lus Politianus; and the third was Picus of Mirandnla.” In another place, he calls him “doctissimus,” a most learned man; commends his grammar, and says, that he ought
There is no man of learning spoken of in higher terms,
and more universally, than Gaza. Scaliger used to say,
that “Of all those who revived the belles lettres in Italy,
there were not above three that he was inclined to envy:
the first was Theodore Gaza, who was certainly a great and
learned man, though he has committed some mistakes in
his version of Aristotle’s
” History of Animals.“The second was Angelus Politianus; and the third was Picus of
Mirandnla.
” In another place, he calls him “doctissimus,
” a most learned man; commends his grammar, and
says, that he ought to be ranked among the best translators of Greek authors into Latin.“Huetius observes,
that though he does not differ from the judgment of Joseph Scaliger, in regard to Gaza’s translations, where he
allows that some- things might be better, and some entirely
altered; yet, that upon the whole he should be glad, if all
translators would do as well, would exhibit the same fidelity, perspicuity, and elegance, that Gaza has displayed.
”
He is with propriety recorded by Pierius Valerianus in his
work “De infelicitate literatorum.
”
, a most learned man, and a great benefactor to the learning of
, a most learned man, and a great
benefactor to the learning of his country, was the son of
Henry Savile of Bradley, in the township of Stainland, in
the parish of Halifax, Yorkshire, by Ellen, daughter of
Robert Ramsden. He was born at Bradley, Nov. 30, 1549,
and first entered of Brasen-nose college, Oxford, whence
he was elected to Merton-college in 1561, where he took
the degrees in arts, and was chosen fellow. When he
proceeded master of arts in 1570, he read for that degree
on the Almagest of Ptolemy, which procured him the reputation of a man wonderfully skilled in mathematics and
the Greek language; in the former of which, he voluntarily read a public lecture in the university for some time.
Having now great interest, he was elected proctor for two
years together, 1575 and 1576, an honour not very common, for as the proctors were then chosen out of the whole
body of the university, by the doctors and masters, and the
election was not, as now, confined to particular colleges,
none but men of learning, and such as had considerable
interest, durst aspire to that honour. In 1578 he visited
the continent, became acquainted with various learned
foreigners, and obtained many valuable Mss. or copies of
them. He is said to have returned a man of high accomplishment*, and was made tutor in the Greek tongue to
queen Elizabeth, or, as it is otherwise expressed, he read
Greek and mathematics with her majesty, who had a great
esteem for him. In 1585 he was made warden of Mertoncollege, which he governed six and thirty years with great
credit, and greatly raised its reputation for learning, by
a judicious patronage of students most distinguished for
talents and industry. In 1596, he was chosen provost of
Eton-college, of which society also he increased the fame
by rilling it with the most learned men, among whom was
the ever-memorable John Hales. It is said, however, that
he incurred some odium among the younger scholars by
his severity, and his dislike of those who were thought
sprightly wi s. He used to say, “Give me the plodding
student. If I would look for wits, I would go to Newgate,
there be the wits.
” John Earte, afterwards bishop of Salisbury, was the only scholar he ever accepted on the recommendation of being a wit. James 1. upon his accession to
the crown of England, expressed a particular regard for
him, and would have preferred him either in church or
state; but sir Henry declined it, and only accepted the
honour of knighthood from his majesty at Windsor on Sept.
21, 1604. His only son dying about that time, he devoted
his fortune entirely to the promoting of learning. In 1619
he founded two lectures, or professorships, one in geometry, the other in astronomy, in the university of Oxford;
which he endowed each with a salary of 160l. a year, besides a legacy of 600l. for purchasing more lands for the
same use. In the preamble of the deed, by which a salary
was annexed to these two professorships, it is expressly
said that “geometry was almost totally unknown and abandoned in England.
” Briggs was his first professor of geometry; but Aubrey says, on the authority of bishop Ward,
that he first sent for Gunter for that purpose, who, coming
with his sector and quadrant, “fell to resolving of triangles and doing a great many fine things. Said the grave
knight, ‘ Do you call this reading of Geometric This is
shewing of tricks, man,’ and so dismissed him with scorne,
and sent for Brings.
” Sir Henry also furnished a library
with mathematical hooks near the mathematical school, for
the use of his professors; and gave 100l. to the mathematical chest of his own appointing; adding afterwards a
legacy of 4C/. a year to the same chest, to the university
and to his professors jointly. He likewise gave 120l. towards the new-building of the schools; several rare manuscripts and printed books to the Bodleian library; and a
good quantity of matrices and Greek types to the printingpress at Oxford. Part of the endowment of the professorships was the manor of Little Hays in Essex. He died, at
Eton -college, Feb. 19, 1621-2, and was buried in the
chapel there, on the south side of the communion table,
near the body of his son Henry, with an inscription on a
black marble stone. The university of Oxford paid him
the greatest honours, by having a public speech and verses
made in his praise, which were published soon after in 4to,
under the title of “Ultima Linea Savilii,
” and a sumptuous honorary monument was erected to his memory on the
south wall, at the upper end of the choir of Merton- college
chapel. Sir Henry Savile, by universal consent, ranks
among the most learned men of his time, and the most
liberal patrons of learning; and with great justice the
highest encomiums are bestowed on him by all the learned
of his time: by Isaac Casaubon, Mercerus, Meibomius,
Joseph Scaliger, and especially the learned bishop Montagu; who, in his “Diatribes
” upon Selden’s “History of
Tithes,
” styles him “that magazine of learning, whose
memory shall be honourable amongst not only the learned,
but the righteous for ever.
”