Richard Stanyhurst

, Son of James Stanyhurst Esq was born within the City of Dublin in Ireland, (of which City his Father was then Recorder,) educated in Grammar learning under Peter Whyte, mentioned under the year 1590. became a Commoner of Vniversity coll. in 1563. where improving those rare natural parts that he was endowed with, wrote Comment arises on Porphyry at two years standing, being then 18 years of age, to the great admiration of learned men and others. After he had taken one degree in Arts, he left the College, retired to London, became first a Student in Furnivals Inn, and afterwards in that of Lincoln, where spending some time in the study of the Common Law, he afterwards went into the Country of his Nativity for a time. But his mind there changing, as to his Religion, he went beyond the Seas, (being then a Married Man,) and in the Low Countries, France, and other Nations, he became famous for his learning, noted to Princes, and more especially to the Archduke of Austria, who made him his Chaplain, (his Wife being then dead,) and allowed him a plentiful Salary. He was accounted by many (especially by those of his Perswasion) an excellent Theologist, Grecian, Philosopher, Historian, and Orator. Camden stiles (a)(a) In Hibernia, in corn. West-Meath. him, Eruditissimus ille Nobilis Rich. Stanihurstus; and others of his time say, that he was so rare a Poet, that he, and Gabr. Harvey, were the best for Iambicks in their age. He hath written and transmitted to Posterity,

Harmonia, sive catena Dialectica in Porphyrianas constitutiones. Lond. 1570. fol. Which book being communicated to Eam. Campian of St. Johns coll. before it went to the Press, he gave this character (b)(b) In Epist. sais, edit. Ingoldst. 1602. p. 50. of the author, Mirificè laetatus sum, esse adolescentem in Acad. nostra, tali familia, eruditione, probitate; cujus extrema pueritia cum multis laudabili maturitate viris certare possit.

De rebus in Hibernia gestis. lib. 4. Antw. 1584. qu. Dedicated to his Brother P. Plunket Baron of Dunsany.

Rerum Hibernicarum appendix, ex Silvestro Giraldo Cambrensi collecta, cum annotationibus adjectis.—Printed with De rebus in Hib. &c.

Descriptio Hiberniae. Translated into English, and put into the first vol. of Raphael Holinsheds books of Chronicles. Lond. 1586. fol.

De vita S. Patricii Hyberniae Apostoli. lib. 2. Antw. 1587.

Hebdomada Mariana, ex Orthodoxis Catholicae Rom Ecclesiae Patribus collecta; in memoriam 7. festorum Beatiss. Virginis Mariae, &c. Antw. 1609. oct. In the front of which book our author writes himself, Serenissimorum Principum Sacellanus, meaning Duke Albert and Isabell his Princess.

Hebdomada Eucharistica. Duac. 1614. oct.

Brevis praemunitio pro futura concertatione cum Jacobo Vsserio Hiberno Dubliensi. Duac. 1615. in about 3 sheets in oct. You must note that Dr. James Vsher’s Mother, Margaret Stanyhurst, was Sister to our author Ric. Stanyhurst; who being a zealous Romanist, and Vsher (afterwards Primate of Ireland) a zealous Protestant, passed several learned Letters between them concerning Religion, Stanyhurst endeavouring to his utmost to gain him to his Opinion; but ’tis thought, and verily believed by some that Vsher was too hard for his Uncle in controversial points relating to Divinity.

The Principles of Cath. Religion.—This I have not yet seen and therefore I cannot tell you when, or where, it was printed. He also translated into English heroical verse, The first four books of Virgils Aeneis. Lond. 1583. oct. Dedicated to Plunket before-mentioned, the learned Baron of Dunsany, at which time the translator was then living at Leyden in Holland. This translation being accounted well performed for that age, yet because the verses do not rhime, doth cause a noted (c)(c) Tho. Na [••] e in The Arclogy of Pierce Penniless. Or strange News, &c. Lond. 1593. qu. not paged. writer, and a professed Buffoon of his time, to say, that Mr. Stanyhurst (tho otherwise learned) trod a foul lumbring boistercus wallowing measures in his translation of Virgil.—He had never been praised by Gabriel Harvey for his labour, if therein he had not been so famously absurd. Our author Stanyhurst also translated into English, Certain Psalms of David (the four first) according to the observation of the Latin verses; that is without rhime; printed at the end of the translation of Virgils Aeneis before-mentioned. And at the end of the aforesaid Psalms are of his composition.

Poetical Conceits. Lond. 1583. in Latin and English, as also

Certain Epitaphs, framed as well in Lat. as English.— The first of which (in Latin) is on James Earl of Ormond and Ossory, who did at Ely house in Holbourn 18. Oct. about 1546. and was buried in the Church of St. Thomas Acres. Another on the authors Father James Stanyhurst Esq who died at Dublin 27. Dec. 1573. aged 51. &c. But as for the Epitaph of our author (which he should have made while living) none doth appear there, neither at Bruxells, (as I can yet learn,) 1618 where he died in sixteen hundred and eighteen. I find one Will. Stanyhurst, who was born in the said City of Bruxells, an. 1601. and entred into the Society of Jesus, in 1617. whom I suppose to be Son to our author R. Stanyhurst. He was a comely person, endowed with rare parts, and a writer and publisher of several things, as Nat. Southwell tells you in his (*)(*) Edit. Rom. 1675. fol. supplement to Bib. Soc. Jesu, who adds that the said Stanyhurst died in January 1665.