John Harmar

an excellent Greecian of his time, was born at Churchdowne commonly called Chursden near to, and in the County of, Glocester, educated in Wykehams School near Winchester, became a Semicommoner or Demie of Magd. Coll. 1611, aged 17 years or more, being then about an years standing in the University, took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated in 1617, which was the highest Acad. degree he took, tho afterwards he was always called by the name of Doctor Harmar. About that time he entred into holy Orders, was Usher of the School joyning to his College, and a Preacher for some time in these parts. At length he became the chief Master of the Free-school at S. Alban in Hertfordshire, and thro some petite and pedagogical employments, (of which the under-Mastership of the Coll. school at Westm. was one) the Kings Greek Professor of this University and Rector of the Donative of Ewhurst in Hampshire; the Patron of which being a convicted Recusant, the Vicechancellor and Masters did elect and present him thereunto, 30 March 1659 by virtue of the Chancellours letters (Rich. Cromwell whom he highly flatter’d) written in his behalf. But losing those two places after the Restauration of K. Ch. 2, he retired to Steventon in Hampshire, where he mostly lived on the Joynture of his wife. He was a most excellent Philologist, and a tolerable Latine Poet; was happy in rendring Greek into Latine, or Latine into English, or English into Greek or Latine, whether in prose or verse; which we now call transversing and transprosing. But as in these he did excell, and therefore often made use of by Scholars, so did he go beyond all that I knew of his condition, that affected popular applause, he being of so credulous a humour, as to take all that was said or done to him, to redound to his honour and credit, much like the humour of Tom Coryate, who was a Whetstone for the Wits of his time. Besides all this, he being also a meer Scholar, and therefore mostly in a poor and shabbed condition, whether in his way of living, or habit, he flatter’d all Men and Powers that were uppermost, whether lawful or usurping, and endeavoured to make himself known to all Patrons of Learning, if it were only for a meals meat, or gain applause. He hath written and published these things following.

Praxis Grammatica: verum & genuinum declinationum & conjugationum usum liquidò indicans &c. cum sententiis & facetiis. Lond. 1622. 23. oct.

Janua Linguarum: sive methodus & ratio compendiaria & facilis ad omnes linguas, ad latinum verò maximè aperiens, &c. Lond. 1617. qu. the sixth edition. There again in 1631.

Eclogae sententiarum & similitudinum, è D. Chrysostomo deceptae, Graec. & Lat. cum annot. Lond. 1622. oct.

Protomartyr Britannus. Seu Elegia sacra in conversionem & Martyrium S. Albani. Lond. 1630. qu. in one sh.

Lexicon etymologicon Graecum, junctim cum Scapula. Lond. 1637. fol.

De lue venerea, libellus. This I have not yet seen, only a lat. copy of verses written in praise of it in the Poems of Tho. Philipot M. A. of Clare Hall in Cambr.

Epistola ad D. Lambertum Osbaldestonum, cui intexitur Apologia pro honoratiss. illustrissimoque viro ac Domino, D. Johanne Williams Archiep. Eborac. & Angliae Primate. Lond. 1649. oct.

Oratio Oxoniae habita, in schola publicâ Linguae Graecae assignatâ, 15 Kal. Aug. 1650. Lond. 1650. oct. Dedicated to Francis Rous, afterwards one of Olivers Lords.

Oratio sereniss. Protectoris elogium complectens, Oxoniae habita quinto Kal. Maii 1654. Oxon. 1654. qu.

Ad Protectorem carmina de pace cum Belgis sancitâ. This is printed with the Oration, and both are contained in less than two sh.

Oratio gratulatoria inaugurationi nobiliss. honoratissimique Domini, D. Richardi Cromwelli &c. in Oxoniensis Academiae Cancellariatum consecrati &c. Oxon. 1657. oct.

Oratio steliteutica Oxoniae habita 14 Oct. 1657. sive stricturae in hujus aevi delatores & pasquillos, & in Terrae filios (quos vocant) eorumque similes, Elisae; qui in Comitiis Oxoniensibus, mense Julio annuatim celebrari solitis, &c. Lond. 1658. oct. This was published purposely to flatter the Presbyterian and Independent Heads of the University, for which he was laughed at by the Masters and Juniors.

Vindiciae Academiae Oxoniensis: sive oratio apologetica, quâ exercitiorum Academicorum in trimestre vacat. à crimine vindicatur, Oxon. 1662. oct.

Marci Tullii Ciceronis vita, ex optimis quibusque scriptoribus delibata, & in compendium reducta. Oxon. 1662. in a little oct. in 3 sh.

Oratio panegyrica in honor. Car. 2. &c. in Angliam, plaudente orbe Britannico, remigrantis, habita Oxoniae 27 Maii 1660. Oxon. 1660. 63. oct.

Poemata Gr. & Lat. de Rege & Regina, & in nuptias Regias. These Poems are printed with the 2 edit. of the said Oration, and both are contained in 2 sh. in a large oct. He also translated from Lat. into English, (1) The mirrour of humility, or two eloquent and acute discourses upon the nativity and passion of Christ, &c. Lond. 1618. oct. Written by Dan. Hensius. (2) From English into Gr. and Lat. The lesser or shorter Catechism, made by the Ass. of Divines.—Lond. 1659, 60. oct. Dedicated to Rich. Cromwell, the Parliament and University of Oxon. (3) From Engl. into Lat. A treatise or discourse concerning Embassadors. Lond. 1664, oct. Written by Jam. Howell, and one or more of the Plays of Margaret Duchess of New-castle, for which he was well rewarded. He paid his last debt to nature at Steventon in Hampshire (near to Newbury in Berks.) on Allsaints day in sixteen hundred and seventy,1670. and was buried in the Churchyard there, partly, if not altogether, at the charge of Nich. Lloyd M. A. and Fellow of Wadham Coll, who always had a singular respect for him, and for his most excellent knowledge in the Greek and Latine Tongues.