Dallington, Sir Robert

, as Fuller informs us, was born at Geddington, in the county of Northampton, and bred a bible-clerk in Corpus Christi college, Cambridge: but Wood has made him a Greek scholar in Pembroke-hall. As a confirmation, however, of the former, he published “A Book of Epitaphs, made upon the death of the right worshipful sir William Buttes, knt.” in 1583, which were chiefly composed by himself and the members of Corpus. It appears that he was afterwards placed in a school in Norfolk, where, Fuller says, he gained so much money as enabled him to travel over France and Italy. | Concerning Italy, we have a specimen of his accurate observations in his “Survey of the Great Duke’s State of Tuscany in the year 1596,” which was inscribed to him by the publisher, Edward Blount, in 1605, 4to; and in the same year appeared his “Method of Travel, shewed bjjj taking a view of France as it stood in 1598,” 4to. In the preface he says that he was at the last jubilee at Rome, and that “this discourse was written long since, when the now lord secretary was then lord ambassador, and intended for the private use of an hon. gent.” The second edition, published in 162y, contains the clause of Guicciardini defaced by the inquisition, consisting of sixty-one pages. After his return he became secretary to Francis earl of Rutland, then one of the privy chamber to prince Charles, and master of the Charter-house, where he introduced i:ito the school the custom of versifying on passages of the holy scripture; about which time he had also the honour of knighthood conferred upon him. He was incorporated A.M. at Oxford in 1601, and published “Aphorismes, Civil and Military; amplified with authorities, and exemplified with history out of the first quaterne of Fr. Guicciardini/' Lond. 1615, fol. in which he is said to have” shown both wit and judgment." He died in the latter end of the year 1637, upwards of seventy-six years old, and was buried in the Charter-house chapel.

According to the records of the Charter-house, he was appointed master July 9, 1624, when he was only in deacon’s orders, which was through the recommendation “of the most excellent prince of Wales.” He is described as a man “of good merit and deserte.” The governors resolved at the same time that no future master should be elected under forty years of age; or who was not in holy orders of priesthood two years before his election; and having not more than one living, and that within thirty miles of London. Sir Robert had grown so very infirm in 1636, that the governors ordered three persons as his assistants. ¹