to be truth, fhould at least respect him for his manly and vigo rous oppofition to ecclefiaftical tyranny.

The works of Wickliff were very numerous, yet he feems not to have been engaged in any large work: His pieces in general might be properly called tracts; and were the greatest part of them on different fubjects in divinity, though fome of them were on school questions, and others on fubjects of more general knowledge. Some of them were written in Latin, and others in English. But as Wickliff lived before the invention of printing, there are but few of his pieces which have been printed. Among other tracts which he published, were the following:

1. Trialogus, in four books, This is written in the form of dialogue, and was called Trialogus from the three fpeakers in it, whofe names are Alethia, or Truth; Pfeudis, or a Lye; and Phroneft, or Wisdom.

2. De religione perfectorum. 3. De ecclefia & membris. 4. De diabolo & membris. 5. De Chrifto & Antichrifto. 6. De Antichrifto & membris. 7. Sermones in epiftolas. 8. De veritate fcripturæ. 9. De dotatione ecclefiæ. 10. De ftipendiis miniftrorum. 11. De epifcoporum erroribus.

The Life of WILLIAM OF WYKEHAM.

I

T is a circumftance which we cannot reflect on without fome regret, that all the accounts of the life of this eminent prelate, and munificent patron of literature, are involved in much darkness and obfcurity; fo that although much diligence and attention have been employed to throw fome light upon bis hiftory, particularly by the learned Dr. Lowth, we are still almost entirely deftitute of any fuch account of him, as would enable us to form any accurate judgment of his real character, or lead us into an acquaintance with thofe particulars of his history, which form the moft pleafing and inftructive part of biography. The number of writers were fo few, and real learning was at fo low an ebb, at the period in which this prelate lived; and the progrefs of knowledge was fo much obfructed, by the unhappy civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster, in the fucceeding age, that we are entirely in the dark with refpect to fome of the most interefting parts of the history of those times. But notwithstanding this, an hiftory of Wykeham, even fuch a one as can be collected at this remote period, will afford entertainment to the curious reader. For though little can be collected of this prelate's private life, yet he was fo much engaged, and had fo much weight in the public administration of affairs, during a great part of his long life, that an history of Wykeham muft contribute, in fome degree, to elucidate a confiderable period of the English history.

WILLIAM WYKEHAM, or, as he is more generally called, WILLIAM OF WYKEHAM, was born at Wykeham, in Hampfhire, in the year 1324, in the eighteenth year of the reign of king Edward the fecond. The general opinion is, that he took his name from the place of his birth, which was a custom very frequent in those times, when furnames were not fo appropriated to families, as to defcend regularly from father to fon, as they do at prefent. There is good reafon to believe, that the name of his father was John Longe; though it is affirmed by a very antient writer, that his grandfather's name was Wykeham. But as this point is not very clear, neither is it very material. His parents appear to have been perfons of good reputation and character, but in fuch narrow circumftances, that they were unable to give their fon a liberal education. This deficiency in

the

the circumstances of his parents, was however fupplied by fome generous patron; who maintained him at fchool at Winchester, where he was inftructed in grammatical learning, and gave early proofs of his piety and diligence. This was, probably, Nicholas Uvedale, lord of the Manor of Wykeham, and governor of Winchester castle, an officer of confiderable reputation in those days, and who is generally spoken of as Wykeham's first patron and benefactor. When he had finished his fchool education, it is faid that he was taken into his patron's family, and became his fecretary; and, indeed, the molt antient writers mention his being fecretary to the conftable of Winchester caftle. He is faid to have been afterwards recommended by Uvedale to the bishop of Winchester; and by both to have been made known to king Edward the third. Dr. Ayliffe fays, that Wykeham behaved fo well in the fervice of Uvedale, that he was likewife chofen by Edyngdon, bishop of Winchester, and at that time lord-treasurer of England, to be his fecretary alfo: And that whilft Wykeham was in this office, king Edward making some stay at Winchester on his return from Portsmouth, was fo well pleased with the beauty of Wykeham's perfon, and his majeftic air, and also receiving a great character of him from Uvedale and Edyngdon, that he engaged him in his own fervice. He further adds, that Wykeham anfwered fo pertinently to feveral political questions which the king put to him, that Edward conceived a very high idea of his merit.

It has been afferted by fome writers, that Wykeham removed from Winchester to Oxford, to profecute his ftudies, and that he continued there almoft fix years. But they appear to have had no foundation for this. On the contrary, there is great reason t› believe that he never ftudied in any univerfity. And it was for this reafon, probably, that a tradition has been handed down, that Wykeham was an illiterate perfon. It would, however, be doing him great injuftice, to fuppofe that he was really ignorant. He had, probably, acquired a confiderable degree of real knowledge, though not of that kind which was then taught in the schools. And, indeed, learning in general was in fo miferable a state at that time, and in particular in the university of Oxford, that it was, perhaps, no difadvantage to him to have been led into a different courfe of studies. The ftudents at that univerfity were at this period principally employed in certain logical contentions, which turned merely upon words; and fo far prevailed, as to divide the scholars into perpetual factions. They were divided chiefly into two parties, called the Nominalists and Realifts. The Nominalifts were followers of William Occham, ftiled the Invincible Doctor; and the Realifts of Duns Scotus, ftiled the Subtle Doctor. As thefe difputes, though in themselves very trifling and unimportant, were carried on with great acrimony, they prevented any progrefs in real learning,, and introdnced an unintelligible jargon in the ftead of it; and

9

their

their altercations were carried to fuch an height, that the ftudents often had recourfe to a very particular mode of argumentation; namely, the endeavouring to convince their antagonists by blows; for they had frequent battles, which fometimes ended in bloodshed. As by thefe means, a place which fhould have been appropriated to the ftudies of humanity and politeness, was become a scene of fcandalous barbarity and brutality of manners, and as the real knowledge which could be acquired there was fo inconfiderable, Wykeham can hardly be confidered as any great fufferer, by not having received his education there.

It was manifeftly for abilities of a very different kind from thofe commonly attained at that time in the univerfity, that Wykeham was recommended to king Edward the third. He is faid to have been brought to court, and placed there in the king's fervice, when he was about two or three and twenty years of age. What employment he had there at this time, is uncertain: The first office which he appears to have borne, was that of clerk of all the king's works, in his manors of Henle and Yelfhampfted, which was conferred on him in May, 1356. Shortly after he was made furveyor of the king's works at the caftle, and in the park of Windfor. By his patent for this office he had power given him to prefs all forts of artificers, and to provide ftone, timber, and all other materials, and carriages. Whilft he staid at Windfor, he was allowed one fhilling a day, two fhillings when he went elfewhere on his employment, and three fhillings a week for his clerk; and the following year he received a grant from the king of a fhilling a day, payable at the exchequer, over and above his former allowance.

It was by the advice and perfuafion of Wykeham, that king Edward was induced to pull down great part of Windfor caftle, and to re-build it in the magnificent manner in which it now appears; and the execution of this great work he committed entirely to him. Wykeham had likewife the fole direction of the building of Queenborough caftle. The erection of this ftructure was attended with confiderable difficulties, arifing from the nature of the ground, and the lownefs of the fituation. Thefe difficulties, however, did not difcourage Wykeham from advifing and undertaking the work; and in the event they only served to render his diligence, abilities, and skill in architecture, the more manifeft and confpicuous.

As Wykeham, in the execution of all thefe employments, acquitted himself greatly to the fatisfaction of king Edward, he obtained a very confiderable degree of his favour and regard; and the king gave him very fubftantial proofs of it, by continually heaping upon him preferments, both ecclefiaftical and civil. It is, however, related, that fome of Wykeham's enemies gave fo malicious a turn to an infcription which he had put on the palace at Windfor, as did for the prefent draw upon him the king's difpleafure. The words of this infcription are, This

made

made Wykebam; which have an ambiguous meaning, and may be understood to fignify, either Wakeham made this, or, This made Wykebam. The enemies of Wykeham chose to understand them in the former fente; and hinted to the king, that the chief furveyor of that edifice infolently afcribed all the glory of it to himself. Edward, it is faid, being much difpleased, reproached Wykeham with his crime; but was appeafed, and even laughed, when he heard his anfwer: He replying, with a smiling air, that his accufers muft either be extremely malicious, or extremely ignorant, to interpret the infcription in the fense they did." The true meaning of the infcription (faid Wykeham) “is, not that I made this edifice, but that this edifice made "me; by being the means of railing me from a low condition "to the favour of the king, and to riches and honours.”

Wykeham feems early to have entertained the design of entering into holy orders; for he is ftiled Clericus in all the patents for those preferments which have been hitherto mentioned. He had, however, as yet, only the clerical tonfure, or some of the lower orders. The firit ecclefiaftical preferment which was conferred upon him, was the rectory of Pulham in Norfolk, by the presentation of the king, which was dated on the 30th of November, 1357. He met with fome difficulties with regard to this preferment from the court of Rome; and the difpute relative to it, whatever it was, was not settled till two years afterwards. On the ift of March, 1359, he was prefented by the king to the prebend of Flixton, in the church of Litchfield, which he afterwards exchanged for fome other benefice with John de Waltham; and on the 16th of the following month he received from the king a grant of two hundred pounds a year, over and above his former appointments, until he should get quiet poffeffion of the church of Pulham, or fome other benefice to the value of one hundred marks. The fame year he was alfo conftituted chief warden and furveyor of the king's castles of Windfor, Leeds, Dover, and Hadlam; and of the manors of Old and New Windfor, Wichemer, &c. In the Month of October, 1360, Wykeham attended upon the king at Calais, the treaty of Bretigny being then folemnly ratified between the two kings of England and France in perfon. It does not certainly appear in what character or office he waited on the king there: It appears, however, that he affifted at this ceremony as a witnefs. After his return, the king heaped upon Wykeham such a number of ecclefiaftical preferments, that the bare enumeration of them would be tedious; and fome of them were conferred upon him before he was in holy orders. He was admitted to the inferior order of Acolite in December, 1361, to the order of fubdeacon in the March following, and was ordained priest by Edyngdon, bishop of Winchefter, in his chapel at Southwark, on the 12th of July, 1362. The number of preferments which the king bestowed on Wykeham, are certainly the strongest evidence.