Lives of Eminent and Illustrious Englishmen Volume 2; From Alfred the Great to the Latest Times, on an Original Plan (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1837 Excerpt: ... mediately after this, he retired to a house of his own, in the neighbourhood of London, where he employed himself for nearly six uninterrupted years in arranging and digesting his immense collections. The labour which he thus imposed upon himself gradually overpowered his constitution, until, at last, nature gave way in the struggle, and reason, as well as health, forsook the emaciated student. He died on the 18th of April, 1552. Leland's papers were first consigned to the custody of Sir John Cheke, who would probably have made some important use of them had he not been prevented by the troubles which followed the death of Edward VI. On his retirement to the continent, Sir John placed four folio volumes of Leland's collections in the hands of Mr Purefoy, from whom they descended to Barton, the author of a history of Leicestershire, who left them, along with eight other volumes of Leland's MSS., forming what is called his ' Itinerary, ' to the Bodleian library. The only other portion of Leland's MSS. is in the Cottonian collection. Of all these, Holinshed, Drayton, Camden, Dugdale, Stowe, Lombard, Wood, and others, have availed themselves in their historical remarks. Hearne has ably edited the 'Itinerary ' and ' Collectanea.' His ' Commentary de Scriptoribus Britannicis' was published in 1709, in two volumes octavo. BORN A. D. 1514 DIED A. D. 1557. This eminent scholar and promoter of literature, was born at Cambridge, in 1514, and educated there in St John's college. He very early obtained a fellowship, and was also chosen orator to the university. At the age of twenty-six, he had acquired such a reputation for learning, that he was made professor of Greek. In this capacity he endeavoured to introduce many improvements, especially in the mode of pronouncing ..