Of learned men and writers, these I find remembred by Bale and others, to haue liued in the daies of this noble and valiant king Henrie the fift. First. Alaine de Lin, borne in Lin, and professed a Carmelite frier in that towne, he at length became prior of that conuent, procéeded doctor of diuinitie in Cambridge, and wrote manie treatises; Thomas Otterborne that wrote an historie of England, is thought to liue about this season, he was a Franciscan or graie frier, as they called them, a great student both in diuinitie and philosophie: Iohn Seguard an excellent poet, and a rhetorician, kept a schoole, and read to his scholers in Norwich, as is supposed, writing sundrie treatises, reproouing as well the profaning of the christian religion in monks and priests, as the abuse of poetrie in those that tooke vpon them to write filthie verses and rimes; Robert Rose a frier of the Carmelites order in Norwich commonlie called the white friers, both an excellent philosopher, and diuine, procéeded doctor at Oxenford, promoted to be prior of his house, and writing diuerse treatises: amongst all the sophists of his time (as saith Bale) he offended none of the Wickleuists, who in that season set foorth purelie the word of God, as maie appeare by his workes.
W. P.
Moreouer, Iohn Lucke, a doctor of diuinitie in Oxenford, a sore enimie to the Wickleuists; Richard Caister borne in Norfolke, vicar of saint Stephans in Norwich, a man of great holinesse and puritie in life, fauouring (though secretlie) the doctrine of the Wickleuists, and reproouing in his sermons, the vnchast manners and filthie example that appeared in the cleargie. Of sir Iohn Oldcastell lord Cobham ye haue heard before; William Walleis a blacke frier in Lin, and prouinciall of his order here in England, made a booke of moralizations vpon Ouids Metamorphôseis, comparable to postils vpon Aesops Fables; Richard Snetisham, a student in Oxenford, where he profited so greatlie in learning and wisedome, that he was accounted the chéefest in all that vniuersitie, in respect whereof he was made chancellor of the same, chosen also to be one of the twelue to examine and iudge vpon Wickliffes doctrine by the archbishop of Canturburie; Iohn Langdene a monke of Christes church in Canturburie, an other of those twelue; William Tailor a priest, and a master of art in Oxenford, a stedfast follower of Wickliffes doctrine, & burnt for the same in Smithfield at London, the second day of March, in the yeare of our Lord 1422, & last of king Henrie the fift his reigne.
Furthermore, Richard Grasdale student in Oxenford, one of those twelue also; William Lindwood a lawier excellentlie learned, as well in the ciuill as canon lawes, aduanced to the seruice of this king, and made by him kéeper of the priuie seale, sent in ambassage both to the kings of Spaine and Portingale, about businesse of most weightie importance. It is said that he was promoted to the bishoprike of saint Dauid; Bartholomew Florarius, supposed (as Bale saith) by Nicholas Brigham, to be an Englishman, wrote a treatise called Florarium, whereof he tooke his surname; and also an other treatise of abstinence, in which he reprooueth certeine corrupt manners in the cleargie, and the profession of friers mendicants; Adam Hemmelington, a Carmelite frier, studied both in Oxenford and Paris; William Batecombe is placed by Bale about the time of other learned men that liued in this kings time, he was an excellent mathematician, as by the title of his works which he wrote it should appeare.
Titus Liuius de Fora Luuisiis liued also in these daies, an Italian borne: but sith he was both residant here, and wrote the life of this king, I haue thought good to place him among other of our English writers. One there was that translated the said historic into English, adding (as it were by waie of notes in manie places of that booke) sundrie things for the more large vnderstanding of the historie; a copie whereof I haue séene belonging to Iohn Stow citizen of London. There was also about the same time an other writer, who (as I remember) hath followed the said Liuius in the order of his booke, as it were chapter for chapter, onelie changing a good, familiar and easie stile, which the said Liuius vsed, into a certeine poeticall kind of writing: a copie whereof I haue séene (& in the life of this king partlie followed) belonging to master Iohn Twine of Kent, who (as I was informed) meant to leaue to posteritie some fruits of his labours for the due vnderstanding thereof.
Thus farre Henrie the fift sonne and successor to Henrie the fourth.
Transcriber's Notes:
Simple spelling, grammar, and typographical errors were corrected.
Punctuation normalized.
Anachronistic and non-standard spellings retained as printed.