Robert Turner

was born at Barnstaple in Devonshire, (to which place, if I mistake not, his Father came from St. Andrews in Scotland,) and educated for a time in Exeter coll. But leaving the University without a degree, (wherein he (a)(a) In Epist. suis, nu. 78. p. 480. saith he spent his time in trifles and toys,) and afterwards his Country and Parents for Religion sake, went first into France, afterwards into Italy, and at length to Rome, where he spent some time in the Liberal Arts in the German coll. there. Afterwards being made Priest he applyed himself more severely to the study of Divinity, and in fine was made Doctor of that Faculty. This person hath several times confessed that he had been Scholar to Edm. Campian the Jesuit, but whether in St. Johns coll. or in that of the English at Rome, is yet uncertain. Sure it is, that for the great respect he had to his memory, he published not only several of his Works after his death, but also his Life. At length, after many travels, and services done for the Cause, he was made Professor of Eloquence and Ethicks in, and afterwards Rector of, the University of Ingolstade in Bavaria, and in short time after one of the Privy Council to William Duke of that place, but falling into his displeasure, he left him, and retired for a time to Paris. About an year or two after, he returned into that Country again, was made Canon of Breslaw in Silesia, and afterwards Secretary for the Latin Tongue to Ferdinando of Gratz, who had an especial esteem for him, as all others of his persuasion had. His Works are these.

Oratio & Epistola de vitae & morte D. Martini à Schamberg Episcopi Eustad. Ingol. 1590.

Funebris oratio in Principem Estensem. Antw. 1598. with other things, as one (b)(b) Job. Pits. in lib. De illustr. Angliae Script. Aet. 16. nu. 1404. who knew him well tells you, who adds, that he dyed at Gratz. in Istria 28. Nov. in fifteen hundred ninety and nine, 1599 and was buried there. I find one Rob. Turner who (among several things) wrote A description of the little World, or Body, of Man; which being printed in oct. an. 1654. must not be taken as written by the former Robert, because there is 54 years distance between them.