Thomas Leyson

, an eminent Poet and Physician of his time, received his first breath at Neath in Glamo [•••] shire, was educated in Grammaticals in the famous School of Will. of W [•] behm, admitted perpetual Fellow of New coll. 1569. took the degrees in Arts, entred on the Physick line, and in 1583. was Proctor of the University, in which year he shewed himself an exact Disputant before Alb. Alaskie Prince of Sirad, when he was entertained by the Oxonian Muses. About that time taking one degree in Physick, he setled within the City of Bath, where he became as much noted for his happy success in the practice of Physick, as before he was for his Lat. Poetry in the University. He wrote in Lat.

Poem describing the scite and beauty of St. Donats Castle in Glamorganshire.—Which Poem coming to the sight of Dr. John David Rhese his worthy acquaintance, who stiles it Venestum Poema, he turned it into Welsh, and gave the author of it this character, Vir cûm rci medicae, tùm Poetices merilissimus. I have seen much of his Poetry scattered in several books; which, if gathered together, might make a pretty Manual. Sir John Harrington the famous Epigrammatist, had an especial respect for his learning, and so had Sir Edw. Stradling of St. Donats Castle, who never failed in all his life-time to incourage learning and ingenuity. Joh. Stradling also, whom I shall anon mention, hath several Epigrams written unto him, one (*)(*) In lib. 1. Epigram. especially, upon the sending to him a Poem of a Crott, which was paraphrased by Charles Thynne. This Mr. Leyson died at Bath, Clar. 160 [•] . and was buried in St. James’s Church there, near to the body of his Wife; but the year when, I cannot tell. I have been credibly informed by several Scholars of Wales, that he hath written divers other things, but what, they could not justly tell me.