John Pits

, or Pitsous as he writes himself, a grand zealot for the Ro. Cath. cause, Son of Hen. Pits by Elizabeth his Wife, sister to Dr. Nich. Saunders, was bron at a market Town called Aulton in Hampshire, educated in juvenile learning in Wykeham’s School near to Winton, admitted Probationer-fellow of New coll. in 1578. being then about 18. years of age, but leaving that house before he was admitted perpetual Fellow, which was to be in 1580. he went beyond the Seas as a voluntary Exile, and going to Doway was kindly received there by the learned Tho. Stapleton, who then gave him advice what course to take relating to his studies. Thence he went to Rheimes, and after one year spent in the English college he was sent to Rome and continued in the English coll. there also in the zealous prosecution of the studies of Philosopy and Divinity for seven years, and was made a Priest. Thence he returned to Rheimes where he taught Rhetorick and Greek for two years. But troubles arising in France, he withdrew himself into Loraine, and took the degree of Master of Arts (which before he had neglected) at Pont-a-musson, and was soon after made Bach. of Divinity. Thence taking a journy into High Germany, he continued at Trier an year and an half, where after he had performed certain exercise, he was made a Licentiat of Divinity. Thence, after he had seen several of the best Cities in Germany, he removed to Ingolstadt in Bavaria; where remaining 3 years, did in that time, after he had performed solemn disputations, take the degree of Doctor of his faculty. So that by that time having viewed several parts of Italy and Germany and had learned their Languages, he returned to Loraine; where, by Charles Cardinal of Loraine he was made Canon of Verdun. After two years spent there, he was called thence by the illustrious Princess Antonia, Daughter to the Duke of Loraine and Wife to the D. of Cleve, and was by her made her Confessor. And that he might be the better serviceable to her, he learned the French Tongue most accurately; so that it was usual with him afterwards to preach in that Language. In her service continuing about 12 years, he had leisure to turn over the Histories of England, whether Ecclesiastick or Republick. Whence making several collections and observations, he wrote and digested four great Volumes. One was of the Kings, another of the Bishops, a third of Apostolical, and a fourth of illustrious and learned, men of this Nation. At 12 years end the said Dutchess dying, he went a third time into Loraine, where by the favour of John Bishop of Toul sometimes his Scholar, he was promoted to the Deanery of Liverdune of considerable value; which, with a Canonry, and an Officialship of the said Church, he kept to his dying day. He hath written,

De legibus, Tract. Th [•] ologicus. Trev. 1592.

De beatitudine; Tr. Th. Ingols. 1595.

De Peregrinatiene, lib. 7. Dusseld. 1604. in tw. dedicated to Antonia Dutchess of Cleve.

Relationem Historicarum de Rebus Anglicis, tom. 1. quatuor partes complectens, &c. Par. 1619. in a thick qu. published by Dr. Will. Bishop, of whom I shall speak elsewhere. This book is the same with that De illustribus Angliae Scriptoribus, commonly called Pitseus de Scriptoribus. And hath in the beginning of it certain prolegomina, containing (1) De laudibus Historiae. (2) De antiquitate Ecclesiae Britanniae. (3) De Academiis, tam antiquis Britonam, quam recentioribus Anglorum. This is the first part. The second part containeth the lives and characters of English Writers. The third containeth an Appendix, of which I shall speak more anon; and the fourth, fifteen indices, which are, as ’twere, the Epitomy of memorable things of the said first tome. Concerning which, I shall make these observations following. (1) That according to the time wherein ’twas written, things are expressed in eloquent Latine. (2) That the most part thereof, especially concerning the Writers is taken from Joh. Bale’s book De Scriptoribus majoris Britanniae, notwithstanding he declares (c)(c) In prima parte Relat. Historic. p. 53: 54. &c. an abhorrence of him and his book. (2) That therein he omitts Wycleve and all the Wyclevists, Irish, and Scotch Writers, which Bale for the most part commemorates; and in their room he gives us an account of R. Cath. Writers, such for the most part, that had left their Country upon the reformation of religion made by Q. Elizabeth, and after, which is the best and most desired part of his book. (3) That several Writers in the Appendix, are taken from a book entit. Ecclogua Oxonio—Cantabrigensis, written by Tho. James of New coll. Of which book also he makes use, when he tells you in what Libraries the MSS. of certain authors, which he mentions, are preserved. (4) That tho he pretends to give you an account only of R. Cath. Writers, especially about the time that reformations were made, or endeavoured to be made, yet he sets down (for want of full information I presume) some that were sincere Protestants, or at least more Protestants than Papists, as Sir Anth. Cope who died 1551. Joh. Redman who died the same year. Tho. Key or Cay Master of Vniv. coll. who died 1572. Joh. Leland the Antiquary, Rob. Record Mathematician, Dr. Alb. Hyll an intimate acquaintance with Jo. Bradford the Martyr, Joh. Cay the Antiquary of Cambridge, Pet. Morwyn or Morwyng of Magd. coll. &c. and in the Appendix George Coriat, rather a Puritan, than a true Son of the Church of England, Robert (for Roger) Taverner, whom I have mention’d in Rich. Taverner, an. 1575. Timothy Bright of Cambridge Doct. of Physick, and Rector of Methley in Yorkshire, by the death of Otho Hunt, in July 1591. Tho. Mouffet. a Doctor of Physick contemporary with the former, Joh. Huntington a zealous reformer and the beloved Son in Christ of Joh. Bale. See among the Writers under the year 1556. &c. (5) That whereas he pretends to follow Jo. Leland his Collectanea de Scriptoribus Angliae, (for very many times he familiarly mentions and quotes them,) ’tis only that he may avoid the naming of Bale, for whom all R. Catholicks, nay zealous Protestants have little or no kindness at all, because his book is stuff’d with revilings and such Language that befits rather a Huckster at Billingsgate, than the meanest or worst of Scholars. The truth is our author Pits never saw the said Collectanea, he being but 20 years of age, or little more, when he left the Nation, neither was it in his power afterwards, if he had been in England, because they were kept in such private hands, that few Protestant Antiquaries, and none of those of the Church of Rome, could see or peruse them. (6) That in the said tome are very many errors, misnomers, &c. and so consequently in Bale, whom he follows, too many now to reckon; and how he and Bale are most egregiously deceiv’d in what they mention of Amphibalus (d)(d) Vide Pits nu. 56. nu. 59. Junior, and of Gildas Badonicus you may at large see in the learned Usserius, in his book De primordiis Ecclesiarum, &c. printed in qu. an. 1639. p. 539. 533, 477. 539, 557. and 1144. (7) That whereas Pits pretends to set down in the said book or tome, only English Writers, he hath mix’d among them some that are out landish; among which are these. Herbertus Losinga, num. 182. born, as he saith, in Suffolke, but false, for the MS. which I follow in my marginal notes and additions of, and to, the Bishops of Norwich, mentioned by Franc. Bishop of Landaff in his book De Praesulibus Angliae Commentarius, saith that he was born in Pago Oxinnensi, or Oximensi in Normannia.—Jo. Erigena, nu. 133. said by him, and many others to be born in the City of S. David in Wales, but the generality say in Ireland. &c. At the end of the book of illustrious Writers, our author Pits hath,

Appendix illustrium scriptorum trecentorum octoginta circiter, ordine alphabetico per centurias continens. Made up mostly from Bale, and partly from Dr. Tho. James his Ecloga before-mentioned. But therein are many authors put, which are before in the work it self, De script. illust. Angliae, as (1) Godfridus Historicus, cent. 2. num. 94. p. 844. is the same with Godfridus Arturius, or de Monmouth, in the body of the work, nu. 212. (2) Gualt. Cepton, cent. 2. nu. 4. p. 846. the same with Walter Catton in the body, nu. 550. (3) Guliel. Califord, cent. 2. nu. 18. p. 851. is the same with Gul. Cockisford, nu. 653. (4) Guliel. de Dunclmo cent. 2. nu. 27. is the same with Gul. Shirwood in the body of the work, nu. 348. (5) Gul. Worcestrius, c. 2. nu. 53. the same with Gul. Buttonerus in the work it self, nu. 848. p. 648. (6) Joh. Anglicus, cent. 2. nu. 78. seems to be the same with Joh. Hoveden, nu. 396. P. 356. (7) Joh. de Alton, cent. 2. nu. 94. seems to be the same with Joh. Acton, nu. 416. p. 372. (8) Joh. Yorcus, cent. 3. nu. 10. is the same with Joh. Eboracensis in the same Appendix, p. 874. nu. 1. (9) Joh. Vton, cent. 3. nu. 35. is the same with Joh. Stone in the body of the work, nu. 862. p. 657. (10) Rich. de Montibus, cent. 3. nu. 80. seems to be the same with Will. de Montibus, nu. 302. p. 285. (11) Rich. Ruys, c. 3. nu. 92. the same with Rich. Rufus, nu. 380. p. 348. (12) Rob. Bridlington, c. 3. nu. 100. the same with Rob. Scriba, nu. 244. P. 242. (13) Rob. Cestrensis c. 4. nu. 2. the same with Rog. Cestrensis, nu. 514. p. 438. (14) Miserorum Simplissimus, c. 3. nu. 52. seems to be the same with Joh. Wethamstede, nu. 818. P. 630. (15) Rob. Dominicanus, c. 4. nu. 8. the same with Rob. Holcot, nu. 333. p. 463. (16) Rob. Herefordiensis, c. 4. nu. 11. the same with Rob. Foliot B. of Hereford. nu. 236. p. 236. (17) Robertus Prior, c. 4. nu. 13. is the same with Rob. Canutus, nu. 234. p. 234. Which R. Canutus also is supposed to be the same with Rich. Greekladensis, p. 397. nu. 448. and that Rich. to be the same with Rob. Greekladensis, mentioned by Leland in vol. 3. collect. p. 36. where ’tis said that the said Rob. wrote 40 Homilies, and a Tract De connubio Jacob, which makes me think that the said Robert Prior, may be the same with the said Rob. Greeklade, and the same R. Greeklade to be the same with Rob. Canutus. (18) Rog. Junius, c. 4. nu. 23. seems to be the same with Rog. Herefordiensis, nu. 238. p. 237. See more fully in Hist. & Antiq. Vniv. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 53. (19) Roger Varro, c. 4. nu. 27. seems to be the same with Gul. de Waria, nu. 384. p. 349. (20) Simon Dominicanus, c. 4. nu. 35. is the same with Sim. Henton, nu. 591. p. 486. (21) Steph. Anglicus, cent. 4. nu. 38. seems to be the same with Steph. Langton, nu. 326. p. 302. (22) Tho. Wicket, c. 4. nu. 68. the same with Tho. Wiccius, nu. 425. p. 379, (23) Anonymus alter, c. 1. nu. 20. the same with Rich. Canonicus, nu. 283. p. 267. &c. And as our author Pits hath repeated many writers in the said Appendix, which were before in the work it self, so hath he mixed a great many outlandish writers among them, supposing them to be English, among whom are, (1) Alacenus, cent. 1. nu. 8. who was an Arabian, as from his works may be gathered. (2) Anonymus Sacerdos, c. 1. nu. 26. who hath written, In Apocalypsim S. Johannis. lib. 8. Which book divers writers do attribute to Peter Scaliger Bishop of Verona. (3) Joh. de Muriis, c. 2. nu. 97. Who was a French man of Paris. (4) Joh. Major, c. 3. nu. 15. he was a Scot born. (5) Joh. Mearus, c. 3. nu. 18. whom I take to be Joh. de Meara an Irish man. (6) Guido Folla Episc. Eliensis, c. 2. nu. 13. He is the same with Guido Elnensis in Majorica, who sometimes writes himself Guido Perpinian Elnensis. No Guido Folla was ever Bish. of Ely. (7) Gilla Lincolniensis, c. 2. nu. 93. He was an Irish Man, was Bishop of Limerick, and died about 1139. (8) Anton. Pacinus, c. 1. nu. 28. he was an Italian. &c. At length after our author Jo. Pits had spent most of his time in rambling, and but little at Liverdune, he gave way to fate there, on the 17. Octob. according to the accompt there followed, in sixteen hundred and sixteen, 1616 whereupon his body was buried in the collegiate Ch. at that place, and had soon after this inscription put over his grave: Hic jacet D. Pittz, quondam Decanus, Officialis, & Canonicus hujus Ecclesiae, Doctor SS. Theologiae, qui decessit ex hâc vita 17. Oct. an. 1616. As for the other volumes, which our author saith he hath written, viz. a vol. of the Kings, another of the Bishops, and a third of Apostolical men, of England; they were not buried with him, as he desired, in case he should not live to finish them, but were saved, and are to this day preserved as rarities in the Archives of the Coll. or Church at Liverdune. One of the said volumes, if not more, were used and quoted by Edward Maihew a Benedictine Monk, sometimes Scholar to our author Pitscus, in a book which he published at Rheimes, an. 1619. intit. Congregationis Anglicanae Ordinis S. Benedicti Trophaea. Which Maihew was a Salisbury Man born, and a professed Monk of the Congregation at Cassino, called by the French Mount-Cassin, about 48 miles distant from Naples. The other book of Bishops, which our author wrote, and often refers to, in his book De scriptoribus, is chiefly a collection taken from the Catalogue of the Bishops of England, published by Francis Godwin Sub-Dean of Exeter, an. 1601. as I have been informed by one that hath seen and perused the book.