Richard James

, was born at Newport in the Isle of Wight, admitted Scholar of C. C. coll. from that of Exeter, 23. Sept. 1608. aged 16. or thereabouts, and on the 30. of Sept. 1615. Probationer-Fellow. About that time, he being involved in the studies of Theology, he entred into Orders, preached often and at length was Bac. of that Faculty. This person, tho humorous, was of a far better judgment than his Uncle Thom. James mentioned under the year 1629. and had he lived to his age, would have surpassed him in published books. He was a great traveller also, was in Rushia in 1619. and esteemed to be a person well vers’d in most parts of learning. He was noted by all those that knew him to be a very good Greecian, Poet, an excellent Critick, Antiquary, Divine, and admirably well skill’d in the Saxon and Gothick languages. But as for his Preaching, it was not, except by the graver sort, approved by any in the University. For of three Sermons delivered to the Academians, one of which, concerning the Observation of Lent, was without a Text according to the most ancient manner; another against the Text, and a third beside it, shewing himself thereby a humorous person. The famous Selden was much beholding to him for the drudgery he did for him, when he composed his Marmora Arundeliana, acknowledging him in his Preface to that book, to be Vir multijugae studiique indefatigabilis. Sir Rob. Cotton also his great Patron, and his Son Sir Thomas, could not but acknowledge his like drudgery in the ordering, disposing, and setling their incomparable Library; with the first of whom (no great friend to the Prerogative) being intimate and familiar, was confin’d to close keeping by the Lords, when Sir Robert was imprisoned for certain matters uttered in Parliament, an. 1629. Nothing was wanting to our author, and his studies, but a Sinecure or a Prebendship; either of which, if confer’d upon him, Hercules his labours would have seem’d a trifle. His works are these.

Several Lat. Sermons, as, (1) Anti-Possevinus, sive concio habita ad clerum [〈◊〉] Acad. Oxon, an. 1625. in 2 Tim. 4. 13. Oxon. 1625. qu. (2) Conc. habita ad clerum Oxon, de Ecclesia, in Matth. 16. 18. Oxon. 1633. qu. &c.

Several Engl. Sermons, as, (1) Serm. concerning the Eucharist, delivered on Easter day in Oxon. on Matth. 26. ver. 26, 27, 28. Lond. 1629. qu. (2) History of Preaching, or concerning the Apostles preaching and ours, on 1 Cor. 9. 16. Lond. 1630. qu. (3) Serm. concerning the observation of Lentfast. Lond. 1630. qu. To which, tho there be no Text, yet it is grounded on Luke 4. 2. (4) Serm, concerning the times of receiving the Sacrament, and of mutual forgiveness, delivered in C. C. C. at the election of a President, on 1 Cor. 11: 25. Lond. 1632. [•] qu. (5) Apologetical Essay for the righteousness of miserable unhappy People, preached at S. Maries in Oxon, on Psal. 37. 25. Lond. 1632. qu.

Poemata quaedam in mort. clariss. viri Roberti Cottoni & Thomae Alleni. Oxon. 1633. qu. With which Poems he published Sir Thom. More’s Epistle, written from Abendon in Berks, an. 1519. to the Univ. of Oxon, for the embracing of the Greek tongue, which had been for many years neglected among the Members thereof. He also translated into English, Octavius. Ox. 1636. in tw. written by Minutius Felix. All the afore-mentioned works (except the translation) bound in one vol. the author gave to Bodlies Library, with a copy of verses of his composition written in a spare leaf before the first of them, beginning thus,

Dear God by whom in dark Womb’s shade

I am to fear and wonder made, &c.

The said copy of verses was made by him when he was confin’d to close custody by the Lords. He died of a Quartan Fever in the house of Sir Tho. Cotton Bt. near to Westminster hall, by too much studying, (as ’twas supposed,) and wracking his body with hardship, in the beginning of Decemb. 1638 in sixteen hundred thirty and eight, and was buried on the seventh day of the same month in S. Margarets Church within the said City. He left behind him several MSS. of his own composition, and others collected by him from various authors, to the number of 45. or thereabouts, all written with his own hand, which coming after his death into the hands of his intire Friend and Colleague Mr. Tho. Greaves, came after his death to the Bodleian Library, where they now are. The MSS. of his composition are these. (1) Decanonizatio Thomae Cantuariensis & suorum. fol. This book, containing 760. pages, hath this beginning, Viam regiam mihi patefacit ad decanonizationem ficti & fucati Martyris, &c. and the beginning of the Epist. to the Reader is this, Amice lector rogatus sum saepius, &c. (2) Comment. in Evangelia S. Johannis. in two parts in qu. The beginning is, Postmodo ad. textum sacrae historiae deveniam, ubi prius, &c. Both parts contain about 12 sheets. (3) Notae in aliquot loca Bibliae, in 3 sh. in qu. The beginning is Videte sub ficu Paraphrastes sub umbrosa ficu, &c. (4) Antiquitates Insulae Victae, in 17 pages in qu. The beginning is Angli Saxones Marciarum, &c. and of the Epistle to the Reader, Vtrum moriar priusque hoc opus perficium deus novit, &c. ’Tis only a specimen or a foundation for a greater work to build on. (5) Epistolae ad amicos suos doctos. The beginning of the first Ep. which was written to Dr. Seb. Benefeild of C. C. coll. is this, Sancte Deus, &c. ’Tis a thick quarto, and containeth Epistles mostly written to C. C. coll. men, Epitaphs and some English copies of verses. (6) Epigrams in Lat. and Engl. with other Poems. (7) Reasons concerning the attempts on the lives of great personages, &c. These reasons, which are six or more, have this beginning, Sir, if you please to learn my mind concerning the attempts on the lives of great personages, &c. written in 2 sh. in fol. (8) Two Sermons. The first on James 5. 14. the other on John 12. 32. Both written in fol. papers. (9) Iter Lancastrense. This Itinerary, which was written in English verse 1636. hath this beginning, High Holt of Wood, and ’tis contained in two sheets and an half. (10) Glossarium Saxonicum-Anglicum. ’Tis a long pocket-book. (11) Glos. Sax. Angl. another part, in oct. (12) A Rushian Dictionary, with the English to it. (13) Observations made in his travels through some parts of Wales, Scotland, on Shetland, Greenland, &c. In 4 sheets in qu. (14) Observations made on the Country, with the manners and customs, of Rushia, or Rusland, an. 1619. in oct. ’Twas intended to be transcrib’d, and to have other matters added to it, but what hindred the design I cannot tell. Besides these 14 books I have another of Epigrams written mostly in Latin, and partly in Greek, in oct. dedicated to his Tutor Dr. Sebast. Benefeild. As for his collections, which are in four and twenty quartoes, and in about 7 thin folio’s (all under his own hand) are contained in them for the most part notes from ancient MSS. (sometimes from printed authors) relating to Hist. and Antiq. and any thing that could be found against S. Thomas of Canterbury, the greatness and corruption of Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, Abbats, Priors, Monks, Friers, and the Clergy before the time of Reformation. And when he thought that the matter it self from the authors, whence he made his collections, was not enough sufficient to make them bad, his notes in the margin pointing to those matters, would do it to the purpose, arguing thereby an inveterate hatred he had to the said persons, as indeed he had, being a severe Calvinist, if not worse.