Thomas Chaloner

Son of Reg. Chaloner, (by Margaret his Wife Daughter of Rich. Middleton) Son of Tho. Chaloner, second Son of Rice Chaloner of Denbigh in Wales, was born in London, educated in both the Universities, especially in that of Cambridge, where for a time he devoted himself to the Muses, as he did afterwards to Mars. After he had left the University, he travell’d beyond the Seas in the company of Sir Hen. Knevet Embassador from K. Hen. 8. to the Emperor Charles 5. Which Emperor, T. Chaloner did afterwards serve in the expedition of Algier, where being (*)(*) Camden in Annal. R. Elizab. an. 1565. Shipwrack’d, did, after he had sworn till his strength and his armes failed him, catch hold of a Cable with his teeth, and so escaped, but not without the loss of some of them. In the beginning of K. Ed. 6. he received the honor of Knighthood in the camp besides Rokesborough, immediatly after the battel of Musselborough, (wherein he had shewed great valour) from Edward Duke of Somerset Lord Protector of England, 27. Sept. 1547. and soon after was by him made one of the Clerks of the Privy Council. In the time of Qu. Mary he mostly lived in a retir’d and studious condition, but in the very beginning of Qu. Elizabeth an. 1558. he went on an honorable Embassie to the Emperour Ferdinand, such esteem then had the Queen for his port, carriage and admirable parts, and about an year after was sent ordinary Embassador to Philip K. of Spayne, where he continued 4 years, in which time, at leisure hours, he wrot his Book of a Commonwealth (which I shall anon mention) in elegant and learned verse, whilst (as he saith in his Preface to it) be lived in Winter in a stove, and in Summer in a barne. Soon after his return from Spayne he ended his days, as I shall tell you by and by, having before written several things, as,

A little Dictionary for Children.

De Rep. Anglorum instauranda, lib. 10. Lond. 1579. qu. Which Book was by him began 25. Dec. 1562. and ended 21. Jul. 1564.

De illustrium quorundam encorniis, cum epigram. & epitaphiis nonnullis. Printed with De Rep. Angl.

Voyage to Algier with the Emperour, an. 1541.—See in the first vol. of R. Hakluyts voyages. He also translated from Lat. into English. (1) The office of Servants. Lond. 1543. oct. written by Gilb. Cognatus: which translation is dedicated to Sir H. Knevet before-mention’d. (2) The praise of folly. Lond. 1549. qu. written by Erasmus. What other things he hath written and translated, I know not, nor any thing else of him, only that he died in his house in St. Johns near London on the nones of Octob. 1565 in Fifteen hundred sixty and Five, and was buried with a sumptuous Funeral according to his worth in the Cath. Ch. of St. Paul within the said City of London. His Son Thomas I shall mention among these Writers under the Year 1615. and his Grandson Edward under 1625.