Thomas Bodley

, another Ptolomey, eldest Son of John Bodley of the City of Exeter (by Joan his Wife, Daughter and Heir of Rob. Hone of Otterie S. Mary in Devon, Esq) Son of Joh. Bodley of Tiverton, second Son of John Bodley of Dunscumbe near Crediton in Devon. Gent. was born in the said City of Exeter, 2 Mar. 1544. partly educated in Grammar learning in the said City, but mostly in Geneva, while his Father lived there as a voluntary Exile in the time of Q. Mary; where, tho he was then very young, yet he was an auditor of Chevalerius in Hebrew, of Berealdus in Greek, of Calvin and Beza in Divinity, and of some other professors in the University there, (then newly erected,) besides his domestical teachers in the house of Philebertus Saracenus, a famous Physician in that City, (with whom he was boarded,) where Rob. Constantinus, that made the Greek Lexicon, read Homer to him. After the death of Q. Mary he returned into England with his Father, and was sent to Magd. coll. in 1559. where making great proficiency in Logick and Philosophy under Mr. Laur. Humphrey, was admitted Bach. of Arts in Jul. 1563. and soon after being elected Probationer of Merton coll. determined in the Lent following. In 1565. he, by the perswasion of some of the Fellows of that house, and for his private exercise, did read publickly for some years a Greek Lecture in the hall of that coll. without expectation of any reward or stipend for his labour. Nevertheless it pleased the Society to allow him soon after, of their own accord, four Marks by the year. In 1566. he was admitted Master of Arts; which degree being compleated, he read Nat. Philosophy for an year in the Pub. Schools then situated on the East side of Schoolstreet. In 1569. he was elected Junior Proctor of the University; which office he performing with great commendations, bestowed some time in the study of sundry Faculties, without any inclination to profess any one above the rest. At length being desirous to travel beyond the Seas, for the obtaining of knowledge of some special modern tongues, and for the increase of his experience in the managing of affairs, (to no other end but to imploy himself, and all his cares, in the publick Service of the State,) did with leave from the Warden and Society of his coll. depart England, with the allowance belonging to a traveller, an. 1576. and continued near 4 years in Italy, France, and Germany. Afterwards returning to his coll. he remained there for some time in studying politicks and historical affairs, and in 1583. he was made Esquire of the Body to Q. Elizabeth. At length in 1585. having about that time married Anne the Daughter of…. Carew of the City of Bristow, (the rich Widdow, as I have heard, of one Ball) was imployed by the Queen to Frederick K. of Denmark, Julius Duke of Brunswyke, William Lantgrave of Hesse, and other German Princes. Which imploymnet being faithfully performed, he was sent to K. Hen. 3. of France, at what time he was forced by the Duke of Guise to leave Paris. In 1588. he was sent to the Hague for the better conduct of the Queen’s affairs in the Vnited Provinces; where making his residence for some years, was admitted one of their Council of State, took place in their Assemblies next to Count Maurice, and gave a suffrage in all that was proposed. In 1593. he returned into England for a time, to look after his private Estate, but was soon after remanded to the Hague again by the Q. where continuing near one year, returned again to deliver some secret overtures to her, and to perform thereupon an extraordinary service. Soon after, the applauding the fruit of his discoveries, he was presently commanded to return to the States, with charge to pursue those affairs to performance, which he had secretly proposed. At length, all things being concluded, and brought to the desired issue, he procured his last revocation, in 1597. At his return, as before in his absence, Burleigh the Lord Treasurer, did several times tell the Queen, that there was not any Man in England so meet as Bodley to undergo the office of Secretary, by reason of his well-tryed Wisdom in the Low-Country affairs intending that he should be Colleague with his Son Rob. Cecill. But the Earl of Essex commending him also to the Queen in a higher manner, not without biting calumniations of Cecill, Burleigh found means to divert the Queens mind from him, supposing that Essex endeavoured to gain him to his party against Burleigh and Cecill. So that Mr. Bodley being eased of ever expecting that troublesome office, he retired from the Court, and wholly commended himself to the care and provision for learning, worthy indeed the care of the greatest King. For about that time setting up his staff at the Library door in Oxford, did restore, or rather new found it; the particulars of which I have (*)(*) In Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 308. lib. 2. p. 50. 51. elsewhere told you. After K. Jam. came to the Crown, he received the Honour of Knight. from him, and a few years before his death, wrote,

His Life,—an. 1609. Which being kept as a choice rarity in the archives of his Library was published at Oxon. 1647. qu. But this little thing, is not the reason that I put him among the Oxford Writers, but because by his noble and generous endeavours, he hath been the occasion of making hundreds of publick Writers, and of advancing in an high degree the Commonwealth of learning; in which respect he should have craved the first place, but I have put him here, according to the time of his death, which is the method I observe.

Letters of State.—Some of which I have seen published, not in one vol. but scatteredly.

Letters relating to Books and Learning. Written to Mr. Tho. James—MS. in his Lib. He paid his last debt to nature 28. Jan. in sixteen hundred and twelve,1612-13 and was buried with very great solemnity at the upper end of Merton coll. Choire. The manner of which you may see at large in Hist. & Antiq. Vniv. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 320. The Reader may be pleased now to understand that Dr. Joh. Morris Canon of Ch. Ch. did bequeath to the University of Oxon. a Rent-charge of 5 l. per an. to be given to a Master of Arts that should make and speak a Speech in praise of Sir Tho. Bodley, every year on the 8. of Nov. (on which day the Visitation of his Library is commonly made,) to be nominated by the Dean of Ch. Ch. and confirmed by the Vicechancellour for the time being. But the said gift was not to take place till the death of his Widdow. At length upon her decease, which was at Great Wolford in Warwickshire, 11. Nov. 1681. (she being then the Wife of Tho. Keyt of that place Gent.) the said annuity fell to the University. Whereupon the year following, Dr. Fell Dean of Ch. Ch. nominating one of his own house, (Tho. Sparke M. A.) there was a solemn Speech made by him in the Schola Linguarum, on the 8. Nov. 1682. Which Speech is yet continued by Ch. Ch. (c)(c) Viz. Zacheus Isham, an. 1683. Char. Hickman, 1684. Tho. Newey, 1685. Tho. Burton. 1686. Will. Bedford, 1687. Rich. Blak [•] way, 1688. Rog. Altham, Jun. 1689. Edw. Wake, 1690. men, without any regard had to those of Allsouls coll. wherein Dr. Morris had much of his education, and had been Chaplain thereof, or to any Master of another coll. or hall. The said Sir Thom. Bodley had a younger Brother named Josias Bodley, who having received part of his education in Merton coll. became afterwards a Soldier of note in Ireland, a Knight, and Overseer of the Trenches when the English laid Siege to Kingsale, Baltamore, Berehaven, and Castlehaven in Ireland, holden against them by the Irish, assisted by the Spaniard, an. 1601. at which time Bodley behaved himself bravely both in their Works and Battle. He left behind him to posterity, (1) Observations concerning the Fortresses of Ireland, and the British Colonies of Vlster. MS. fol. sometimes in the Library of Sir Jam. Ware, now perhaps in that of Henry E. of Clarendon. (2) A jocular description of a journey by him taken to Lecale in Vlster. an. 1602. MS. Sometimes in the same Library.