, a man eminently learned in his day> and one of the revivers of
, a man eminently learned in his
day> and one of the revivers of literature, was born at
Bristol in 1442, and educated at Winchester-school. He
was elected thence to New college, Oxford, in 1467; and
in 1479, presented by the warden and fellows to the rectory of Newton-Longville, in Buckinghamshire. But his
residence being mostly at Oxford, the society of Magdalen
college made him their divinity reader, about the beginning of Richard the Illd’s reign; and that king corning
soon after to Oxford, he had the honour to hold a disputation before him, with which his majesty was so
pleased, that he rewarded him graciously. In 1485 he
was made a prebendary of Lincoln, and in 1488 he quitted
his reader’s place at Magdalen college, in order to travel
into foreign countries; for though he might be reckoned a
great master of the Greek and Lati languages in England,
where the former especially was then scarcely understood
at all, yet he well knew that a more perfect knowledge of
it might be attained; and accordingly he went into Italy,
and studied there some time under Demetrius Chalcondyles
and Politian. He returned to England, and fixed himself
in Exeter college, at Oxford, in 1491, where he took the
degree of B. D. Here too he publicly taught the Greek
language, and was the first who introduced a better pronunciation of it than had been known in this island before.
But the introduction of this language alarming many, as a
most dangerous innovation, the university divided itself
into two factions/distinguished by the appellation of Greeks
and Trojans, who bore each other a violent animosity, and
proceeded to open hostilities. Anthony Wood says, “I
cannot but wonder when I think upon it, to what a strange
ignorance were the scholars arrived, when, as they would
by no means receive it, but rather scoff and laugh at it;
some against the new pronunciation of it, which was endeavoured to be settled; others at the language itself,
having not at all read any thing thereof. It is said that
there were lately a company of good fellows (Cambridge men as 'tis reported) who, either out of hatred to the
Greek tongue, or good letters, or merely to laugh and
sport, joined together and called themselves Trojans: one,
who was the senior, and wiser than the rest, called himself
Priam, another Hector, a third Parys, and the rest by
some ancient Trojan names who, after a jocular way, did
oppose aa Grecians, the students of the Greek tongue.
”
In this situation Grocyn was, when Erasmus came ta
Oxford; and if he was not this great man’s tutor, yet he
certainly assisted him in attaining a more perfect knowledge of the Greek. He was, however, very friendly toErasmus, and did him many kind offices, as introducing
him to archbishop Warham, &c. He also boarded him
gratis in his house, although he was by no means in affluent circumstances. We cannot be surprized therefore
that Erasmus speaks of him often in a strain which shews
that he entertained the most sincere regard for him, as well
as the highest opinion of his abilities, learning, and integrity. About 1590 he resigned his living, being then made
master of Allhallows college, at Maidstone,in Kent, though
he continued still to live mostly at Oxford. Grocyn had
no esteem for Plato, but applied himself intensely to Aristotle, whose whole works he had formed a design of translating, in conjunction with William Latimer, Linacre, and
More, but did not pursue it. While his friend Cotet was
dean of St. Paul’s, Grocyn gave a remarkable evidence of
the candour and ingenuousness of his temper. He read in
St. Paul’s cathedral a public lecture upon the book of
Dionysius Areopagita, commonly called “Hierarchia Ecclesiastica;
” it being customary at that time for the public lecturers, both in the universities, and in the cathedral
thurches, to read upon any book, rather than upon the
scriptures, till dean Colet reformed that practice. Grocyn,
in the preface to his lecture, declaimed with great warmth
against those who either denied or doubted of the authority of the book on which he was reading. But after he
had continued to read a few weeks, and had more thoroughly examined the matter, he entirely changed hi
sentiments; and openly and candidly declared that he had
been in an error; and that the said book, in his judgment,
was spurious, and never written by him who, in the Acts
of the Apostles, is called Dionysius the Areopagite. But
when dean Colet had introduced the custom of reading
lectures upon some part of the scriptures at his cathedral,
he engaged Grocyn, according to Dr. Knight, as one of
the most learned and able men he could meet with, in that
useful employment.