Gerard Langbaine

a great ornament of his time to this University, was born at Barton kirke in Westmorland, educated in the Free-school at Blencow in Cumberland, became a Student in Queens Coll. under the tuition of Mr. Tho. Wetherall, in the beginning of 1626, aged 18 years, where he was successively a poor serving Child, Tabarder, and at length Fellow, being then Master of Arts. In 1644 he was unanimously elected Keeper of the Archives or Records of the University, and in the latter end of the year following Provost of his College. In June 1646, he was admitted D. of D. being then in general esteem for his great learning and honesty, skill in satisfying doubts and discretion in the composure of controversies, especially those between the two Bodies, the University and City. He was also an excellent Linguist, able Philosopher and Divine, a good common Lawyer, a publick spirited man, a lover of learning and learned men, beloved of us Usher, Selden and the great Goliahs of Literature. He was also an excellent Antiquary; and, as judicious in his writings, so indefatigable in his studies, and of immense undertakings, as by those rapsodies of collections that he left behind him, appear. As for those things that he hath written and published, they are these.

Notae in librum Dionisii Longini de grandi eloquentiâ sive sublimi dicendi genere, &c. Oxon. 1636. and 38. oct. The said Longinus is translated into Latin, and hath the Greek on one side, and the Lat. on the other, and the notes which are in Lat. are at the end of the book. These things I note, because the same work being done by other hands, this may be distinguished from it.

Brief discourse relating to the times of K. Ed. 6. Or, the state of the times, as they stood in the raigne of K. E. 6. by way of preface to a book entit. The true Subject to the Rebell: or, the hurt of sedition, &c. written by Sir Joh. Cheek Knight—Oxon. 1641. qu.

Life of Sir Joh. Cheek Kt.—Set also before the said book, which Langbaine reviewed, corrected and published, upon a foresight that a Rebellion would break out, as shortly after it did, against K. Ch. 1. of ever blessed memory.

Episcopal inheritance: or, a Reply to the humble examination of a printed Abstract, or the Answers to nine Reasons of the House of Commons against the Votes of Bishops in Parliament. Oxon. 1641. qu. To which is added A Determination of the late learned Bishop of Salisbury (Davenant) englished. These two were reprinted at Lond. 1680.

Review of the Covenant, wherein the original, grounds, means, matter, and ends of it are examined, &c. printed 1644 and at Lond. 1661. qu.

Answer of the Chanc. Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford, to the Petition, Articles of grievance, and Reasons of the City of Oxon: presented to the Committee for regulating the Univ. of Ox. 24 July 1649. Oxon 1649, in six sh. in qu. There again 1678, and in a book intit. A defence of the Rights and Privileges of the Univ. of Oxon, &c. Oxon. 1690. qu. published by James Harrington Bach. (soon after Master) of Arts, and Student of Ch. Ch.

Quaestiones Oxoniae pro more solenni in Vesperiis propositae an. 1651. Oxon. 1658. qu. published, with Verses following made by the said Author, by Mr. Tho. Barlow of Qu. Coll. among several little works of learned men.

Platonicorum aliquot, qui etiamnum supersunt, authorum, Graecorum imprimis, mox & Latinorum, syllabus Alphabeticus. Oxon. 1667. oct. It was drawn up by our Author Langbaine at the desire of Archbishop Usher, but left imperfect: Which being found among his Papers, was, with some few alterations (where there was found good reason of so doing) placed at the end of Alcinoi in Platonicam Philosophiam introductio, published by Dr. Jo. Fell Dean of Ch. Ch. He the said Langbaine did also publish, (1) The Foundation of the Univ. of Oxon, with a catalogue of the principal Founders and special Benefactors of all the Colleges, and total number of Students, &c. Lond. 1651. in 3 sh in qu. mostly taken from the Tables of Joh. Scot of Cambr. which had been printed in 1622. (2) The foundation of the Univ. of Cambr. with a Cat. &c.—printed with the former Cat. in 3 sh. and taken from the said Tables. He also drudged much in finishing Archb. Usher’s book intit. Chronologia sacra, but dying when he had almost brought it to an end, Barlow before mentioned compleated it. The said Langbaine translated into Lat. Reasons of the present judgment of the University concerning the solemn league and covenant, &c. and assisted Sanderson and Zouch in the composure of them. Also into English, A review of the Council of Trent, written in French by a learned Rom. Cath. Oxon. 1638. fol. wherein may be seen the dissent of the Gallican Churches from several conclusions in that Council. He gave way to fate on the tenth day of Febr. in sixteen hundred fifty and seven,1657/8. and was buried about the middle of the inner Chappel of Queens Coll. having a little before setled 24 l. per an. on a Free-school at the place of his Nativity; towards the purchasing of which, he had received 20 l. from a certain Doctor of Oxon, who desired to have his name concealed. See his Epitaph in Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Oxon, lib. 2. p. 125. a. He left behind him 13 quartoes and 8 octavoes, in MS. with innumerable Collections in loose papers, all written with his own hand, collected mostly from antient Mss. in Bodlies Library and elsewhere, in order to some great work which he intended, if life had been spared, to have published. He also had made several Catalogues of Mss. in various Libraries, nay and of printed books too, in order, as we suppose, for an universal Catalogue in all kind of Learning. But whereas ’tis ((a))((a)) Th. Fuller in his Worthies of England in Cumberland, followed without acknowledgment by his Plagiary David Lloyd in his Memoires, &c. p. 518. reported that he took a great deal of pains in the continuation of Br. Twyne’s Apol. Antiq. Acad. Oxon, and that he was intent upon it when he died, I find no such thing: and those persons that had the perusal of his Library after his death, namely Dr. Barlow and Dr. Lamplugh, have assured me that they have seen nothing at all towards, or in order to, it. See more of Dr. Langbaine in Arth. Duck, an. 1649.