Gregory Martin

received his first breath at Macksfield near to Winchelsey in Sussex, was put in one of the original Scholars of S. Johns Coll. by the Founder thereof Sir Tho. White, in 1557, where going thro the usual forms of Logick aad Philosophy with incredible industry, took the degree of Master of Arts, 1564. Afterwards he was taken into the Family of Thomas the great and mighty Duke of Norfolk to be Tutor to his Son the Lord Philip (afterwards Earl of Surrey) and his Brethren; where continuing for some years, it hapned in that time that the said Duke came to Oxon, and giving a visit to S. Johns Coll. had an eloquent Speech delivered before him by one of that Society, wherein, of Gr. Martin, he said thus—Habes illustrissime Dux, Hebraeum nostrum, Graecum nostrum, Poetam nostrum, decus & gloriam nostram. After he had done with his service in the said Dukes Family, and received sufficient rewards for his pains, he went beyond the Seas, and renouncing his Religion openly, (for before he was but a Catholick in private) he retired to Doway, where applying his mind to the studies of Divinity, was made a Licentiat in that Faculty, in 1575. Afterwards going into Italy, he went to Rome to do his Devotions to the places and Temples of the Apostles, but making no long stay there, he went to Rheimes in France, where fixing his station in the English Coll. became publick Professor, and one of the Divinity-Readers there. He was a most excellent Linguist, exactly read and vers’d in the Sacred Scriptures, and went beyond all of his time in humane literature, whether in Poetry or Prose. As for those things he hath written, they have been, and are, taken into the hands of Men of his profession, but all that I have seen of them, are only these.

A treatise of Schisme, shewing that all Catholicks ought in any wise to abstaine altogether from heretical Conventicles, viz. their Prayers, Sermons, &c. Doway 1578. oct.

A discovery of the manifold corruptions of the Holy Scripture by the Hereticks of our days, especially the English Sectaries, and of their foul dealing herein by partial and false translations, &c. Rhemes, 1582. oct. Answered in a book intituled, A defence of the sincere and true translations of the Holy Scriptures into the English tongue, &c. Lond. 1583. oct. Written by Will. Fulke D. D. Master of Pembroke hall in Cambridge.

Treatise of Christian Peregrination and relicks—Printed 1583. oct.

Epistles to certain of his friends—The last of which (which is the largest) dat. 15. Oct. 1575. was written to Dr. Tho. Whyte then lately Warden of New Coll. touching his following the world, and dissembling in Religion against his conscience and knowledge.

Of the love of the soul, with questions to the Protestants—Printed at Roan in Normandy. He hath also written other books which remain in MS. in several Libraries beyond the Sea, as I conceive, treating of Divinity, In the Year 1584 was set forth a certain book which one (*)(*) Gul. Camden in Annal. sub. an. 1584. calls a horrid piece of Popish malice against Queen Elizab. wherein her Gentlewomen were exhorted to act the like against the Queen, as Judith had done with applause and commendations against Holofernes. The Author was never discovered, but the suspicion lighted upon Gregory Martin, (one very learned in the Greek and Lat. tongues) as my Author before quoted saith, but how he could be Author, having been dead two years before that time, I cannot say. He also was the chief Man that translated the New Testament; printed at Rhemes 1582, for which work his name remains precious to this day among those of his party. He also made other translations, which are preserved in MS. in certain Libraries, among which is the Tragedy of Cyrus King of Persia, which is, as some say, in the Library of St. Johns Coll. in Oxon. See the titles of other books, which are remembred by one (o)(o) [•] o. Priseus in lib. De illustr. Angl. script. aet. 16. nu. 1031. that knew him, while I in the mean time tell you, that our Author dying 28. 1582 Octob. in Fifteen hundred eighty and two, was buried in the Parish Church of St. Stephen at Rheimes There is an Epitaph over his grave comprehended in 16 verses, the two first of which are these.

Quem tulit umbrosis tenerum Southsaxia sylvis, Gallica qua spectat regna Britannus ager.

The rest I shall now omit for brevity sake and proceed to the next in order, who was a Romanist also.