George Sandys

a younger son of Edwin Archb. of York, was born at Bishops Thorpe in that County, and as a member of S. Maries Hall was matriculated in the University in the beginning of Dec. 1589, and in that of his age eleven, at which time Henry his elder brother was remitted into the said Matricula, but both, as I conceive, received their tuition in Corp. Ch. Coll. How long George tarried there, or whether he took a degree, it appears not. In the month of Aug. 1610 he began a long journey, and after he had travelled thro several parts of Europe, visited divers Cities (particularly Constantinople) and Countries under the Turkish Empire, as Greece, Egypt, and the Holy Land. Afterwards he made a view of the remote parts of Italy, and the Islands adjoyning. That being done he went to Rome, the Antiquities and Glories of which place were in four days time shew’d unto him by Nich. Fitzherbert sometimes an Oxford student, who, as I have before told you, ended his days in 1612. Thence our Author went to Venice (from whence he first set out) and so to England. Where digesting his notes, and enterlarding them with various parts of Poetry, according to the fashion of that time, published them in English under this title.

Sandys Travailes &c. in four books. Lond. 1615. 1621. 27. 32. 52. 58. 70. 73. &c. all in folio, and illustrated with several Maps and Figures, except the first edit. The said Travailes are contracted in the second part of Sam. Parchas his books of Pilgrims, lib. 8. The Author upon his return in 1612 or after, being improved in several respects by this his large journey, he became an accomplish’d Gent. as being Master of several Languages, of a fluent and ready discourse and excellent Comportment. He had also naturally a poetical fancy, and a zealous inclination to all humane learning, which made his company desir’d, and acceptable to most vertuous men and Scholars of his time. He also wrot and published,

A paraphrase on the Psalms of David, and upon the Hymns dispersed throughout the Old and New Testam. Lond. 1636. oct. reprinted there in fol. 1638, with other matters following under this title.

Paraphrase upon the divine Poems, which contain a paraphrase on Job, Psalmes of David, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations of Jeremiah, and songs collected out of the Old and New Test.—The said Paraphrase on Davids Psalmes was one of the books that K Ch. 1. delighted to read in, as he did in G. Herberts Divine poems, Dr. Hammonds Works, Hookers Ecclesiast. policy, &c. while he was a Prisoner in Carisbroke Castle in the Isle of Wight.

Paraphrase on the divine Poems, viz. on the Psalmes of David, on Ecclesiastes, and on the Song of Solomon. Lond. 1676. oct. Some, if not all, of the said Ps. of David, had vocal Compositions set to them by the incomparable Hen. and Will. Lawes, with a thorough bass for an Organ, in 4 large books or volumes, in qu. He the said G. Sandys translated also into English (1) The first five books of Ovids Metamorphosis. Lond. 1627. 32. 40. fol. methodized and expressed in figures. (2) Virgils first book of Aeneis. printed with the former. (3) Tragedy of Christs passion. Lond. 1640. written in lat. by Hug. Grotius; to which Trag. Sandys put also notes. What other things he hath written and translated, I know not, nor any thing else of him only that he being then, or lately one of the Gent. of the privy Chamber to K. Ch. 1. gave way to fate in the house of his neice the Lady Margaret Wyat (dau. of Sir Sam. Sandys and widdow of Sir Francis Wyat Kt. Grandson to Sir Tho. Wyat beheaded in Qu. Maries Reign) called Boxley abbey in Kent, in the beginning of March in sixteen hundred forty and three, and was buried in the Chancel of the parish Church there,1643/4. near to the door, on the south side, but hath no remembrance at all over his grave, nor any thing at that place, only this which stands in the common Register belonging to the said Church. Georgius Sandys Poetarum Anglorum sui saeculi facile princeps, sepultus fuit Martii 7. stilo Anglic. an. dom. 1643. One Tho. Philpot M. A. of Clare Hall in Cambr. hath in his Poems printed at Lond. 1646. in oct. a copy of verses, not to be contemn’d, on his death. I find another George Sandys, contemporary with the former and a Knight, who having committed felony, was executed (at Tybourne as it seems) on the fourth of March 1617.