication thereof to his sovereign prince and patron the King. Wherein he took occasion to acknowledge and extol the King's free and voluntary munificence towards him, in making him first his Scholar, and then his Greek Lecturer. Dating it from Cambridge, at Christmas 1543, subscribing himself, Tuæ Majestatis Scholasticus, et assiduus Precator; i. e. " Your Majesty's Scholar, and daily "Bedesman," as the phrase then was.

But Cheke was now to be transplanted into another soil, and his learning and virtues were preparing greater honours for him.