, a man of eminent learning in the sixteenth, century, was born
, a man
of eminent learning in the sixteenth, century, was born at
Bourges in France, and educated under Melchior Volmar,
a very able instructor of youth. He made great advances
under him in polite literature, and imbibed the principles
of the protestant religion, which Volmar professed, and
Aneau afterwards embraced. The great reputation which
he soon gained by his skill in the Latin and Greek languages and poetry, induced some of the magistrates of
Lyons, who were his countrymen, to offer him a professorship in rhetoric in the college which they were going to
erect in that city. Aneau accepted this offer with pleasure,
and went thither to take possession of his place, which he
kept above thirty years till his death. He discharged his
professorship with such applause, that, in 1542, he was
chosen principal of the college. In this situation he propagated the doctrines of the reformation among his scholars,
which was done secretly for a long time, and either was not
perceived, or was overlooked; but an accident which happened on the festival of the sacrament in 1565, put a
period to all his attempts in favour of protestantism by a
very fatal catastrophe. Upon that day, 21st of June, as
the procession was passing on towards the college, there
was a large stone thrown from one of the windows upon the
host and the priest who carried it. Whether Aneau was
the author of this insult or not, is not certain, but the
people, being enraged at it, broke into the college in a
ody, and assassinated him as the guilty person, and the
college itself was shut up the next day by order of the city.
Aneau wrote a great many verses in Latin and Greek,
and other works; the principal of which are, 1. “Chant Natal,
” containing the mystery of the nativity, Lyons, Genethliac musical et historical de la Conception et Nativite de J.C.
” 2. “Lyon
marchand,
” a French satire, or drama of the historical
kind, 1542, 4to. 3. “Alciati’s emblems translated,
” Lyons,
Picta poesis,
” Leyden, Utopia,
” Paris
and Lyons. 6. “Alector; ou le Coq,
” a fabulous history,
pretendedly from a Greek fragment, Lyons, 1560.
, a man of eminent learning in the sixteenth century, was educated
, a man of eminent
learning in the sixteenth century, was educated at Westminster-school, from whence he was removed either to
Christ-church or Broadgate’s-hall, in the university of Oxford, where he took the degree of B. A. February 27,
1571, and that of master the 27th of March, 1572; about
which time he was appointed master of Westminster school,
where a great many persons who were afterwards eminent
in church and state, were educated under his care. In
1575 he published at London in 4to, “Grcecse Linguse
Spicilegium,
” which was afterwards epitomized by his
learned usher, Mr. William Camden, and printed at London, 1597, in 8vo, under the title of “Institutio Græcæ
Grammatices compendiaria in usum Regiae Scholce Westinonasteriensis.
” In 1577 our author was made prebendary of the twelfth stall in the collegiate church of
Westminster, in the room of Dr. Thomas Watts; and about
that time being admitted B. D. of Cambridge, was incorporated in the same degree at Oxford in May 1579. He
was afterwards doctor of that faculty at Cambridge. He
resigned his mastership of Westminster-school about the
month of February 1591, and was succeeded in March following by Mr. Camdcn; he was then presented to the living
of Barnet, in Middlesex, and to the rectory of Toppersfield, in Essex, in 1598. He died August 4, 1601, and
was interred in St. Peter’s church at Westminster. He
collected and published the Letters and Poems of Roger
Ascham, to which he subjoined a piece of his own, entitled “Oratio de Vita & Obitu Rogeri Aschami, ac dietionis elegantia, cum adhortatione ad adolescentulos,
”
London,