John David Rhese

, or Jo. David or Davis, was born at Lanvaethley in the Isle of Anglesey, elected Student of Ch. Ch. after he had been conversant among the Oxonians for 3 or more years, in the month of Dec. 1555. aged 21. travelled beyond the Seas before he took a degree in this University, became Doctor of Physick of Senes or Sienna in Tuscany, and publick Moderator of the School at Pistoia in that Country, whose Language there, which is Italian, he understood as well as any native. Afterwards he returned to his Country, where he practiced his Faculty with admirable success, and was held in high esteem by learned men, for his exquisite knowledge in all kind of literature, especially for Physick, Poetry, the Grammatical part of the Welsh Tongue, and curiosity in various Criticisms; yet by the generality, he being not understood, his rare parts and curious learning was in a manner buried where he lived. He hath written in the Florentine Language,

Rules for the obtaining of the Latin Tongue.— Printed at Venice: And in Latin these two books following.

De Italicae linguae pronuntiatione. Printed at Padua. Both which were, in their time, held in great repute by the Italians, and the last by Strangers that occasionally travelled into Italy.

Cambro-Britannicae Cymraecaeve linguae institutiones & rudimenta, &c, ad intelligend. Biblia sacra nuper in Cambro-Brittannicum sermonum eleganter versa. Lond. 1592. fol. Written to Sir Edw. Stradling of S. Donats Castle in Glamorganshire, a great favourer and furtherer of learning, as I have elsewhere told you. Before which book is a large Preface, written by Humph. Prichard of Bangor in North Wales, sometimes an Oxford Scholar. Our author Rhese hath also written in the British Language.

Compendium of Aristotles Metaphysicks.—MS. formerly in Jesus coll. Library. In which book the author saith that the British Language is as copious in expressing congruous terms, as the Greek, or any Language whatsoever. He hath written other excellent things, but are lost, as I have been assured by Olor Iscamus, and therefore I cannot say any thing else of him, only that he died a Rom. Cath. (as he had lived) at, or near, Brecknock, (where he mostly dwelt and practiced Physick) in the Reign of K. James 1. Scil. about sixteen hundred and nine,Clar. 1609. and that he is much celebrated by (b)(b) In lib. 1. Epigram. Stradling the Epigiammatist for his learning, while he lived, who stiles (c)(c) In lib. 1. De via & more contemnend. him Novum antiquae linguae lumen, and by Camden who calls him, (d)(d) See in the Additional collection of Letters, at the end of Dr. Jam. ushers life, printed in fol. 1686. let. 2. p. 2. Clariss. & eruditissimus linguae vir D. Johannes David. See more of him in Tho. Leyson under the year 1607.