Thomas Hoby

of Bysham near to Maydenhead in Berks. Son of Will. Hoby of Leonminster commonly called Lemster in Herefordishire, was born, as I conceive, in Herefordshire, and after he had spent some time among the Oxonian Muses, he went beyond the Seas, lived in France, Italy, and other Countries several years, became a perfect Master of the Languages there spoken, and at length returned a compleat Gentleman, well fu [•] n [•] shed with learning, and for a time settled at Bysham. Afterwards being introduced into the Court, he became so much esteemed by Qu. Elizabeth, that she not only conferr’d the honor of Knighthood upon, but sent, him Embasslador to the French King, an. 1565 or thereabouts; where acting too zealous for his Mistress, he was cut off in the prime of his years. What he hath written, I know not: Sure I am that he hath translated from Italian into English Il cortagiano, seu de Aulico written by [〈◊〉] Castiglione, and from Lat. into English. (1) [〈◊〉] to the Church of England, for the restitution of Christian Religion. Lond. in oct. without date: written in Lat. by Martin Bucer. (2) Answer unto the two railing Epistles of Steph. Gardiner B. of Winchester concerning the married state of Priests and Cloysterers. Lond. in oct. without date: written also in Lat. by the said Bucer. They were both printed in an English character, after the Authors death, (as it seems) which happing at Paris on Saturday (*)(*) Lib. Certif. in Coll. Armorum, J. 13 fol. 77. [•] . 13. July, between five and six in the morning (to the great reluctancy of all good Men, nay, to the Queen her self) in Fifteen hundred sixty and six, 1566 aged 36 years, his body thereupon was conveyed into England, and at length to Bysham, where resting till his Widow Elizabeth, Daughter of Sir Anth. Coke of Geddy-hall in Essex Knight, had built a Chappel on the South side of the Chancel there, was put into a Vault underneath it. Which being so done, the said Widow caused the body of his elder Brother Sir Philip Hoby a zealous Protestant in Qu. Maries Reign, (who dying issuless 31 May 1558. aged 53. made his Brother Sir Tho. before-mentioned his Heir) to be removed from under the Chancel, and to be laid by it in the said Vault. That also being done, she at her own charges caused a fair Table Monument breast-high to be erected over them, with their stat [•] a’s from head to foot laying thereon, and a large inscription in English prose and verse to be engraven, which for brevity sake I shall now pass by. This Sir Tho. Hoby left behind him several Children, of whom the eldest was Edward, as I shall tell you more hereafter in the latter end of the Year 1616.