commonly annexed to this volume, and among them, a short account of his life, from Boissard's "Portraits of Illustrious Men." To this list may be added various translations and editions of other writers on Botany, or Materia Medica. A manuscript of Ecluse on fungi is said to exist in the library at Leyden.' EDELINCK (GERARD), an eminent engraver, was born at Antwerp in 1641, and there learnt the first elements of drawing and engraving; but it was in France that he made the full display of his talents, being invited thither by the munificence of Louis XIV. about 1665. He was made. choice of to engrave two pieces of the highest reputation; the picture of the Holy Family, by Raphael, and that of Alexander in the Tent of Darius, by Le Brun. Edelinck surpassed expectation in the execution of these masterpieces; and the copies were as much applauded as the originals. It is impossible not to admire in them, as in all his other product.ons, a neatness of touch, a plumpness, and a shade that are inimitable. The ease and assiduity with which he worked procured the public a great number of estimable pieces. He succeeded equally well in the portraits of the most famous personages of his time, among whom he might reckon himself. This excellent artist died in 1707, at the age of sixty-six, in the hotel royal of the Gobelins, where he had apartments, with the title of engraver in ordinary to the king, aud counsellor in the royal academy of painting. In the list of his plates may be noticed that of Mary Magdalen renouncing the vanities of the world, from a painting by Le Brun, remarkable for the beauty of the work, and the delicacy of the expression. He had a son and a brother, both engravers, briefly noticed by Mr. Strutt, but inferior in reputation. EDEMA (GERARD), a Dutch painter, thought to be a native of Friesland, painted landscapes justly held in great esteem. He went over to Surinam, for the purpose of drawing insects and plants; this department, however, appearing to him too confined, he quitted it for the taking of views, drawing trees, &c. He then went to the English colonies in America, where he applied to all manner of subjects and painted several pictures which he brought with him to London about 1670. Whatever he put out of his 1 Moreri.-Haller. But principally from Rees's Cyclopædia. 2 Dict. Hist.-Strutt. His hand, was well coloured, and finished with spirit. pictures found a quick reception here in England, as representing prospects of a continent in which the public was so highly interested. Edema took his advantage of this taste for his works, and became famous for painting landscapes, in which he exhibited a variety of scenes of horror, such as rocks, mountains, precipices, cataracts, and other marks of savage nature. He would have died more wealthy, and perhaps would have lived longer, had he not been too fond of wine. He died about 1700.1 EDGEWORTH (ROGER), residentiary and chancellor of Wells, was born at Holt-castle, on the borders of Wales. He went to Oxford about 1503, took a degree in arts in 1507, and the year after was elected fellow of Oriel-college, on the foundation of bishop Smyth, being the first elected to that fellowship, and was himself a benefactor to this college at the time of his death. Afterwards he took orders, and was reputed a noted preacher in the university and elsewhere. In 1519 he was admitted to the reading of the sentences, and was promoted afterwards to be canon of Salisbury, Wells, and Bristol, and residentiary, and in 1554 chancellor of Wells. He was also vicar of St. Cuthbert's church, in Wells, to which he was admitted Oct. 3, 1543. During the commencement of the reformation in the reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. he behaved with singular moderation; but when queen Mary succeeded, he threw off the mask, and appeared what he really was, a violent Roman catholic. He died in the be ginning of 1560, and was buried in the cathedral of Wells. He published a volume of "Sermons fruitful, godly, and learned," Lond. 1557, 4to, or according to Herbert, 8vo. He wrote also, which may be seen among the records to Burnet's History of the Reformation, "Resolutions concerning the Sacraments," and " Resolutions of some questions relating to bishops and priests, and of other matters tending to the reformation of the church made by king Henry VIII."2 EDMER. See EADMER. EDMONDES, EDMONDS, or EDMUNDS, (SIR THOMAS), knt. memorable for his embassies at several courts, was born at Plymouth, in Devonshire, about 1563. He 1 Pilkington.-Walpole's Anecdotes.-Descamps, vol. IV. 2 Ath. Ox. new edit. 1813.-Strype's Cranmer, p. 77., was the fifth and youngest son of Thomas Edmondes, head customer of that port, and of Fowey, in Cornwall, by Joan his wife, daughter of Antony Delabare, of Sherborne, in Dorsetshire, esq. who was third son of Henry Edmondes, of New Sarum, gent. by Juliana his wife, daughter of William Brandon, of the same place. Where he had his education is not known. But we are informed that he was introduced to court by his name-sake, sir Thomas Edmonds, comptroller of the queen's household; and, being initiated into public business under that most accomplished statesman, sir Francis Walsingham, secretary of state, he was, undoubtedly through his recommendation, employed by queen Elizabeth in several embassies. In 1592, she appointed him her resident at the court of France, or rather agent for her affairs in relation to king Henry IV. with a salary of twenty shillings a day, a sum so ill paid, and so insufficient, that we find him complaining to the lord treasurer, in a letter dated 1593, of the greatest pecuniary distress. The queen, however, in May 1596, made him a grant of the office of secretary to her majesty for the French tongue, "in consideration of his faithful and acceptable service heretofore done." Towards the end of that year he returned to England, when sir Anthony Mildmay was sent ambassador to king Henry; but he went back again to France in the beginning of May following, and in less than a month returned to London. In October, 1597, he was dispatched again as agent for her majesty to the king of France; and returned to England about the beginning of May 1598, where his stay was extremely short, for he was at Paris in the July following. But, upon sir Henry Neville being appointed ambassador to the French court, he was recalled, to his great satisfaction, and arrived at London in June 1599. Sir Henry Neville gave him a very great character, and recommended him to the queen in the strongest terms. About December the 26th of that year, he was sent to archduke Albert, governor of the Netherlands, with a letter of credence, and instructions to treat of a peace. The archduke received him with great respect; but not being willing to send commissioners to England, as the queen desired, Mr. Edmondes went to Paris, and, having obtained of king Henry IV. Boulogne for the place of treaty, he returned to England, and arrived at court on Sunday morning, February 17. The 11th of March fol lowing, he embarked again for Brussels; and, on the 22d, had an audience of the archduke, whom having prevailed upon to treat with the queen, he returned home, April 9, 1600, and was received by her majesty with great favour, and highly commended for his sufficiency in his negotiation. Soon after he was appointed one of the commissioners for the treaty of Boulogne, together with sir Henry Neville, the queen's ambassador in France, John Herbert, esq. her majesty's second secretary, and Robert Beale, esq. secretary to the council in the North; their commission being dated the 10th of May, 1600. The two last, with Mr. Edmondes, left London the 12th of that month, and arrived at Boulogne the 16th, as sir Henry Neville did the same day from Paris. But, after the commissioners had been above three months upon the place, they parted, July 28th, without ever assembling, owing to a dispute about precedency between England and Spain. Mr. Edmondes, not long after his return, was appointed one of the clerks of the privy-council; and, in the end of June 1601, was sent to the French king to complain of the many acts of injustice committed by his subjects against the English merchants. He soon after returned to England; but, towards the end of August, went again, and waited upon king Henry IV. then at Calais; to whom he proposed some measures, both for the relief of Ostend, then besieged by the Spaniards, and for an offensive alliance against Spain. After his return to England he was appointed one of the commissioners for settling, with the two French ambassadors, the depredations between England and France, and preventing them for the future. The 20th of May, 1603, he was knighted by king James I; and, upon the conclusion of the peace with Spain, on the 18th of August, 1604, was appointed ambassador to the archduke at Brussels. He set out for that place the 19th of April, 1605; having first obtained a reversionary grant of the office of clerk of the crown: and, though absent, was chosen one of the representatives for the Burgh of Wilton, in the parliament which was to have met at Westminster, Nov. 5, 1605, but was prevented by the discovery of the gunpowder-plot. During his embassy he promoted, to the utmost of his power, an accommodation between the king of Spain and the States-General of the United Provinces *. It appears from some of his dispatches, that prince Maurice was ex tremely averse to an accommodation; and used all the efforts imaginable, to 1 He was recalled in 1609, and came back to England about the end of August, or the beginning of September. In April 1610, he was employed as one of the assistant-commissioners, to conclude a defensive league with the crown of France; and, having been designed, ever since 1608, to be sent ambassador into that kingdom*, he was dispatched thither in all haste, in May 1610, upon the news of the execrable murder of king Henry IV. in order to learn the state of affairs there. He arrived at Paris, May 24th, where he was very civilly received; and on the 27th of June, had his audience of Mary de Medicis, queen regent; the young king (Lewis XIII.) being present. In November following he caused an Italian to be apprehended at Paris for harbouring a treasonable design against his master, king James I. There being, in 1613, a competition between him and the Spanish ambassador about precedency, we are told that he went to Rome privately, and brought a certificate out of the pope's ceremonial, shewing that the king of England is to precede the king of Castile. He was employed the same year in treating of a marriage between Henry prince of Wales and the princess Christine, sister of Lewis XIII. king of France; but the death of that prince, on the 6th of November 1612, put an end to this negotiation. And yet, on the 9th of the same month, orders were sent him to propose a marriage between the said princess and our prince Charles, but he very wisely declined opening such an affair so soon after persuade Henry IV. to prevent the suc- * It is no small compliment to sir takes notice in a letter to their ambassador in England, that they would get nothing by having him in the room of sir George Carew, since sir Thomas Edmondes understood them too well. "If he should be sent," adds Mr. de Puisieux, "it is only with a design to make a fuller discovery of our affairs. We cannot nor ought to oppose openly the appointment of him; but whoever can underhand divert this stroke would, in my opinion, do a good service." And secretary de Villeroy, in a letter to the above-mentioned ambassador, has these words: "Let me know,--whether there is a means of procuring sir Thomas Edmondes to be employed elsewhere; which would be a great relief to the queen.However, I am not of opinion that you should make this proposal; for, if it does not succeed, it will only serve to exasperate this little man, who has spirit and courage enough," |