William Grocyn

, a most singular light of learning in his time, received his first breath in the City of Bristol in Somersetshire, was educated in Grammaticals in Wykehams School near Winchester, made true and perpetual fellow of New Coll. after he had served two Years of probation, in 1467, and in 1479, being then M. of A. he was presented by the Warden and Society of that House to the Rectory of Newton Longvill in Bucks. But his Residence being mostly in Oxon. the Society of Magd. Coll. made choice of him to be their Divinity Reade [•] , about the beginning of the Reign of King Rich. 3. which King coming soon after to Oxon, and taking up his lodging in that College; he was pleased to hear our Author Grocyn, and some others of that House dispute: And being much delighted with their disputations, especially with those of Grocyn, which were in Divinity, he did most graciously (g)(g) Vide Hist. & Antiq. Vniv. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 233. a. reward them. But Grocyn leaving his Readers place in Magd. Coll. in the beginning of the Year 1488, being then accounted excellent in the Latin and Greek Tongues according to the then knowledge of them, he did, for the farther accomplishment of himself in those critical studies, take a Journey into Italy; where by the helps of Demetrius Calchondile and Politian, he obtained his design. So that returning into his own Country, and at length to Oxon, he became (h)(h) Rot. Comput. Rectorum Coll. Exon, in thesaur. ibid. a Sojournor in Exeter Coll. in the Year 1491. or thereabouts, took a Degree in Divinity at it (i)(i) In reg. antiq. coll. Merton. fol. 49. a. seems, taught and read the Greek Tongue to the Oxonians after that way, which had not before, I suppose, been taught in their University, became a familiar Friend of, or rather Tutor to, Erasmus, and a Person in eminent renown for his learning—Recens tunc ex Italiâ venerat Grocinus (saith (k)(k) In lib. cui tit. De Tribus Thomis, in Tho. More, cap. 1. Stapleton) qui primus eâ aetate Graecas literas in Angliam invexerat, Oxoniique publicè professus fuerat, à cujus sodali Thoma Lynacro, (Morus) Graecas literas Oxonii didicit. In 1504 or thereabouts, he resign’d his rectory of Newton Longvill, being about that time made Master of the College of Allhallowes at Maidston in Kent, yet continued mostly in Oxon, for several Years after. He hath written, Tract. contra hostiolum Jo. Wyclevi. Epistolae ad Erasmum & alios. Grammatica. Vulgaria Puerorum.

Epigrammata, with other things which are mentioned by Leland and Bale. While Dr. Colet was Dean of St. Pauls, our Author Grocyn did read in his open Lecture in that Cathedral the Book of Dionysius Areopagita, commonly called Hierarchia Ecclesiastica, (for the reading of the Holy Scripture, in the said Cathedral was not in use) and in the very first entry of his Preface, cried out with great vehemency against them whosoever they were, which either denied or stood in doubt of the Authority of that Book; in the number of whom he noted Laur. Valla, and divers other of like judgment. But afterwards the said Grocyn, when he had continued a few Weeks in his reading thereof, and had farther considered of the matter, he utterly alter’d and recanted his former sentence; protesting openly, that the said Book, in his judgment, was never written by that Author, whom we read in the Acts of the Apostles to be called Dionysius Areopagita. He the said Grocyn died at Maidstone beforementioned, in the beginning of the Year Fifteen hundred twenty and two, 1522 aged 80 or more. Whereupon his Body was Buried at the Stall-end, in the high Choir of the Coll. of Allhallows before-mentioned. Thomas Lynacre the Famous Physician was his Executor, to whom he left considerable Legacies; and William Lilye the Grammarian, who was his God-son, had a little Memorial bequeathed to him in his last Will which I have (l)(l) In Offic praerog. Cant, in reg. Ayloff ut supra Qu. 30. seen. To, and with, this Grocyn, and other eminent Scholars of England, who were of his time, was well known, and familiar, Andreas Ammonius a Clerk of Luca in Italy, Son of Elizab. de Harena, or Arena, a grave Matron of that place; which Andrew, who was an Apostolick Prothonotary, Collector for the Pope in England, Latin Secretary to King Henry 8. and a Learned Man, did, as I have just reason to conceive, spend some time in Oxon for the sake of Study, while Grocyn, or at least Erasmus were conversant there: But being not certain of the matter, I shall only say, that Ammonius dying in Septemb. 1517. (9. Henry 8.) being then Prebendary of Fordington and Writhlington in the Church of Salisbury, (which Dignity was conferr’d upon him, on the Death of Gendesalvus Ferdinandus 17 Jul. 1513.) was Buried in the King’s Chappel of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Stephen, situate and being within the Palace of Westminster; leaving then a considerable part of his Wealth, to his Executor Mr. Peter de Vannes an Italian, his Sisters Son, whom I shall mention elsewhere.