it, he probably felt the effects of his imprudence to his death.

After having visited Cambridge, he took a journey into Yorkshire, to fee his native place, and his old acquaintance, and there received a letter from the court, informing him, that he was appointed fecretary to Sir Richard Morifine, who was to be dif patched as ambassador into Germany. In his return to London he paid that memorable vifit to lady Jane Gray, in which he found her reading the Phado in Greek, as he has related in his Schoolmaster.

In the year 1550, he attended Morifine to Ger many, and wandered over great part of the country, making obfervations upon all that appeared worthy of his curiofity, and contracting acquaintance with men of learning. To his correfpondent Sturmius he paid a vifit, but Sturmius was not at home, and thofe two illuftrious friends never faw each other. During the course of this embaffy, Afcham undertook to improve Morifine in Greek, and for four days in the week explained fome paffages of Herodotus every morning, and more than two hundred verfes of Sophocles or Euripides every afternoon. He read with him likewife fome of the orations of Demofthenes. On the other days he compiled the letters of business, and in the night filled up his diary, digefted his remarks, and wrote private letters to his friends in England, and particularly to those of his college, whom he continually exhorted to perseverance in study. Amidst all the pleasures of novelty which his travels fupplied, and in the dignity of his publick ftation, he preferred the tranquillity of private ftudy,

and

and the quiet of academical retirement. The reafonableness of this choice has been always difputed'; and in the contrariety of human interests and difpofitions, the controverfy will not easily be decided.

He made a fhort excurfion into Italy, and mentions in his Schoolmaster with great feverity the vices of Venice. He was defirous of vifiting Trent while the council were fitting; but the fcantinefs of his purse defeated his curiofity.

In this journey he wrote his Report and difcourfe of the affairs in Germany, in which he defcribes the dif pofitions and interefts of the German princes like a man inquifitive and judicious, and recounts many particularities which are loft in the mass of general history, in a style which to the ears of that age was undoubtedly mellifluous, and which is now a very valuable specimen of genuine English.

By the death of king Edward in 1553, the Reformation was stopped, Morifine was recalled, and Afcham's penfion and hopes were at an end. He therefore retired to his fellowship in a state of disappointment and despair, which his biographer has endeavoured to express in the deepest' strain of plaintive declamation. "He was deprived of all his fupport,' fays Graunt, "ftripped of his penfion, and cut off "from the affistance of his friends, who had now loft "their influence; fo that he had NEC PRÆMIA NEC "PRÆDIA, neither penfion nor eftate to fupport him " at Cambridge." There is no credit due to a rhetorician's account either of good or evil. The truth is, that Ascham ftill had in his fellowship all that in the early part of his life had given him plenty, and VOL. XII.

Y

might

might have lived like the other inhabitants of the college, with the advantage of more knowledge and higher reputation. But notwithstanding his love of academical retirement, he had now too long enjoyed the pleasures and festivities of publick life, to return with a good will to academical poverty.

He had however better fortune than he expected; and, if he lamented his condition like his historian, better than he deferved. He had during his absence in Germany been appointed Latin fecretary to king Edward; and by the intereft of Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, he was inftated in the fame office under Philip and Mary, with a falary of twenty pounds a year,

Soon after his admiflion to his new employment, he gave an extraordinary fpecimen of his abilities and diligence, by compofing and tranfcribing with his ufual elegance, in three days, forty-feven letters to princes and perfonages, of whom cardinals were the lowest,

How Afcham, who was known to be a Proteftant, could preferve the favour of Gardiner, and hold a place of honour and profit in queen Mary's court, it must be very natural to inquire. Cheke, as is well known, was compelled to a recantation; and why Afcham was spared, cannot now be discovered. Graunt, at a time when the tranfactions of queen Mary's reign must have been well enough remembered, declares that Afcham always made open profeffion of the reformed religion, and that Englesfield and others often endeavoured to incite Gardiner against him, but found their accufations rejected with contempt yet he allows, that fufpicions and charges

of

of temporization and compliance had fomewhat fullied his reputation. The author of the Biographia Britannica conjectures, that he owed his fafety to his innocence and usefulness; that it would have been unpopular to attack a man fo little liable to cenfure, and that the lofs of his pen could not have been easily fupplied. But the truth is, that morality was never fuffered in the days of perfecution to protect herefy; nor are we fure that Ascham was more clear from common failings than thofe who fuffered more; and whatever might be his abilities, they were not. fo ne. ceffary, but Gardiner could have eafily filled his place with another fecretary. Nothing is more vain, than at a diftant time to examine the motives of discrimination and partiality; for the inquirer, hav ing confidered intéreft and policy, is obliged at laft to omit more frequent and more active motives of human conduct, caprice, accident, and pri vate affections.

At that time, if fome were punished, many were forborne; and of many why fhould not Afcham happen to be one? He feems to have been calm and prudent, and content with that peace which he was fuffered to enjoy a mode of behaviour that seldom fails to produce fecurity. He had been abroad in the last years of king Edward, and had at least given no recent offence. He was certainly, according to his own opinion, not much in danger; for in the next year he refigned his fellowship, which by Gardiner's favour he had continued to hold, though not refi dent; and married Margaret Howe, a young gentlewoman of a good family.

He was distinguished in this regin by the notice of cardinal Pole, a man of great candour, learning, and gentleness of manners, and particularly eminent for his fkill in Latin, who thought highly of Afcham's style; of which it is no inconfiderable proof, that when Pole was defirous of communicating, a speech made by himself as legate, in parliament, to the pope, he employed Afcham to tranflate it.

He is faid to have been not only protected by the officers of state, but favoured and countenanced by the queen herself, fo that he had no reafon of complaint in that reign of turbulence and perfecution; nor was his fortune much mended, when in 1558 his pupil Elizabeth mounted the throne. He was continued in his former employment, with the fame ftipend: but though he was daily admitted to the prefence of the queen, affifted her private studies, and partook of her diverfions; fometimes read to her in the learned languages, and fometimes played with her at draughts and chefs; he added nothing to his twenty pounds a year but the prebend of Westwang in the church of York, which was given him the year following. His fortune was therefore not proportionate to the rank which his offices and reputation gave him, or to the favour in which he feemed to ftand with his mistress. Of this parfimonious allotment it is again a hopeless fearch to inquire the reafon. The queen was not naturally bountiful, and perhaps did not think it neceffary to diftinguish by any prodigality of kindness a man who had formerly deferted her, and whom the might ftill fufpect of ferving rather for intereft than affection. Graunt