MEMOIRS

OF

Eminent Blues.

CAMPIAN, EDMUND, was born at London in 1540, and, comparing the date of his birth with the foundation of the Hospital (1552), it will appear that he must have been one of its earliest scholars. Being a promising boy, and intended for the Church, he was selected to make an oration before Queen Mary upon her accession to the throne; and from thence he was elected Scholar of St. John's College, Oxford, by its founder, Thomas White, in 1558. After taking the degrees of B. and M. A. he went into orders; and in 1566, when Queen Elizabeth was entertained at Oxford, he made an oration before her; and also kept an Act in St. Mary's Church with very great applause from that learned Queen.

It appears that he had a strong bias in favour of the Roman Catholic religion, which is not surprising, when it is considered that he prosecuted

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his studies during the reign of Queen Mary. The first discovery of his attachment to the Romish Church was in the year 1568, while he was in Ireland; when he not only embraced the Popish religion himself, but laboured hard to make proselytes, for which he was seized and detained for some time. It was during his stay in Ireland that he wrote a history of that country, which was afterwards published by Sir James Ware, of Dublin, in 1633, folio. He escaped shortly after into England, but in 1571 transported himself into the Low Countries, and settled in the English College of Jesuits at Douay, where he openly renounced the Protestant religion, and had the degree of B. D. -conferred upon him. From thence he went to Rome, where he was admitted into the Society of Jesuits in 1573; and afterwards sent by the General of his Order into Germany.

Dr. Campian resided for some time at Vienna, where he composed a tragedy called "Nectar and Ambrosia," which was acted before the Emperor with great applause. He soon after settled at Prague in Bohemia, where he taught rhetoric and philosophy for about six years in a College of Jesuits, which had been newly erected there. At length, being called to Rome, he was sent, by command of Pope Gregory, into England, where he arrived in June 1580. Here he performed all the offices of a zealous provincial, being very diligent in propagating his religion by all the arts of

conversation and writing. He seems to have challenged the English Clergy to a disputation by a pamphlet, intituled, "Rationes Decem oblati certaminis in Causa Fidei, redditi Academicis Angliæ," which was printed at a private press in 1581, and distributed the same year at Oxford, during the time of an Act in St. Mary's Church. It was afterwards printed in English, and ably refuted by the English divines. In short, Campian, though nobody knew where he was, was yet so active as to fall under the cognizance of Sir Francis Walsingham, then Secretary of State, who employed a person to find him out. He was soon after discovered in disguise in the house of a private gentleman in Berkshire, from whence he was conveyed in procession to the Tower of London, with a paper fastened to his hat, on which was written, "Edmund Campian, a most pernicious Jesuit." Afterwards, having been found guilty of high treason in adhering to the Bishop of Rome, the Queen's enemy, and in coming to England to disturb the peace and quiet of the realm, he was hanged and quartered, with other Romish priests, at Tyburn, December 1, 1581.

Mr. A. Chalmers, in the improved edition of the "Biographical Dictionary," from which the greater part of this account is taken, says, "All parties allow him to have been a most extraordinary man; of admirable parts, an eloquent orator, a subtle philosopher, and skilful disputant, an exact preacher,

both in English and Latin, and a man of good temper and address."

After his death the following works were published as having issued from his pen, in addition to those before mentioned: "Nine Articles directed to the Lords of the Privy Council," 1581; "Chronologia Universalis;" "Conferences in the Tower," published by the English Divines in 1583, 4to; "Narratio de Divortio," Antwerp, 1631; “Orationes," ibid. 1631; Epistolæ Variæ," ibid. 1631; and "De Imitatione Rhetorica," ibid. 1631.

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CAMDEN, WILLIAM, one of the most eminent English Antiquaries, was born in the Old Bailey, London, May 2, 1551. His father was a native of Lichfield, from whence he was sent very young to London, where he practised painting, and became a member of the Painter-stainers' Company. The inscription on the cup left by his son to the Company calls him Pictor Londinensis, which may refer either to his profession or his company. His mother was of the antient family of the Curwens of Workington in Cumberland.

Some doubts seem to have been entertained whether Camden received any part of his education at Christ's Hospital, he not having mentioned the circumstance; but Mr. Degory Wheare, who pronounced his funeral oration soon after his death, mentions it, and it is generally believed to have

been the case. ever, cannot be ascertained, owing to the records having been destroyed by the Fire of London in 1666. Being seized of the plague in 1563, he was removed to Islington, and appears to have finished his education at St. Paul's School, where he made such progress in learning as laid the foundation of his future fame.

The date of his admission, how

From St. Paul's School Camden removed to Magdalen College, Oxford, and from thence, being disappointed of a demi's place, to Broadgate Hall, now Pembroke College, by the invitation of Dr. Thomas Thornton, his patron and tutor; and lastly, three years afterwards, to Christ Church, on the promotion of Dr. Thornton to a canonry there. He left behind him at Broadgate Hall a signal mark of the respect paid him by his contemporaries in the short Latin graces composed by him, which were used many years afterwards by the Scholars of that Society. At this time his acquaintance commenced with the two Carews, Richard and George; the latter of whom was by James I. created Baron Clopton, and by Charles I. Earl of Totness; and it has been supposed, as they were both Antiquaries, their conversation might give Mr. Camden a turn to that study, which, it appears, he had strongly imbibed before he left school, and improved at Oxford. He was also acquainted with John Packington, Stephen Powel, and Edward Lucy, knights.