Leonard Digges

, Son of Tho. Digges mentioned under the year 1574. by Anne his Wife, Daughter of Sir Warham St. Leodgar Knight, was born in London, became a Commoner of Vniv. coll. in the beginning of the year 1603. aged 15. took the degree of Bac. of Arts, retired to the great City for the present, afterwards travelled into several Countries, and became an accomplish’d person. Some years after his return he retired to his coll. again, and upon his supplication made to the venerable Convocation, he was, in consideration that he had spent (*)(*) Reg. Convoc. N. fol. 234. [•] . many years in good letters in transmarine Universities, actually created M. of A. in 1626. He was esteemed by those that knew him in Vniv. coll. a great Master of the English language, a perfect understander of the French and Spanish, a good Poet and no mean Orator. He hath translated out of Spanish into English a Romance called Gerardo the unfortunate Spaniard, in two parts. Lond. 1622. qu. written by Don Goncalo de Cespedes: And from Lat. into English verse, The rape of Proserpine, in 3 books. Lond. 1617. and 28. qu. written by Claudian; besides other things which I have not yet seen. He died on the 7. Apr. in sixteen hundred thirty and five, and was buried in that little old Chappel of Vniv. coll. (sometimes standing about the middle of the present Quadrangle) which was pulled down in 1668. Several verses of his composition I have seen printed in the beginning of various authors, particularly those before Shakespeares works, which shew him to have been an eminent Poet of his time.