where he soon acquired several offices of trust and honor; he was sent as Nuncio, to mediate for peace between Edward III. and the King of France, and was honorably received on his return to England in 1345: he is said to have been tenacious of the perquisites and privileges of office; he founded and endowed Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1347; in 1354, being sent by Edward III. to acquaint the Pope with the nature of the King’s claim to the Crown of France, he died at Avignon, then the residence of the Pope, and was buried in the Cathedral there in 1354.
Matthew Parker, was born in St. Saviour’s parish, August 6th, 1504, he received his education in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he made rapid progress in almost every kind of learning; he was appointed Chaplain to Queen Ann Boleyn, and through her interest obtained several preferments;—and on her being brought to the scaffold, the Princess Elizabeth, with a solemn injunction, was put under his care. He was shortly after made Vice Chancellor of the Cambridge University; he was appointed Chaplain to King Edward the VIth. and in 1552 preferred to the Deanery of Lincoln; he withdrew from his native country in Queen Mary’s reign, but was recalled on her death, and appointed to the See of Canterbury by her successor. In his character he combined learning and religion, in his household he was hospitable and courteous, of his charity his liberal benefactions bear ample testimony; he collected many valuable manuscripts,
which he gave to the library of the College where he received his education: he was a profound Antiquarian, and was the author of Antiquitates Britannicæ; he caused many valuable records where copies were scarce to be printed; he published some other works, and superintended a translation of the Scriptures from the original tongue, known by the name of the Bishops Bible; he died at his palace in Lambeth, May 17, 1575.
John Kaye or Cains, was born in Norwich, in 1510, and received his education at Cambridge. He finished his studies on the Continent, where he wrote many books, and formed numerous valuable literary acquaintance; on his return to England he practised as a Physician in Norwich with great success, and in 1557 he was considered the most able practitioner of medicine in the kingdom: he was physician to King Edward VI. and held the same office to Queen Mary, with whom he was in high favor; in the latter part of his life he retired to Cambridge, but being called to London on some urgent business, he was taken ill, and died in July, 1573, and was buried in Caius College Chapel, Cambridge; he exercised his pen on almost every branch of learning, and left upwards of four-score different treatises on various subjects.
William Cuningham, was born in Norwich, in 1531; he studied physic, and graduated at Heidelburgh; he wrote several treatises on Astronomy, Chronology and Medicine, particularly the Cosmographical Glass—printed in 1559, at the close of which year he died.
Thomas Legge, born in 1535, was student at Cambridge, and succeeded his friend Caius in the mastership of Caius College; he was a great and distinguished Antiquarian; having attached himself to the Law, he was appointed King’s legal professor, and twice filled the vice Chancellor’s chair; he was also a dramatic writer, he died in 1607.
John Cosin, was born in Norwich, in 1594, he studied in Caius College, Cambridge; he was promoted to several church preferments, which, at the commencement of the civil wars, he was deprived of, being the first clergyman who suffered that species of punishment for his loyalty. On the return of King Charles the II. he was appointed to the deanery of Peterborough, and soon afterwards called to the Bishoprick of Durham, and died in 1672; he wrote some pieces on polemical divinity.
Edward Brown, was born in this city about the year 1642, he was educated at the grammar school, and in 1665 took the degree of Bachelor in Physic, at Cambridge, and was soon after admitted at Oxford, where he in 1667 obtained a doctor’s diploma; he then travelled over great part of the Continent, and on his return, published an account of his travels, which contain some valuable information of Natural History, particularly on Minerology and Metallurgy; after settling in London, he was appointed physician to King Charles the II. and in 1705, became president of the College of physicians, which office he held till his death; he was well versed in the living and the dead languages; he died in 1708, at his seat at Northfleet, in Kent.
Doctor Samuel Clarke, the son of Edward Clarke, esq. an alderman of Norwich, and for several years one of its representatives in Parliament; he was born in 1675, and completed his studies at Cambridge, where he soon distinguished himself, particularly in the Mathematics; the Newtonian Philosophy attracted his notice, and by his illustration of that theory, he obtained very considerable credit at the early age of 22; he afterwards applied himself to divinity, and was appointed to some church preferments, but from his attachment to Mathematical knowledge, he was unwilling to admit any thing for truth which did not allow of that kind of demonstration; this gave a bias to his judgment, which is apparent in all his writings. In 1706, he published a Latin edition of Sir Isaac Newton’s Optics, on the credit of which, he was noticed by Queen Ann, and appointed to the valuable rectory of St. James’s, Westminster; in 1710, he published Cæsar’s Commentaries in royal folio, (one of the most magnificent Books ever printed in England,) elucidated with eighty-seven engravings. On the death of Sir Isaac Newton, he was offered the lucrative place of Master of the Mint, which he refused, as being incompatible with his character as a clergyman; he died in 1729: his writings were very voluminous, and will remain a lasting monument of his uncommon abilities and profound learning.
Edward King, F. R. and A. S. S. was born at Norwich, in 1734; in 1748, he was sent to Cambridge to finish his education; he soon distinguished himself by his progress and regularity.