SECT. IV.

Preferred at Court, and does good offices for men of religion and learning.

WHEN Cheke had undergone, and well got over this Anno 1550. shock at Court, he stood the firmer afterwards, and remained fast in his royal master's favour, and his interest

at Court.

and authority daily increased: so that he became the great Becomes the patron patron of religious and learned men, both English and of learning foreigners, and, together with Cecil and Gates, their chief and religion advocate with the King. So well did Ridley, Bishop of Ep. M. Sta. London, know this, that he called him one of Christ's special advocates, and one of his principal proctors, And Ascham Epist. ab Ascham, joining Cecil and Cook with him, as the great Augustâ triumvirate at Court for favouring all good causes that miss. respected either religion or learning, bespake him once in these words: " If you, with Cecil and Cook, [the other " instructor of the King,] defend, as you have opportunity, "the causes of virtue and learning, ye shall answer the "opinion that all have of you."

well Made chief
gentleman
(viz. of the Privy

And his great parts and abilities were now so known, and his wisdom so tried, that by this time 1550, the fourth of the King) he was made one of the chief Chamber. gentlemen of the Privy Chamber, a high place in those times, and was preferred also, as it seems, to a participation of the public cares, and involved in the matters of State. Certainly very great and weighty business lay upon him for Ascham, in one of his letters to him, excused III. 9. himself for the letter he wrote, not expecting long answers again, because he saw he was detained with weightier matters. And the King's Ambassador in Germany wrote weekly to him privately, as well as to the Privy Council, concerning the public affairs abroad. The foresaid Ascham, that elegant scholar, was Secretary to this Ambassador, concerning whom I shall here take occasion to set down a few things.

Anno 1550. Procures Ascham to go Secretary to an Embassy to the

Emperor.

AN embassy being to be despatched to the Emperor, Charles the Vth, the charge of it was committed to Sir Richard Morison, a learned Knight, and a brave gentleman; and Ascham, by the means and recommendation of Cheke, was appointed Secretary of the said embassy: two very fit persons to be companions, and well sorted for their tempers, learning, and judgment. This favour obtained by Cheke, Ascham gratefully remembered, and professed that he made it a spur to him, not to be wanting in any respect to the Ambassador with whom he went, lest his neglect might reflect any blame upon his friend that preferred him; for he bore, he said, that sentence of Cicero in his mind, graviorem esse sponsionem alienæ honestatis quam alieni æris; i. e. that it is a greater matter to pass one's word for another's good behaviour, than for his debt. Ep. III. 2. The day before the Ambassador went away, Ascham repaired unto Cheke's chamber in London, (in White Friars, I suppose, for there his house was,) being retired thither Cheke's ad- for his health's sake. Here coming to take his leave, cham going Cheke, like a Christian philosopher, held a large conference into Ger- with him, both concerning true religion, and the right method of instituting studies. Which subjects were so wisely and gravely handled, that the discourse made such a mighty impression upon Ascham, that, as he sent him word in one of his letters, he should never forget it. It was no doubt intended by our learned man to fortify Ascham, now going abroad, and to confirm him in the good principles he had imbibed and entertained at Cambridge; and that in his travels he might be secured from gathering any infection by the various conversation he must necessarily meet with; and so be in danger, without some forearming, of forsaking religion, or that course of solid learning that he made so good progress in.

vice to As

many.

pur

V.

Anno 1550.

cation be

Cheke and

ad Raven.

Of this communication, the next day after, viz. Sept. 21, SECT. Ascham gave his fellow collegian and friend, Edward Ravén, an account from Gravesend; which was to this port, that from noon to nine at night, they two passed the Communi. time in various philosophical discourses. They handled tween many things relating to religion, to the Court, to the com- Ascham. monwealth, and to the University: and particularly that Asch. Epist. Cheke hugely approved of the state of St. John's college, III. 2. and the discipline and course of learning there used. Ascham, out of his love to the learned men there, and his desire of their promotion, took this occasion to speak much of the Pilkingtons, the Leavers, Wylsons, Elands, and other good and deserving scholars of that college, and particularly his friend Raven, (to whom he now wrote,) whose sweetness of manners, wit, prudence, diligence, and judgment, he commended and recommended to Cheke; and chiefly a troublesome business of his, wherein he might need the assistance of the Court: which the other readily promised that he would get despatched.

gence sent

abroad.

p. 433.

Cheke's great mind towards the advancement of learn- Intelliing and religion contained not itself within the limits of him of the these nations united under the English government; but state of learning the good-will he bare thereto made him heartily desirous and religion of the propagation of these excellent things abroad in the world. And some tidings of the present posture of them, in the parts beyond seas, came to him now in the month of November, from the pen of his before-men- Asch. Ep. tioned learned friend, who was (with the Ambassador) by this time got as far as Ausburg. He shewed him first, in general, how he had visited monasteries, churches, libraries; seen ancient both books and coins, a number whereof, both very old and very fine, he promised him at his return: also, how he had taken notice of the customs of cities, their situation and discipline; diligently viewed their buildings, walls, strength, ports, and all opportunities of land and water round about: and that he had made memoranda of all these things: whereof Cheke was to be partaker when Ascham came home. He proceeded to particulars: he

E

An ill cha

racter of

many.

CHAP. spake first of Lower Germany, which he called the lowest III. indeed, and the deepest, as, he said, was easily perceivable, Auno 1550. and that in all respects; (except only in the mighty concourse of merchants;) for into it flowed a sink of Roman Lower Ger dregs and filth, and now seemed there to stagnate. This was the ill character he gave of that country, which afterwards, by the vindication of its liberty from oppression and superstition, is become in these our days one of the richest and most considerable places in Europe. At Antwerp he saw a commentary upon Plato's Timæus, but of some Latin writer. At Louvain, in the college, he heard, for the space of an hour, Theodorus Candius, a man of fame, read upon Sophocles's Tyrannus: where, by the way, he acquainted Cheke, that in his reading he read and pronounced according to the late way discovered by him, when he read the Greek lecture at Cambridge. "But," said he, “if that reader were compared with Car, [who 66 was the present reader of Greek there,] Louvain with "Cambridge, both the former would fall much short of "both the latter." That at Colen, Justus Velsius, once of Argentine, now an Herodian, [i. e. I suppose a complier with the interim,] read in Greek Aristotle's Ethics; whom indeed he [Ascham] did approve, though he did not admire. That the same day he heard Alexander Blancart, a Carmelite, reading upon the Acts of the Apostles. This man he described to be a notable Papist; that he turned the ninth epistle of the first book of Cyprian for oblations in favour of the dead; and that he was esteemed to be learneder, and worse [i. e. in respect of his rigour against Lutheranism] than Edvardus Billicus, who there publicly professed to read on Genesis. That for the fame that this Billicus carried, he repaired to his monastery, and there he saw the man; and having a mind to enter into discourse with him, he signified to him, that he was told he had certain books of St. Bernard, as yet never printed. This he said, that he might provoke the man to some discourse, and so make some trial of his parts and abilities. But being full of business, as his servant told Ascham, he

V.

was not then at leisure: so as being cast off to another SECT. time, he cast off that proud Papist. He proceeded in his relation; that he had looked over many libraries in those Anno 1550. parts, but saw not one eminent book. That at Spire, the report was, there was an excellent library, well furnished with ancient Latin, Greek, and Hebrew books: but the library-keeper being absent, he saw not the books, which otherwise he had taken a view of. That at Gavesburgh, a town nine German miles distant from Ausburg, many Jews dwelt: where he was, and saw many Hebrew books well written; but they would not sell him so much as one, though he offered them money. He also saw ancient coins there; and bought two, a Nero and an Augustus. Also they shewed him an old Hebrew piece of money, of gold, with very handsome Hebrew letters; which he had bought, had not the price been too unreasonable. That the city Ausburg, where he now was, had a very copious library, furnished with very many ancient Greek and Hebrew books. They that had the care of it had laid aside threescore of their best books, lest the Emperor (now at Ausburg) or the Imperialists should take them away, [either perhaps for their choiceness and excellency, or containing some things contrary to the Imperial or Popish interest.] There was a whole Chrysostom in Greek, together with other very valuable books and though he had not yet seen them, he was promised that he should.

This for the state of learning. Next he acquainted Cheke in what condition religion was in those parts. That it flourished at Ausburg, though the Emperor himself were at that time in person there: "Just, methinks," said he, “as 66 your pronunciation of Greek flourished at Cambridge, ❝even under the contrary commands and injunction of "Winchester. At this success of religion, we all,” added he, "do rejoice, and I congratulate the same; but fear, lest "Cæsar, while present he shews himself, with fraud, easy "in the cause of religion, when he is absent, more easily, "without being suspected, break all their political power;