Richard Whyte

, or Vitus as he writes himself, the Son of Henry (†)(†) The said Hon. Whyte died in the Siege of Bulloigne, an. 1544. Whyte of Basingstoke in Hampshire, (by Agnes his Wife, Daughter of Rich. Capelin of Hampshire,) the Son of Tho. Whyte, the Son of Jenkin (sometimes called John) Whyte, (who had almost half the Town of Basingstoke in his own possession,) the Son of Tho. Whyte of Purvyle in Hampshire, (which Thomas was Gr. Grandfather to John Whyte sometime Bishop of Winton.) was born in the Town of Basingstoke before-mentioned, trained up in Grammar learning in Wykehams School, admitted perpetual Fellow of New coll. in 1557. took one degree in Arts, but before he had that of Master conferred on him, he absented himself from his college, and the time limited for his absence being spent, his place was pronounced void in 1564. A little before that time he went to Lovaine, and afterwards to Padua in Italy, where applying his Muse to the study of the Civil and Canon Law, became Doctor of them. At length going to Doway he was constituted the King’s Professor of those Laws, (in which place he continued above 20 years,) married two rich Wives, (of which one was an Inheretrix) grew wealthy, was made by order of the Pope Magnificus Rector, tho out of his ordinary turn, and about the same time was created Comes Palatinus. Which title is commonly conferred by the Imperials on their Professors. At length having buried two Wives, he was by the dispensation of P. Clem. 8. made a Priest, and about the same time had a Canonry in St. Peters Church in Doway bestowed on him. The first thing that made him known to curious Scholars, was his exposition of an ancient enigmatical Epitaph, which was in his time remaining near to Bononia, the title of which is,

Aelia Laelia Crispis.—Epitaphium antiquum in agro Bononiensi adhuc videtur; à diversis hactenus interpretatum variè: novissimè autem a Ric. Vito Basingstochio, amicorum precibus explicatum. Patav. 1568. in 6 sh. and a half in qu. dedicated to Christop. Johnson chief Master of Winchester School. Afterwards he wrote and published,

Orationes quinque, de circulo artium & Philosophia—De eloquentia & Cicerone.—Pro divitiis Regum,—Pro doctoratu,—De studiorum sinibus, cum notis. Attrebat. 1596. oct. The two first, which were spoken at Lovaine, were published by Christoph. Johnson before-mentioned, about 1564. and commanded by him to be read publickly in the said School near Winton. by the Scholars.

Notae ad leges Decem-virorum in xii. tabulis. Attrebat. 1597. oct.

Historiarum Brittanniae libri, 1. Ab origine ad Brutum. 2. Ab illo ad Malmutium. 3. Ab hoc ad Heliam. 4. Ab isto ad Lucium. 5. Ab eo ad Constantium, cum notis antiquitatum Britannicarum. Attreb. 1597. oct.

Historiarum Britanniae liber sextus. Quo vis armorum in campis, & authoritas literarum in Scholis, atque religio Christiana in orbe terrarum publicata, demonstratur: cum notis. Duac. 1598. oct.

Histor. Britan. lib. 7. Quo versus ad eam insulam Saxenicam ingressus, & permansio declaratio; cum notis. Duac. 1600. oct.

Hist. Brit. lib. 8. Quo vera causa excidii, regni Britonum in insula demonstratur; cum notis. Duac. 1600. oct.

Hist. Brit. lib. nonus. Quo fundamenta regni & Ecclesiae Anglorum in insulâ Brit. exponuntur, cum notis. Duac. 1602. oct. After this last was published, all the nine books were bound together, and had this general title put to them. Historiarum Britannicae Insulae ab origine mundi ad annum Domine octingentesimum, libri novem priores. Duac. 1602. in a thick oct. Before the Preface to the Reader is the author’s picture, and before the beginning of the work it self, are his arms, viz. Parted per chevron embatled arg. and gul, three rases, leaved vert, counter-changed of the field, on a chief of the second, a Lyon passant, or; all within a bordure Ermine. The creast is, A Stork or Crane standing, resting its right foot on the top of an hour-glass. With this Motto under all [•] , Plus vigila. Allowed to our author Count Rich. Whyte, with two Dragons for the Supporters, by Sir Will. Dethick, Garter, principal King of Arms, in allusion to the Arms of his Kinsman, Dr. John Whyte sometimes Bishop of Winton, whose Arms are quite different from those of his Brother, Sir Joh. Whyte Lord Mayor of London, an 1563.

Explicatio brevis privilegiorum juris & consuetudinis circa ven. sacramentum Eucharistiae. Duac. 1609. oct.

De reliquiis & veneratione sanctorum. Duac. 1609. and other things as you may elsewhere (†)(†) In Jo. Pits. De illustr. Angl. Script. aet. 17. nu. 1057. see. At length this learned person dying at Doway, 16 [•] 2. in sixteen hundred and twelve or thereabouts, was buried in the Parish Church of S. James there. Contemporary with him in New coll. was one Will. Pomerell Chaplain of that house, who taking the degree of Bach. of Arts in 1557. went afterwards to his native Country of Ireland and became benefited in Drogheda. From thence he went to Lovaine, where by continual hearing of Lectures and Disputations, more than by private study he obtained great knowledge in Divinity, gaining thereby (as ’twas usually said of him) all his learning b [•] hearsay. He died at Lovaine in 1573. being then Bach. of Div.