, an eminent schoolmaster of the sixteenth century, styled by Leland, in his “Encomia,
”
Odovallus, was born in Hampshire in 1506, and was admitted scholar of Corpus Christi college, Oxford, June 18,
1520. He then took the degree of bachelor of arts, and
became probationer fellow Sept. 3, 1524; but was prevented taking the degree of master soon afterwards, on
account of his inclination to the tenets of Luther. He then
obtained the mastership of Eton school, and, in the performance of his duty there, behaved, as Thomas Tusser
the poet tells us, with great severity. He proceeded in
arts in 1534, but in 15il was near losing his place, being
suspected of some concern in a robbery of plate belonging
to the college, with two of his scholars. For this fact he
was examined by the king’s council, but we do not know
the result of their inquiries. The charge probably was discovered to be ill-grounded, as he was at this time in possession of the living of Braintree in Essex, which he did
not resign till 1544, and in 1552 was preferred to the rectory of Calbourne in the Isle of Wight. He afterwards
was servant to queen Catherine Parr, and, in the beginning of Edward VI. 's time, was promoted to a canonry at
Windsor. The time of his death is not known, unless by
a manuscript note on a copy of Bale, in which that event
is said to have taken place in 1557, and that he was buried
at Westminster. In 1555 he had been appointed headmaster of Westminster-school, a circumstance not noticed by
Wood. He is said to have written several comedies, and
Bale mentions “The Tragedy of Popery.
” But none of
these now exist. A specimen, however, of his abilities in
this wav, niay be seen in a long quotation from a rhiming
interlude by him, printed in Wilson’s “Art of Logicke,
”
1587, and reprinted in the new edition of Wood’s Athense.
His more useful works were, 1. “Flowers for Latin speaking, selected and gathered out of Terence, and the same
translated into English,
” &c. often printed, particularly in
1533, 1538, 1568, and 1575. Both Leland and Newton
wrote encomiastic verses on this book. 2. A translation of
the “Apophthegms
” of Erasmus, 1542 and 1564, 8vo.
3. “Epistolce et carmina ad Gul. Hormannum et ad Joh.
Lelandum.
” 4. A translation of Erasmus’s “Paraphrase
on the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles,
” 1551, fol. 5.
A translation of Peter Martyr’s “Treatise on the Sacrament.*' He also drew up
” An answer to the sixteen articles of the Commons of Devonshire and Cornwall," a ms.
in the royal collection.