William Lilye

was born at Odyham in Hampshire, Elected one of the Demies or Semi-commoners of St. Mary Magd. Coll. in 1486. Aged 18 Years, took, as it seems, one Degree in Arts; and then giving a farewel to the University, went for Religion sake to Jerusalem; where, after he had paid his Vows, put in at his return at the Isle of Rhodes, and making some stay there, he learned the Latin and Greek Tongues exactly: which matter hath seemed strange to some, forasmuch as Rhodes was not Rhodes in that Age, except some great Critick was casually there. Thence he went to Rome, where he heard Joh. Sulpitius and Pomponius Sabinus, great Masters of Latin in those days Read and Teach. After his return he settled in London, and taught Grammar, Poetry, and Rhetorick with good success. At length Dr. John Colet Dean of St. Pauls Cathedral, made him the First Master of the School, which he had Founded in the Yard, belonging to the said Cathedral, in the Year 1512. where teaching about Ten Years, many issued thence, who were afterwards serviceable in the Church and State. He hath written many things in English and Latin, and in Verse and Prose; among which are these.

An Introduction to the Eight Parts of Speech—This is generally said to be written by Lilye; yet some there are, that stick not to tell us, that the said Introduction was written by Dr. Colet or Dav. Tolley.

The Construction of the Eight Parts of Speech,—This also goes under the Name of Lilye.

Monita Paedagogica, seu Carmen de moribus, ad suos discipulos. The beginning of which is, Qui mihi discipulus, &c.

Brevissima Institutio, seu ratio Grammatices cognoscendae, ad omnium puerorum utilitatem praescripta, &c. This contains the four Parts of Grammar, viz. (1) Orthographia. (2) Etymologia, (3) Syntaxis, and fourthly Prosodia. In which Book or Books (very many times Printed) that part in Verse, called Propria quae Maribus, &c. and another called, As in praesenti, &c. were afterwards published by John Ritwise (Lilye’s Successor in Colet’s School) with an Interpretation of the words in them, about the Year 1530. (22. Hen. 8.)

Omnium nominum in regulis contentorum, tum Heteroclitorum ac Verborum, interpretatio aliqua.

All these beforementioned were published at London 1513, and afterwards in 1520, and had additions and annotations put to them by Ritwise before mentioned, Tho. Robertson, &c. Tho the rules in them were excellent in that Age; yet they have been much meliorated, and more compendiously methodized by very many since, even to these our days.

In aenigmatica Antibossicon Primum, Secundum, Tertium, ad Guliel. Hormannum. Lond. 1521. qu.

The said three Antibossicons are witrily written in an elegant Stile, and neat Verse, not only against the said Horman, but also against Rob. Whittington a Laureat Grammarian & Rhetorician: The beginning of them is Non Hormanne latet, &c. In which Antibossicons, the said Whitting [•] on had, under the feigned name of Bossus, much provoked Lilye with scoffs and biting Verses.

Poemata varia. Printed with the said Antibossicons. De laudibus Deiparae Virginis.

Apologia ad John Skeltonum. Rob. Whittington.

Besides these, he hath written other things, as Baleus and Pitseus will tell you, and hath made several translations from Greek into Latin, and from Italian into English. At length this Learned Author being infected with the Plauge, died of it to the great grief of Learned Men, on the fifth of the Cal.152 2/3. of Mar. in Fifteen hundred twenty and two, and was buried in the North-yard, belonging to the Cath. Church of St. Paul; leaving then behind him a Son named George (begotten on the body of his Wife Agnes) whom I shall hereafter mention, and Peter a Dignitarie, as it seems, in the Church of Canterbury, Father of another Peter Lilye D. D. sometimes Fellow of Jesus Coll. in Cambridge, afterwards a Brother of the Hospital, called the Savoy in the Strand near London, Prebendary of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and of the Church of Sarum, Archdeacon of Taunton, and a Writer of certain Books, as (1) Conciones duae, una inscripta Pax Liliana, in Act. 15 39. Altera Columba Ecclesiae, in John 19. 9. 10.—Lond. 1619. qu. published by his Widow Dorothy (2) Two Sermons, 1. A preparative Lilie to cure Souls, on Mark 16. 6. and the other, How to seek and find Christ on Luke 24. 5. Both Printed at Lond. in 1619. qu. published by his said Widow Dorothy, whose Daughter Mary hath Verses before, in commendation of, them. This Dr. Peter Lilye gave way to fate in the latter end of 1614 (12. Jac. 1.) and was buried in the Church belonging to the Savoy beforementioned. Will. Lilye the Grammarian had a Daughter named Dionysia, who was married to his Usher John Ritwise or Rightwyse, afterwards Master of St. Paul’s School, on the Death of his Father-in Law; and a most eminent Grammarian in his Generation. This Person by the way I must tell you, was born at Sawl in Norfolk, educated in Eaton School near Windsor, elected into Kings Coll. in Cambridge an. 1507. made the Tragedy of Dido out of Virgil; and acted the same with the Scholars of his School before Cardinal Wolsey with great applause. One Rich. Jones Succeeded him in the Government of St. Paul’s School, 1532. (24. Hen. 8.) in which Year Ritwise perhaps died. Afterwards his Widow Dionysia took to her second Husband James Jacob, who was one of the Masters of the said School, by whom he had a Son called Polydore Jacob. In the next Centery after the Death of our Famous Will. Lilye, appeared as a Comet to the Vulgar from Leicestershire, one of both his Names, a great pretender to Astrology and Physick, and in [•] uch considering his Education, which was without the help of an Academy, he was eminent. He began to write, much about the time when the grand Rebellion commenc’d, wrot in favour of the Long Parliament and their proceedings, and many notorious matters against the Royal Family; which being highly resented by the generous Loyalist, he was aimed at upon His Majesties Restauration in 1660. to be brought to condign punishment: But upon the Intercession of George Wharton (to whom Lilye had been civil in the times of Usurpation) and others, he escaped, and continued in writing his Ephemerides to the time of his Death. This Person who pretended much to Prophecy (of which he hath published several, Pamphlets, especially in his said Ephemerides) and had exercised the trade of Conjuration among ignorant People, died at Walton upon Thames in Surrey (where he had purchased a fair Estate, with the Moneys he had got, by imposing on the Vulgar with his Juggles) on the 9th day of June, an. 1681. Aged near 80 Years, and was buried in the middle of the Church there, towards the North Wall. Soon after, was a black Marble Stone, with an Inscription thereon, laid over his Grave by his Friend Elias Ashmole Esq. A little before his Death, he did adopt for his Son by the Name of Merlin Junior, one Will. Coley a Taylor by Trade, and a Native of Magd. Parish in the North Suburb of Oxon, and at the same time gave him the Impression of his Ephemeris, after it had been Printed for 36 Years, which Coley continues to this day. The Writings of this Lilly being too many to be here inserted, I shall only give you the canting and amusing Titles of some, as (1) Englands Prophetical Merlin, (2) English Merlin revived, &c. (3) Storry Messenger; or an interpretation of the strange Apparition of three Suns, (4) A Collection of Ancient and Modern Prophecies, &c. (5) Astrological Prediction of the occurrences in England (6) The Worlds Catastrophy (7) Monarchy and no Monarchy, &c. (8) Annus tenebrosus, or the dark Year, &c. (9) Christian Astrology, &c.