jected, his air gloomy, and his aspect ftern. He flept little, and was very fober. Though naturally four and morofe, he knew how to act the lover, and had miftreffes, Upon the whole, he was a wife, active, generous-fpirited minifter; ever attentive to the interefts of his master, the happiness of the people, the progress of arts and manufactures, and, in fhort, to every thing that could advance the credit and intereft of his country.

COLE (WILLIAM), was the fon of a clergyman, and born at Adderbury, in Oxfordihire, about 1626. After he had been well inftructed in grammar learning-and the claffics, he was entered, in 1642, of Merton college, in Oxford. In 1650 he took a degree in arts; after which he left the univerfity, and retired to Putney, near London; where he lived feveral years, and became the most famous fimpler, or botanift, of his time. In 1656 he published "The Art of Simpling; or, An Introduction to the Knowledge of gathering Plants; wherein the Definitions, Divifions, Places, Defcriptions, and the like, are compendiously difcourfed of :" with which was alfo printed, "Perfpicillum Microcofmologicum; or, A Profpective for the Discovery of the Leffer World: wherein Man is a Compendium, &c." And in 1657 he published, "Adam in Eden, or Nature's Paradife: wherein is contained the Hiftory of Plants, Herbs, Flowers, with their feveral original Names." At length, upon the Restoration of Charles II. in 1660, he was made fecretary to Duppa, bishop of Winchefter; in whofe fervice he died, i 1662.

COLE (HENRY), a perfon of confiderable learning in the fixteenth century, was born at Godfhill, in the Ifle of Wight, and educated in Wykeham's fchool, near Winchester. From thence he was chofen into New College, Oxon, of which he became perpetual fellow in 1523, and there ftudying the civil law, took the degree of bachelor in that faculty, March 3, 1529-30. Then he travelled into Italy, and improved himself in his ftudies at Padua, being a zealous Roman Catholic. Notwithstanding this, upon his return to England, he acknowledged king Henry VIII. to be the fupreme head of the church in England. In 1540 he took the degree of doctor of the civil law, and in the fame year refigned his fellowship, being then fettled in London, an advocate in the court of Arches, prebendary of Yatminster Secunda in the church of Sarum, and about the fame time made archdeacon of Ely. On the 11th of September, 1540, he was admitted to the rectory of Chelmsford, in Effex; and October the 5th following, collated to the prebend of Holborn, which he refigned April 19, 1541; and was the fame day collated to that of Sneating, which he voided by ceffion on or before March 22d next enfuing, was on that very day collated to the prebend of Wenlakefbarne.

Wenlakesbarne. In 1542, October the 4th, he was elected warden of New College; and in 1545, made rector of Newton Longville, in Buckinghamshire. Soon after, when king Edward VI. came to the crown, Dr. Cole outwardly embraced, and preached up the Reformation, frequented the Proteftants fervice, and communicated. with them. However, altering his mind, or being difgufted at fome of the proceedings then taken, he refigned his rectory of Chelmsford in 1547; and in 1551, his wardenship of New College; and the year following, his rectory of Newton Longville.

After Mary's acceffion to the crown, he became again zealous Roman Catholic; and in 1554 was made provost of Eton college, of which he had been fellow. The fame year, June 20, he had the degree of doctor in divinity conferred on him; and was one of the divines that difputed publicly at Oxford with archbishop Cranmer and bishop Ridley. He also preached the funeral fermon before archbishop Cranmer's execution. Moreover, he was appointed one of the commiffioners to vifit the univerfity of Cambridge, was elected dean of St. Paul's the 11th of December, 1556, made (August 8, 1557) vicar-general of the spiritualties under cardinal Pole, archbifhop of Canterbury; and the 1ft of October following, official of the Arches, and dean of the Peculiars; and in November enfuing, judge of the court of Audience. In 1558 he was appointed one of the overfeers of that cardinal's will. In the first year of queen EliZabeth's reign, he was one of the eight Catholic divines who difputed publicly at Westminster with fo many Proteftants, when that queen was about to fettle a reformation in the church of England. He diftinguished himself then, and afterwards, by his writings in favour of Popery: but that difputation, wherein Dr. Cole was fpokefman, coming to nothing, he was deprived of his deanery, fined five hundred marks, and imprisoned. He died in or near Wood-street compter, in London, in December 1579.

The famous Leland hath eternized his memory amongst other learned men of our nation. He is elsewhere called, "A perfon more earnest than wife:" but R. Afcham highly commends him for his learning and humanity..

COLES (ELISHA), author of a well-know dictionary, was born in Northamptonfhire about 1640, and in 1658 was entered of Mag-dalen college, in Oxford. He left it without taking a degree; and going to London, taught Latin there to young people, and English to foreigners, about 1663. Afterwards he became one of the ushers of Merchant Taylor's fchool; but being there guilty of a very great fault, which is not any where exprefsly mentioned, he was forced to withdraw into Ireland, whence he never returned.

He was a curious and critical perfon in the English and Latin tongues, did much good in his profeffion, and wrote feveral ufeful

and

and neceffary books for the inftruction of beginners; the titles of which are thefe: 1. The Complete English Schoolmaster, in 1674. 2. The newest, plaineft, and fhortest Short-hand, the fame year. 3. Nolens Volens; or, You fhall make Latin whether you will or no: containing the plainest Directions for that Purpose, in 1675. To which is added, 4. The youth's vifible Bible, being an alphabetical Collection from the Bible of fuch general Heads as were judged most capable of Hieroglyphics; illuftrated with twenty-four copperplates, &c. 5. An English Dictionary, explaining all the hard Words and Terms used in Arts and Sciences; with an etymological Derivation of fuch Terms from their proper Fountains, whether Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or French, or any other Language, in 1676. 6. An English-Latin and Latin-English Dictionary; containing all things neceffary for the tranflating either language into the other. To which end, many things that were erroneous are rectified, many fuperfluities retrenched, and very many defects supplied, especially in the English-Latin part, in 1677, 4to. It was reprinted in 8vo, and has undergone more than twelve editions. 7. The most natural and eafy Method of learning Latin by comparing it with the Englifh; together with the holy Hiftory of Scripture-war, or the facred Art Military, in 1677. 8. The Harmony of the Four Evangelists, in a theatrical Paraphrafe on the Hiftory of our Lord Jefus Chrift, in 1679. 9. The young Scholar's beft Companion, or Guide fromthe A B C to the Latin Grammar.

COLET (Dr. JOHN), a learned English divine, was born in the parish of St. Antholin, London, in 1466, and was the eldeft fon of Sir Henry Colet, knight, twice lord mayor, who had, besides him, twenty-one children. In 1483 he was fent to Magdalen college, in Oxford, where he spent seven years in the ftudy of logic and philofophy, and took the degrees in arts. He was perfectly acquainted with Cicero's works, and no ftranger to Plato and Plotinus, whom he read together, to the end that they might illuftrate each other's meaning. He was forced, however, to read them only in their Latin tranflations; for at fchool he had no opportunity of learning the Greek, nor at the univerfity; that language being then not only not taught, but thought unneceffary, and even difcouraged.

Colet was alfo well skilled in mathematics; fo that having thus laid a good foundation of learning at home, he travelled abroad for farther improvement, first to France, and then to Italy; and feems to have continued in thofe two countries from 1493 to 1497: but before his departure, and indeed when he was of but two years standing in the university, he was inftituted to the rectory of Denington, in Suffolk, to which he was prefented by a relation of his mother, and which he held to the day of his death. This practice of taking livings while thus under age, has generally prevailed in

the

the church of Rome; and Colet, being then an acolythe, which is one of their seven orders, was qualified for it.

Being arrived at Paris, he foon_became acquainted with the learned there, with the celebrated Budæus in particular; and was afterwards recommended to Erafmus. In Italy he contracted a friendship with feveral eminent perfons, especially with his own countrymen Grocin, Linacer, Lily, and Latymer; who were learning the Greek tongue, then but little known in England, under thofe great mafters Demetrius, Angenus Politianus, Hermolaus Barbarus, and Pomponius Sabinus. He took this opportunity of improving himself in this language; and having devoted himself to divinity, he read, while abroad, the best of the ancient fathers, particularly Origen, Cyprian, Ambrofe, and Jerome. He looked alfo into Scotus and Aquinas, ftudied the civil and canon law, made himfelf acquainted with the hiftory and conftitutión of church and state; and, for the fake of giving a polish to all this, did not neglect to read the English poets, and other authors of the belles lettres. During his abfence from England, he was made a prebendary of York, and inftalled by proxy upon March 5, 1493-4. Upon his return, in 1497, he was ordained deacon in December, and priest in July following.

In Oxford he read public lectures on St. Paul's Epiftles, without ftipend or reward; which, being a new thing, drew a vast crowd of hearers, who admired him greatly. In 1504 he commenced doctor in divinity, and in May 5, 1505, was inftituted to a prebend in St. Paul's, London. The fame year and month he was made dean of that church, without the leaft application of his own; and being raised to this high ftation, he began to reform the decayed difcipline of his cathedral.

Having a very plentiful eftate, without any near relations, for numerous as his brethren were they were all dead and buried, he refolved, in the midft of life and health, to confecrate the whole property of it to fome ftanding benefaction: and this he performed, by founding St. Paul's fchool, in London, of which he appointed William Lilly first master, in 1512. He ordained that there should be in this fchool an high master, a furmafter, and a chaplain, who should teach gratis a hundred and fifty-three children, divided into eight claffes; and he endowed it with lands and houses, amounting then to 1121. 4s. 74d. per annum, of which he made the company of merchants trultees.

He built a convenient and handsome house near Richmond palace in Surrey, to which he intended to betake himself: but death prevented him; for having been feized with the fweating fick nefs twice, and relapfing into it a third time, a confumption feized him, which carried him off Sept. 16, 1519, in his fifty-third year. He was buried in St. Paul's choir, with an humble monument prepared for

him feveral years before, and only infcribed with his bare name. Afterwards a nobler was erected to his honour by the company of mercers, which was destroyed with the cathedral in 1666. About 1680, when the church was taking down, in order to be rebuilt, his leaden coffin was found inclofed in the wall, about two feet and a half above the floor. At the top of it was a leaden plate faftened, whereon was engraved the dean's name, his dignity, benefactions, &c.

He wrote feveral things; and thofe which he published himself, or which have been publifhed fince his death, are as follow: 1. Oratio habita à Doctore Johanne Colet, decano Sancti Pauli, ad clerum Convocatione, anno 1511. 2. Paul's Accidence, 1539, 8vo. 3. The Conftruction of the Eight Parts of Speech, which, with fome alterations and great additions, makes up the fyntax in Lily's Grammar. Antwerp, 1530, 8vo. 4. Daily Devotions; or the Chrif tian's Morning and Evening Sacrifice. This is faid not to be all of his compofition. 5. Monition to a Godly Life, 1534, 1536, &c. 6. Epiftola ad Erafmum. Many of them are printed among Erafmus's Epiftles," and fome at the end of Knight's "Life of Colet." There are still remaining in MS. others of his pieces, of which the curious and inquifitive may fee an account in his life by Knight. The pieces above mentioned were found after his death in a very obfcure corner of his study, as if he had defigned they thould lie buried in oblivion; and were written in fuch a manner, as if intended to be understood by nobody but himfelf. With regard to fermons, he wrote but few; for he generally preached without

notes.

The defcriptions which are given of his perfon and character, are much to his advantage. He was a tall, comely, graceful, well-bred man; and of learning and piety uncommon. In his writings his ftyle was plain and unaffected; and for rhetoric he had rather a contempt, than a want of it. He could not bear that the standard of good writing fhould be taken from the exact rules of grammar; which he often faid, were apt to obftruct a purity of language, not to be obtained but by reading the beft authors. This contempt of grammar, though making him fometimes inaccurate, and laying him open to the critics, did not hinder him from attaining a very mafterly ftyle; fo that his preaching, though popular, and adapted to mean capacities, was agreeable to men of wit and learning, and in particular was much admired by Sir Thomas More. With regard to fome of his notions, he was an eminent forerunner of the Reformation; and he and Erafmus jointly promoted it, not only by pulling down thofe ftrong holds of ignorance and corruption, the fcholaftic divinity, and entirely routing both the Scotifts and Thomifts, who had divided the Christian world between them, but also by discovering the fhameful abuses of monafteries, and the folly and VOL. IV. danger

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