CHAPTER I.

SECOND HALF OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY: ENGLISH WRITERS OF LATIN; ENGLISH TRANSLATORS; WRITERS OF RELIGIOUS AND THEOLOGICAL BOOKS.

1. Approach of the Elizabethan Era in Literature.-2. Classical Study.-3. Writers of Books in Latin; Sir John Cheke and Sir Thomas Smith.-4. Other Writers in Latin.-5. George Buchanan.-6. The Translators from Greek, Latin, Italian, and French; Phaer; Twyne; Golding; Turbervile; Brooke; Paynter; North; Stanihurst; Hall; Googe; Florio; Harington; Carew; Fairfax; Savile; Sylvester.-7. Religious Writings; Whittingham; the Geneva Bible; the Bishops' Bible.-8. John Knox.-9. John Fox.-10. Stephen Gosson.11. Philip Stubbes.-12. Richard Hooker.

1. IN entering upon the second half of the sixteenth century, we approach the most powerful and brilliant era in English literature. At the beginning of this period, the youthful Edward VI. was on the throne of England. He died in 1553, and was succeeded by his half-sister, Mary, who reigned until her death in 1558. Then began the illustrious reign of Elizabeth, who ruled England until 1603. The literary splendor of the Elizabethan era did not begin, however, until the latter part of her reign, and it lasted through the reign of her successor. Most of the men who made the greatness and glory of Elizabethan literature were not born until about the time that Elizabeth ascended the throne, or afterward. Thus, Raleigh was born in 1552, Hooker, Lyly, and Spenser about 1553, Sidney in 1554, Chapman in 1557, Warner about 1558, Bacon in 1561, Daniel in 1562, Marlowe and Shakespeare in 1564, Middleton about 1570, Ben Jonson about 1574, Beaumont about 1586, Fletcher in 1576, and Massinger in 1584.

2. The great impulse given, during the previous hundred years, to the study of the ancient literatures, was still felt in many ways:in the study of those literatures, not only by professional scholars, but by men and women of high rank; in

the excessive use of the classic mythologies in fashionable entertainments, in painting, in tapestry, and even in ordinary conversation; in the continued use of Latin in the writing of books; in special honor paid to learned men; and, finally, in the multitude of English translations, in prose and verse, from Latin and Greek.

3. Two of the most famous scholars belonging to the earlier part of our present period are Sir John Cheke and Sir Thomas Smith. They were both born in 1514; both studied at Cambridge, Cheke at St. John's College, and Smith at Queen's; both became famous at the University as students, and, while still young men, as teachers of Greek. They worked together as reformers of the method of pronunciation, and excited a warm controversy on the subject. Greek, as received into England from the teaching of the learned refugees, was pronounced after their fashion; ẞ was pronounced like our v, & and a were pronounced alike, and n, i, v had the same sound. Cheke and Smith declared this to be a modern Greek corruption of the ancient language, and proposed to give each letter value. They began by partial use of their new system of pronunciation in the course of lectures. When this had provoked question, each appointed a day for the explanation of his views, and both won followers. Students of Cambridge then acted the "Plutus" of Aristophanes pronounced in the new manner, and, six years later, when Dr. Ratcliff tried the old way he was hissed. He appealed to the Chancellor of the University. This was Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, who addressed to Cheke an admonition that conceded high respect to him as a scholar, but condemned the youthful fervor with which he was spreading heresy against the established form of Greek pronunciation among students of the University. Gardiner then exercised his authority as Chancellor by issuing, in 1542, an edict settling the true faith in Greek vowels and diphthongs as absolutely as King Henry VIII. settled it for his subjects in all other matters. Cheke held his own, and replied with a treatise, "De Pronuntiatione Linguæ Græcæ," which was published afterwards in 1555. Smith wrote also a sensible letter on the subject, and the Chancellor's decrees were not obeyed.

At the age of two and twenty, Cheke had published an English tract, called "A Remedy for Sedition, wherein are contained many things concerning the true and loyal obeisance that Commons owe unto their Prince and Sovereign Lord the King." In later days his loyalty and his fame as a scholar caused him to be appointed tutor to Prince Edward. He was a great scholar himself, and a cause of scholarship in others who earned reputation and looked back to him with gratitude. He was knighted by King Edward, and had grants of land. He became also in this reign a privy councillor and secretary of state. Sir John Cheke

drew force for the real work of life out of his studies. He was especially familiar with Demosthenes, and said that the study of him taught Englishmen how to speak their minds. At the death of Edward VI., he was one of those who sought to secure the succession of Lady Jane Grey. He was sent to the Tower, but for his learning his life was saved, and he was permitted to leave England. While abroad his estates were confiscated. He was seized by Philip at Brussels, and sent to England, where he escaped death by recantation. The queen then gave him means of life, but made life a torture by compelling him to sit on the bench at the judgment and condemnation of those heretics who did not faint in the trial of their faith. His age was but forty-three when he died, in September, 1557. He left many writings that have never been published; and those that he did publish are nearly all translations of Greek and of English into Latin.

The later career of Sir Thomas Smith was more fortunate than that of his friend. He had been travelling among the universities of France and Italy towards the close of Henry VIII.'s reign, and took the doctor's degree at Padua. After the accession of Edward VI., he was made provost of Eton; in 1548 he was knighted. Sir Thomas Smith became, like his friend Sir John Cheke, a secretary of state under Edward, and he was employed as an ambassador. Under Mary, he was deprived of all his offices, but had for his learning a pension of a hundred pounds. On the accession of Elizabeth, he rose to great honors, as ambassador and statesman, succeeding Burleigh as secretary of state, in which capacity he died in 1577. His principal publication was a Latin treatise, "De Republica Anglorum."

4. Other writers of books in Latin are the following:- Archbishop Matthew Parker, who published, in 1572, "De Antiquitate Britannicæ Ecclesiæ;" John Fox, the martyrologist, who wrote Latin plays on Scriptural subjects; Bishop John Jewel, who published, in 1562, "Apologia Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ;" Gabriel Harvey, who published Latin poems entitled "Smithus," and "Gratulationes Waldenses;" Richard Stanihurst, who published, in 1584, "De Rebus in Hibernia Gestis Libri IV.," and, in 1587, a Latin life of St. Patrick; above all, the Scottish historian and poet George Buchanan.

5. George Buchanan was born at Killearn, Lennoxshire, in 1506. His father died, leaving his mother almost destitute, with five boys and three girls; and George was sent by James Heriot, a brother of hers, to Paris for his education. There he already wrote much Latin verse. His uncle's death, two years afterwards, obliged him to come back without health or money. He made a campaign with French auxiliaries in sharp weather, lost health again, was in bed the rest of the winter, went to St. Andrews to study under old John Mair, with whom he went to

Paris. There he became Lutheran, was for two years very poor, then for two years and a half he taught grammar at the College of St. Barbe. He was then in France as tutor and companion for five years to the young Earl of Cassillis, and went back with him to Scotland. He there acted as tutor to the king's natural son, James, afterwards Earl of Moray. But he attacked the monks in Latin satires, especially in his " Franciscanus" and “Fratres Fraterrimi," was denounced by Beaton, and compelled to leave Scotland again. He went to England; but there, he says, he found Henry VIII. burning men of both parties, more intent on his own interests than on purity of religion. So being half at home in France- though Buchanan carried Scotland about with him wherever he went- he went to Paris, found his enemy Cardinal Beaton there also in his way, and was invited by a learned Portuguese, Andrew Goveanus, who resided at Bordeaux, to teach there. Thus he became professor of the Humanities at Bordeaux, where he had Montaigne in his class, and where he wrote two Latin tragedies of his own, on "Jephthah" and "John the Baptist," and translated into Latin the "Medea" and "Alcestis" of Euripides. These were written, year by year, as they were required—the translations first — to be acted, according to custom, by the students of Bordeaux. Goveanus was at last summoned to Portugal by his king, and invited to bring with him men learned in Greek and Latin, to join in the work of the newly-founded University of Coimbra. All Europe was involved in war. Buchanan was glad to find in Portugal a quiet corner. There he was very happy, with bright associates, and his brother Patrick among them, till the death of Goveanus. A persecution then began, some teachers were imprisoned; for a year and a half Buchanan was worried, and inquired into; and then he was confined for a few months in a monastery. There he occupied himself by making his famous poetical paraphrase of the Psalms into Latin verse"Paraphrasis Psalmorum Davidis poetica"-first published at Paris in 1564. When he left Portugal, Buchanan came first to England - it was in the time of Edward VI. - then he went to France; then was called to Italy by Marshal de Brissac, and was for five years with the marshal's son, sometimes in France,