, a gallant soldier, an able statesman, and a very learned writer
, a gallant soldier, an able
statesman, and a very learned writer in the sixteenth century, was descended from a good family in Wales, and
born at London about 1515. His quick parts discovered
themselves even in his infancy; so that his family, to promote that passionate desire of knowledge for whidh he was
so early distinguished, sent him to the university of Cambridge, where he remained some years, and obtained great
credit, as well by the pregnancy of his wit as his constant
and diligent application, but especially by his happy turn
for Latin poetry, in which he exceeded most of his contemporaries. Upon his removing from college he came
up to court, and being there recommended to the esteem
and friendship of the greatest men about it, he was soon
sent abroad into Germany with sir Henry Knevet, as the
custom was in the reign of Henry VIII. when young men
of great hopes were frequently employed in the service of
ambassadors, that they might at once improve and polish
themselves by travel, and gain some experience in business. He was so well received at the court of the emperor
Charles V. and so highly pleased with the noble and generous spirit of that great monarch, that he attended him in
his journies, and in his wars, particularly in that fatal expedition against Algiers, which cost the lives of so many
brave men, and was very near cutting short the thread of
Mr. Chaloner’s; for in the great tempest by which the
emperor’s fleet was shattered on the coast of Barbary in
1541, the vessel, on board of which he was, suffered shipwreck, and Mr. Chaloner having quite wearied and exhausted himself by swimming in the dark, at length beat
his head against a cable, of which laying hold with his
teeth, he was providentially drawn up into the ship to which
it belonged. He returned soon after into England, and as
a reward of his learning and services, was promoted to the
office of first clerk of the council, which he held during
the remainder of that reign. In the beginning of the next
he came into great favour with the duke of Somerset,
whom he attended into Scotland, and was in the battle of
Mussleburgh, where he distinguished himself so remarkably in the presence of the duke, that he conferred upon
him the honour of knighthood Sept. 28, 1547, and after
his return to court, the duchess of Somerset presented
him with a rich jewel. The first cloud that darkened his
patron’s fortune, proved fatal to sir Thomas Chaloner’s
pretensions; for being a man of a warm and open temper,
and conceiving the obligation he was under to the duke as
a tie that hindered his making court to his adversary, a
stop was put to his preferment, and a vigilant eye kept
upon his actions. But his loyalty to his prince, and his
exact discharge of his duty, secured him from any farther
danger, so that he had leisure to apply himself to his
studies, and to cultivate his acquaintance with the worthiest
men of that court, particularly sir John Cheke, sir Anthony Coke, sir Thomas Smith, and especially sir William
Cecil, with whom he always lived in the strictest intimacy.
Under the reign of queen Mary he passed his time, though
safely, yet very unpleasantly; for being a zealous protestant, he could not practise any part of that complaisance
which procured some of his friends an easier life. He
interested himself deeply in the affair of sir John Cheke,
and did him all the service he was able, both before and
after his confinement. This had like to have brought sir
Thomas himself into trouble, if the civilities he had shewn
in king Edward’s reign, to some of those who had the
greatest power under queen Mary, had not moved them,
from a principle of gratitude, to protect him. Indeed, it
appears from his writings, that as he was not only sincere,
but happy in his friendships, and as he was never wanting
to his friends when he had power, he never felt the want
of them when he had it not, and, which he esteemed the
greatest blessing of his life, he lived to return those kindnesses to some who had been useful to him in that dangerous season. Upon the accession of Elizabeth, he appeared at court with his former lustre; and it must afford
us a very high opinion of his character as well as his capacity, that he was the first ambassador named by that wise
princess, and that also to the first prince in Europe, Ferdinand I. emperor of Germany. In this negociation, which
was of equal importance and delicacy, he acquitted himself with great reputation, securing the confidence of the
emperor and his ministers, and preventing the popish
powers from associating against Elizabeth, before she
was well settled on the throne, all which she very
gratefully acknowledged. After his return from this embassy, he was very soon thought of for another, which was
that of Spain; and though it is certain the queen could
not give a stronger proof than this of her confidence in
his abilities, yet he was very far from thinking that it was
any mark of her kindness, more especially considering the
terms upon which she then stood with king Philip, and
the usage his predecessor, Chamberlain, had met with at
that court. But he knew the queen would be obeyed,
and therefore undertook the business with the best grace
he could, and embarked for Spain in 1561. On his first
arrival he met with some of the treatment which he dreaded.
This was the searching of all his trunks and cabinets, of
which he complained loudly, as equally injurious to himself as a gentleman, and to his character as a public minister. His complaints, however, were fruitless; for at that
time there is great probability that his Catholic majesty
was not over desirous of having an English minister, and
more especially one of sir Thomas’s disposition, at his
court, and therefore gave him no satisfaction. Upon this
sir Thomas Chaloner wrote home, set out the affront that
he had received in the strongest terms possible, and was
very earnest to be re-called; but the queen his mistress
contented herself with letting him know, that it was the
duty of every person who bore a public character, to bear
with patience what happened to them, provided no personal indignity was offered to the prince from whom they
came. Yet, notwithstanding this seeming indifference on
her part, the searching sir Thomas Chaloner’s trunks was,
many years afterwards, put into that public charge which
the queen exhibited against his Catholic majesty, of injuries done to her before she intermeddled with the affairs of
the Low Countries. Sir Thomas, however, kept up his
spirit, and shewed the Spanish ministers, and even that
haughty monarch himself, that the queen could not have
entrusted her affairs in better hands than his. There were
some persons of very good families in England, who, for
the sake of their religion, and no doubt out of regard to
the interest to which they had devoted themselves, desired
to have leave from queen Elizabeth to reside in the Low
Countries or elsewhere, and king Philip and his ministers
made it a point to support their suit. Upon this, when a
conference was held with sir Thomas Chaloner, he answered very roundly, that the thing in itself was of very
little importance, since it was no great matter where the
persons who made this request spent the remainder of their
days; but that considering the rank and condition of the
princes interested in this business, it was neither fit for the
one to ask, nor for the other to grant; and it appeared
that he spoke the sense of his court, for queen Elizabeth
would never listen to the proposal. In other respects he
was not unacceptable to the principal persons of the
Spanish court, who could not help admiring his talents as
a minister, his bravery as a soldier, with which in former
times they were well acquainted, his general learning and
admirable skill in Latin poetry, of which he gave them
many proofs during his stay in their country. It was here,
at a time when, as himself says in the preface, he spent
the winter in a stove, and the summer in a barn, that he
composed his great work of “The right ordering of the
English republic.
” But though this employment might in
some measure alleviate his chagrin, yet he fell into a very
grievous fit of sickness, which brought him so low that his
physicians despaired of his life. In this condition he
addressed his sovereign in an elegy after the manner of
Ovid, setting forth his earnest desire to quit Spain and
return to his native country, before care and sickness
forced him upon a longer journey. The queen granted
his petition, and having named Dr. Man his successor in
his negociation, at length gave him leave to return home
from an embassy, in which he had so long sacrificed his
private quiet to the public conveniency. He accordingly
returned to London in the latter end of 1564, and published
the first five books of his large work before-mentioned,
which he dedicated to his good friend sir William Cecil;
but the remaining five books were probably not published.
in his life-time. He resided in a fair large house of his
own building in Clerkenwell-close, over-against the decayed nunnery; and Weever has preserved from oblivion
an elegant fancy of his, which was penciled on the frontispiece of his dwelling. He died Oct. 7, 1565, and was
buried in the cathedral church of St. Paul with great funeral
solemnity, sir William Cecil, then principal secretary of
state, assisting as chief mourner, who also honoured his
memory with some Latin verses, in which he observes,
that the most lively imagination, the most solid judgment,
the quickest parts, and the most unblemished probity,
which are commonly the lot of different men, and when so
dispersed frequently create great characters, were, which
very rarely happens, all united in sir Thomas Chaloner,
justly therefore reputed one of the greatest men of his
time. He also encouraged Dr. William Malim, formerly
fellow of King’s college in Cambridge, and then master of
St. Paul’s school, to collect and publish a correct edition
of our author’s poetical works; which he accordingly did,
and addressed it in an epistle from St. Paul’s school, dated
August 1, 1579, to lord Burleigh. Sir Thomas Chaloner
married Ethelreda, daughter of Edward Frodsham of EJton,
in the county palatine of Chester, esq. by whom he had
issue his only son Thomas, the subject of the next article.
This lady, not long after sir Thomas’s decease, married
sir * * * Brockett, notwithstanding which the lord Burleigh continued his kindness to her, out of respect to that
friendship which he had for her first husband. Sir Thomas’s epitaph was written by one of the best Latin poets of
that age, Dr. Walter Haddon, master of requests to queen
Elizabeth.