Richard

Pace or Pacey, so many ways I find him written, was one of the lights of learning in his time, and therefore commended (k)(k) Vide Epist. Erasmi lib. 11. ep. 3. &c. by Erasmus, (who among several things that he saith of him is, that he was utriusque literaturae callentissimus) and all other Heroes of learning in that Age. When he was a Boy he became à manu Minister (as he himself (l)(l) In lib. De fructu qui ex doctrina percipitur, p. 27. saith) to Tho. Langton Bishop of Winchester, and was trained up at School, with others, at his charge: Which Bishop also perceiving him to profit in Musick above his Years (for those under his patronage did learn, if capable, that faculty also) did often express to his Attendants about him, that seeing he did overcome Musick easily, his Genie therefore was born to greater Studies. In short time after, he sent him to Padöua in Italy (which was then most flourishing in literature) to obtain, or rather advance himself in, good letters, and allowed him an yearly Pension to defray his Charges. While he was conversant with the Muses there, he was much instructed in his Studies by Cuthb. Tonstall, and Will. Latymer, whom he calls his Praeceptores; and whether he took a Degree there, I find not. After his return into England, he retired to Oxon (where, as I conceive, he had studied for some time before he travelled) and settled for a time, as ’tis supposed, in Queens Coll. (of which his Patron T. Langton had been Provost) and soon after was received into the service of Dr. (afterward Cardinal) Christopher Bambridge, who succeeded his said Patron in that Provostship, as I have elsewhere (m)(m) In Hist. & Antiq. Vniv. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 116. a. told you. From the service of the said Cardinal, he was received into the Royal Court, where his parts being soon discovered, and his accomplishments made known to the King, was by him made Secretary of State, and employed in matters of high concern. In the beginning of 1514, he was admitted Prebendary of Bugthorpe in the Church of York, in the place of Thom. Wolsey, consecrated Bishop of Linc. and on the 20. of May the same Year, he was made Archdeacon of Dorset, upon the resignation of Dr. Rob. Langton sometimes of Queens Coll. in this University. Afterwards he was sent in one or more Embassies by the King, which he performed with very great honor to himself and the English Nation. In 1519, he became Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral within the City of London, on the Death of Dr. Joh. Colet, and about that time Dean of Exeter; but whether he was ever Dean of Salisbury it appeareth not. ’Tis true that Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury doth say in the Life and Reign of King Hen. 8. (n)(n) Printed at Lond. 1649. p. 405. under the Year 1536. that Pet. Vannes then Archdeacon of Worcester, was not long before that time made co-adjutor to Rich. Pace Dean of Salisbury, being then thought commonly distracted and out of his Wits. But how that can be, I cannot find, for (1) it doth evidently appear from the Registers of that Church, that one Raymund Pade had that Deanery conferr’d upon him 19. Jan. 1522. (2) That in the said Registers no mention at all is made of R. Pace as Dean, and thirdly, that Pet. Vannes beforementioned became Dean of the said Church by virtue of the King’s Letters, on 3. Feb. 1539. in the place, as ’tis supposed, of the said Pade, at which time R. Pace had been dead 7 Years. In 1521, he being made Prebendary of Combe and Harnham in the said Church of Sarum, he shewed himself (*)(*) Lib. Epist. Univ. Oxon. FF. ep. 85. & in reg. Congreg. H. fol. 74. b. serviceable to the University of Oxon; the Members of which, would then have had him to adorn their Lycaeum with a degree, if certain customs belonging thereunto did not hinder him. Afterwards our Author Paice, who was then esteemed by all ripe in wit, learning, and eloquence, and very expert in Foreign Languages, was sent in the Kings Affairs Ambassador to Venice: which function there he so discharged, that it is hard to say, whether he procured more commendation or admiration among the Venetians, both for dexterity of his wit, and especially for the singular promptness in the Italian tongue, wherein he seemed nothing inferior, neither to Pet. Vannes here in England, the Kings Secretary for the Italian tongue, nor yet to any other, which were the best for that tongue in all Venice. For opinion and fame of learning he was so generally accepted, not only here in England with Lynacre, Grocin, Sir Tho. More and others, but also known and reported abroad in such manner, that in the great Volume of Erasmus his Epistles, he wrot almost to none so many, as he wrot to this our Author Paice. It must be now noted, that while he continued at Venice he grew much out of favour with Cardinal Wolsey, first for shewing his readiness to assist Charles Duke of Burbon with Money, while the said Cardinal (who had little or no affection for that Duke) did under hand keep back a vast summ of Money, which K. Hen. 8. had sent to the said Duke to carry on his War near Pavia, against Francis 1. K. of France, and secondly for his negligence in advancing the said Cardinals designs to succeed in the Papacy P. Adrian the 6. who died 1523. I say for these two reasons especially, he was so much inflamed against Paice, that he forthwith took such causes, that for the space almost of two Years, he had neither writing from the King or Council how he should proceed in his Affairs at Venice, nor any allowance for his diet, notwithstanding he had sent Letters for the same to England very often. Upon this, and especially upon some private intimation from his Friends at home, he took such an inward thought and conceit that his wits began to fail him. It is (n)(n) See in Jo. Fox this Book of Acts and Mon. of the Church, &c. in Hen. 8. reported that the Venetian Ambassador residing in London repaired to the Cardinal, and desired to know of him, whether he would command any thing to the English Ambassador at Venice: Whereupon he made answer Paceus decepit Regem. Which words coming to Paice’s knowledge, so deeply pierc’d his stomach, that he in a manner fell quite besides himself. Soon after his frensie, and the reason thereof, being made known to the King, he was forthwith sent for home, and by the Kings command he was so carefully attended by his Physicians, that in short time he came to his wits again, and began to study the Hebrew Language with Rob. Wakfeld. About that time the Cardinal being absent, Paice’s Friends found such means, that he was brought to the King then residing at Richmond, where they had private discourse for two hours or more, not without great rejoycing to His Majesty, to see him so well amended in his senses. Afterwards the Cardinal hearing what had passed, and suspecting that he had disclosed somewhat to the King, which he would not have known, as also doubting the King would take Paice into favour again, began in short time after to quarrel, and to pick up matters to lay to Paice’s charge; whereas he should have rather cleared himself of those things, which Paice laid unto him before the King, and then to have proceeded accordingly. But so it was, that when the King had willed the Cardinal to purge himself of those things, which Paice had rightly charged him withal, he sitting in judgment with the Duke of Norfolk, and other States of the Realm, not as a Defendant, but as a Judge in his own cause, did so bear out himself, and weighed down Paice, that he was forthwith commanded to the Tower of London as Prisoner; where he continuing for the space of two Years or thereabouts, was at length by the Kings command discharged. While he was in his disconsolate condition, he was so deeply sensible of his case, that he was more distracted in his wits than before, and so continued to his dying day, tho now and then, which was rarely, he would discourse very rationally. Some time before his Death, he resign’d up his Deaneries, viz. that of St. Paul, and that of Exeter, in the first of which succeeded, if I am not mistaken, Dr. Rich. Sampson, who was afterwards B. of Lichfield and Coventry, and in the other Reginald Pole. The Books which this our eminent Author hath written and translated are many, some of which, not all, follow.

De fructu qui ex doctrina percipitur liber. Basil. 1517. qu. dedicated to Dr. Jo. Colet Dean of Pauls. It was written by the Author at Constance, while he remained Ambassador in Helvetia. But therein inveighing much (as ’tis observed by (o)(o) Baleus & Pitseus, &c. some) against drunkenness, as a great obstacle to the obtaining of knowledge, the Drunkards of Constance were so sensible of it, that they made a sharp answer to his Book, apologizing for themselves, and their customs in drinking.

Oratio de pace nuperrime composita & faedore percusso, inter Henricum Angliae regem, & Francorum reg. Christianiss. in aede Pauli Lond. habita. Lond. 1518. qu.

Epistolae ad Edw. Leeum Ep. ad Erasmum Rot. Lond. 1520. qu.

These Epistles are in a Book entit. Epistolae aliquot eruditorum virorum, &c. mentioned in Edw. Lee under the Year 1544.

Praefatio in Ecclesiasticen recognitum ad Hebraicam veritatem, & collatum cum translatione lxx Interpretum & manifesta explicatione causarum erroris ubicunque incidit. where printed or when, ’tis not expressed. In the writing of this piece, which is printed in quarto, he was assisted by Rob. Wakfeld.

Exemplum literarum ad Regem Hen. 8. an. 1526. See in the said Wakfelds Book entit. Syntagma de Hebraeorum codicum incorruptione. He also wrot a Book against the unlawfulness of the Kings Marriage with Catherine, the Wife of his Brother Prince Arthur, in 1527. in which Book he was also assisted by Wakfeld. Other things are mention’d by Baleus and Pitseus very tritely, and with little satisfaction to the Reader, (as they do all or most of the titles of Books belonging to the Writers, that they set down in their respective works) but such I have not yet seen. He hath also made several translations, among which is that from English into Latin of the Sermon of John Fisher B. of Rochester, which he Preached at London, on that day when the Writings of Martin Luther were publickly burnt, on Joh. 15. 26.—Printed, at Cambr. in Feb. 1521. qu. Before which is a large Epistle to the Reader, written by one Nich. Wilson of the University of Cambridge. He also made a translation from Greek into Latin of Plutarch’s work De commodo ex inimicis capiendo; dedicated to Card. Bainbridge. At length this most excellent Person, who was admirably well vers’d in the Greek and Hebrew Tongues, in all kind of polite literature, and in civil Affairs, retiring to Stepney near London for healths sake, concluded his last day there, to the great reluctancy of all learned Men, 1532 in Fifteen hundred thirty and two, being then scarce 50 Years of Age: Whereupon his body was buried in the Chancel of the Church there, near to the great Altar, and had soon after an Epitaph put over his Grave, consisting of 12 Verses, which for brevity sake, I shall now pass by, as also that admirable and just encomium (p)(p) In Principum ac illustrium aliquot & eruditorum in Anglia virorum encomiis.—Lond. 1589. p. 25. which Jo. Leland his Friend made on his return from Venice. I find one John Pace, who, from Eaton School, was elected Scholar of Kings Coll. in Cambridge. 1539. or thereabouts, went away Fellow, became Jester to K. Hen. 8. for a time, and afterwards to the Duke of Norfolk, but what relation he had to Rich. Paice our learned Author, who, if I mistake not, was born at, or near, Winchester, I know not.