his fellow-sufferer, bishop Fischer, were held by their countrymen, is further evinced by the following anecdote: When they were both confined in the Tower, for their refusal to swear to the supremacy, Rich, the solicitorgeneral, was sent to each in succession, to induce them, if possible, to abandon their scruples. They both persisted in denying the king's supremacy, and the illegality of his marriage with the queen Catherine; though they conceded so far as to agree to swear allegiance to the king, and to the succession. Archbishop Cranmer proposed accepting these concessions, without troubling them on the other points: "for (says he in his letter to Cromwell on this occasion,) if they once swear to the succession, it will quiet the kingdom: for they acknowledging it, all other persons will acquiesce and submit to their judgment." But the vindictive temper of the king never pardoned those who ventured to oppose his arbitrary will.

Another anecdote will serve to prove his uncommon ardour in literary pursuits, and the high value he in consequence set upon his time.-Sir Thomas was possessed of great conversational powers, blended with that de

lightful flow of feeling which never fails to warm and attach the heart. Henry VIII. was delighted with his company, and often sent for him; but these marks of royal favour, which, to an ordinary mind would have been the most flattering and valued tokens of regard, were not relished by More, who considered every moment thus spent as an encroachment upon his more important occupations. To get rid of the evil, therefore, he resorted to the singular expedient of appearing extremely dull in conversation for several successive times. The stratagem succeeded, and he was sent for no more. He thus sacrificed the reputation of a wit, to save his time.

Sir Thomas More is justly regarded as one of the chief revivers of classical literature in England. He both wrote and spoke Latin with almost the correctness and fluency of an ancient Roman; and with all his theological errors, he taught that erudition which civilized his country. He is scarcely less conspicuous as an improver of his native tongue. His language is more studied, more appropriate and correct-is more the phraseology of a man of learning and sense, than any specimen which preceded him. From his pro

ficiency in the Greek and Latin, he was enabled to transfuse into his vernacular dialect, many of the excellencies which characterise those admirable languages; and his style abounds with inversions and other peculiarities of classical diction. His English works were considered as standards of style as low down as the reign of James I.

LELAND.

JOHN LELAND, the father of English antiquaries, was born in London, and educated at St. Paul's school, under William Lilly, the celebrated grammarian. At the customary age he entered at Christ's College, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow. He subsequently removed to All-souls, Oxford. After a residence of several years in that college, during which he paid particular attention to Grecian literature, he visited Paris, perfected himself in the Latin and Greek by his intercourse with Budæus, Faber, Paulus Emilius, Ruellius, and Francis Sylvius; and before his return became acquainted with the French, Italian, and Spanish languages. To these he subsequently added the Welch and Saxon.

On his taking orders, Henry VIII. made him one of his chaplains, gave him the rectory of

Popeling, in the marches of Calais, appointed him his library-keeper, and conferred on him the title of his antiquary. He thus became the first, and he was also the last antiquaryroyal, in England. In this character, his majesty, in 1533, granted him a commission under the great seal, to investigate the antiquities of England; and with this view, to search the libraries of all cathedrals, abbeys, priories, colleges, and other repositaries of the records of antiquity. In this anti-, quarian research, he spent above six years, observing with particular care all the tumuli, coins, inscriptions, &c. which he met with, and directing his footsteps, with curious vigilance, to all the remains of Roman, Saxon, or Danish buildings; visiting likewise all the sea-coasts, as well as midland parts of the country.

Prior to Leland, all the literary monuments of antiquity, were totally disregarded, and students from Germany, apprised of this culpable indifference, were suffered to enter our libraries unmolested, and to cut out of the books reposited there, whatever passages they thought proper; which they afterwards published as relics of the ancient literature of their own