John Colet

, the eldest Son of Sir Henry Colet, sometimes twice Lord Mayor of London, (by Christiana his Chast and faithful Wife) Son of Robert Colet of Wendover in Buckinghamshire, was born in London, (in the Parish of S. Antholin as it seems) in the year 1466. was Educated in Grammaticals, partly in London or Westminster, and being fitted for greater Learning, was sent to the Habitation of the Muses, the University of Oxon, about 1483. (at which time one or more of his Sirname were of S. Mary Magdalen College) where, after he had spent seven years in Logicals and Philosophicals, was Licensed to proceed in Arts, being about that time so exquisitely Learned, that all Tullies Works were as familiar to him, as his Epistles. He was also no stranger to Plato and Plotinus, whom he not only read, but conferred and paralleled, perusing the one, as a Commentary on the other. And as for the Mathematicks, there was scarce any part thereof, wherein he was not seen above his years. Having thus obtained a most admirable competency in Learning at home, he Travelled into Foreign Countries to improve it by seeing the variety of Learning: As first into France, where at Paris he advanced himself much in Divinity, and in Italy he prosecuted his Studies therein so effectually, that there were none of his time went beyond him either in that Faculty, or for the Reading of the Antients, particularly Dionysius Areopagita, Origen, S. Cyprian, S. Ambrose, S. Hierome, S. Austin, &c. But as for Thomas Aquinas, Jo. Duns Scotus, and other Schoolmen, he seemed not to delight in. After his return from Italy, he retired again to his Mother the University of Oxon, where he publickly and freely without stipend or reward, Expounded all S. Paul’s Epistles, about 1497. 98. 99. &c. in which years, Erasmus Rot. studied (perhaps our Author Colet too) in the College of S. Mary the Virgin, a Nursery for the Canon Regulars of the Order of S. Austin. Which most learned person did make this report of Colet, that there was neither Doctor, Abbat, or Master in the whole University, who frequented not, and (which was more) took Notes of his Lectures. In 1493. he was, upon the resignation of Christoph. Urswyke, admitted by proxie (being then absent) Prebendary of Botevant in the Church of York, in 1502 he became Preb. of Durnesford in the Church of Salisbury, on the resignation of Rich. Rauson, and about the year 1504. being then Doctor of Divinity, he was by King Henry 7. made Dean of S. Paul’s Cathedral in the place of Rob. Sherebourne, promoted to the See of S. David. After his settlement in Pauls, he according to the blessed example of S. Paul, became a free and constant Preacher of the Gospel, by Preaching every Holyday in the Cathedral, (not customary in those times) besides his Sermons at Court, (which made him be loved of the King) and in many other Churches in the City. In his own Church he Expounded the Scriptures, not by retail but wholesale, running over sometimes a whole Epistle: which, with his Sermons elsewhere, were much frequented by Courtiers and Citizens, and more especially for this cause, that the strickt disciplinee of his Life, did regularly corespond with the integrity of his Doctrine. In 1512. (4. Hen. 8.) he was at the charge of 4500 l. for the Founding a Free-School in the East part of S. Paul’s Church-Yard for three hundred fifty and three poor Mens Children, to be taught free in the School, appointing a Master, Usher, and a Chaplain, with sufficient stipends to endure for ever, and committed the oversight of it to the Mercers of London, whom he endowed with an hundred and twenty pounds yearly for the maîntenance thereof. He also at the same time gave Orders for the Scholars, whereby also the School-Masters themselves should be directed. As for the Rents, they being much increased since, more comes to the School-Master than the whole endowment. The first Master was William Lilye, the famous Grammarian, who before had privately taught Grammar elsewhere (2) John Retwise, 1522. (3.) Richard Jones, 1532. (4.) Thomas Freeman, 1549. (5.) John Cook, 1559. (6.) Will. Malyn, 1573. (7.) William Harrison, 1581. (8.) Rich. Mulcaster, 1596. (9.) Alexander Gill, senior, 1608. (10.) Alexander Gill, jun. 1635. (11.) John Largley, 1640. (12.) Sam. Crumbleholme, of C. C. C. Ox. 1657. (13.) Thomas Gale of Trin. Coll. in Cambridge. Our Author Colet was accounted one of the lights of Learning of his time, and therefore entirely beloved of Erasmus, who (g)(g) See in the Epistles of E [•] as. Printed 1642. from p. 702. to 712. wrote his Life (which I have seen, and in some things follow) Thomas Lynacre, Sir Thomas Mere, Richard Paice his successor in the Deanry of S. Paul’s, William Latymer, William Grocyn and others. As for the things that he wrote, they are many, which being found in his Study after his death, few understood them, because written only for his own understanding with intentions, if life had been spared, that they should have been all fairly transcribed and published. The most part follow.
Orationes duae ad Clerum in Convocatione, An 1511. &c. Lond. in oct. One of them was also Printed in three Sheets in quarto by Rich. Pynson.
Comment. in Ecclesiasticam D. Dionysiii Hierarchiam,MS.
Comment. in Proverbia Salomonis.
Comment. in Evang. S. Matthei.
Comment. in Epistolas D. Pauli.

The said Com. on the Epistles of S. Paul, are said to be in MS. in the Library of Bennet Coll. in Cambridge.
Com. in Precationem Dominic. Symbolum fidei.

The first of these two last is translated into English.

Breviloquium dictorum Christi.

De Reformidatione Christi.

Conciones Ordinariae. Extraordinariae.

Some of these, I think, are published.

Epistolae ad Erasmum. Some of these, if not all, are published in the Epistles of Erasmus.

De Moribus componendis.

Grammatices rudimenta. Lond. 1539. oct. This, I think, is called Paul’s Accidence, &c.

E [•••] olae ad Thom. Taylerum.

Daily Devotions: or, the Christians Morning and Evening Sacrifice, &c. Printed at London several times in twelves and sixteens. Before one Impression, if not more, of this Book, is Dr. Colet’s Life, t [••] ely and imperfectly written by Thomas Fuller of Waltham in Essex, being mostly the same with that in his Abel Redivivus.

Monition to a godly life. London 1534. 1563. &c. oct. This without doubt is the same with A right fruitful admonition concerning the order of a good Christian. Mans life, &c. London 1577. oct.

Sermon of Conforming and Reforming, made to the Convocation in S. Paul’s Church, on Rom. 12. 2. An. 1511. This was also published at Cambridge, in 1661. in octavo, by Thomas Smith of Christs Coll. there, with Notes, of his making, put to it, and the Particulars of his Life in English, framed from some of the Epistles of Erasmus.

Responsio ad argumenta Erasmiana de taedio & pavore Christi. This is mentioned in the thirty first Book of the Epistles of Erasmus, ep. 46. The Titles of other Books written by Dr. Colet, you may see in John Bale’s Book De Script. Maj. Britan. Cent. 8 nu. 63. At length our learned Author discovering the sweating Sickness to grow upon him, he retired to his Lodgings that he had built in the Monastery of the Carthusians at Sheen near to Richmond in Surrey: where spending the little remainder of his days in Devotion, surrendred up at length his last breath to him that first gave it, 1519 on the 16. of September in Fifteen hundred and nineteen. Afterwards his body was carried to London, and by the care of his old decrepid Mother, it was buried in the Cathedral Church of S. Paul, nigh to the Image of S. W [•] gefort. Soon after was a comly Monument set over his Grave, near to the little one which he had set up in his life time, between the Choire and the South Isle: which Monument remaining whole and entire till 1666. was then consumed in the dreadful Conflagration that happened in the City of London. But before that time it was carefully preserved in Effigie by the industrious Pen of Mr. (since Sir) William Dugdale in his History of S. Paul’s Cathedral. Printed at London in fol. 1658. In the last (b)(b) In Offic. Praerog. Cantuar. Secus Ecc D. Pauli, in r [•] g. Ayloff, qu. 22. Will and Testament of the said Dr. Colet, dated 22. Aug. and proved the 5. of October, in 1519. I find this passage—“Item, The New Testament, and other of my making, written in Parchment, as Comments of Paul’s Epistles, and Abbreviations, with many such other, I Will shall be disposed at the disposition of my Executors, &c. ” His body which was closed up in a leaden Coffin of six feet and two Inches long, and of three feet and two inches broad, was laid up and inclosed in the Wall, near to the place where his Monument was afterwards put. In 1680. or thereabouts, when the Wall was taken down, the said Coffin was discovered (for it laid in the said Wall about two feet and an half above the surface of the floor) whereon was a plate of Lead fastned, with an Inscription ingraven thereon, shewing the name of the person thee deposited, his Fathers name, his Dignity, Obit, benefaction, &c. Some of the Royal Society, who out of curiosity went to see it, did thrust a probe or little stick into a chink of the Cossin, which bringing out some moisture with it, found it of an ironish tast, and fancied that the body felt soft and pappy like Brawn.