Sowle, a Carmelite friar of an unblameable life, and a great admirer and preacher of the writings of St. Paul.

The frequent preaching of Dean Colet, in his own cathedral, stimulated some others to follow his example, particularly Dr. Collingwood, at Litchfield, who introduced the practice of preaching every Sunday, being the first and only preacher among all the deans of that cathedral. Before Dr. Colet reformed the practice, it had been usual, both in the universities and in the cathedral churches, for the public lecturers to read upon any other book than the Scriptures; but after he had himself read lectures upon St. Paul's Epistles, both in the university of Oxford and in St. Paul's cathedral, and retained several learned men, successively, to read these theological lectures in his church, for which he made them a generous allowance, he at last procured a settlement at St. Paul's for a similar lecture to be constantly read there, three days in every week.

These divinity lectures, and Dr. Colet's method of expounding the Scriptures, raised among the people an inquiry after the Sacred Writings, sunk into neglect by the metaphysical disputants, and the superstitious and ignorant clergy. This, together with the contempt which the dean expressed for the religious houses or monasteries, and the display which he made of their abuses, doubtless contributed to prepare the minds of the people for the Reformation, which, by the gracious Providence of God, soon afterwards took place. It is therefore no wonder that the bigots to popery considered him as an enemy, and attempted to stir up persecution against him. The ecclesiastics were stung to revenge, and a prosecution was commenced against him for heresy, in which Dr. Fitzjames, bishop of London, was the principal agent. The main charges exhibited against him to Archbishop Warham, were three; the first of which was, that he had taught that images were not to be worshipped; the second, that he had

preached against the temporal possessions of the bishops; and the third, that he had preached against the cold and unaffected manner in which some men read their sermons, which was understood to reflect upon the bishop himself. But the archbishop, who knew and valued the integrity and worth of Colet, became his advocate and patron, and dismissed him without giving him the trouble of a formal answer. Tyndal, in his Reply to More, adds, that the bishop of London would have made Colet an heretic, for translating the Pater Noster into English, had not the archbishop of Canterbury defended him: and Bishop Latimer, who was at the time a young student at Cambridge, remembered the noise occasioned by the prosecution of Colet for heresy, and says expressly, that "he was not only in trouble, but should have been burnt, if God had not turned the king's heart to the contrary.”

The enemies of the dean were not easily repulsed. Disappointed in their accusation of heresy, they attempted to fix upon him a suspicion of sedition, or treason. In this they were equally foiled; for the young king (Henry VIII.) sent for him, and in private advised him to go on, reproving and reforming a corrupt and dissolute age, nor suffer his light to be extinguished in times so densely dark; assuring him that he was sensible of the good effect of his excellent preaching and life, and promising that no one should injure him with impunity. The dean thanked the king for his royal protection, but begged that no one might suffer on his account, for he would rather, he said, resign his deanery, and live in privacy. Another attack was made upon the dean, of a similar nature, but which was equally unsuccessful; the king dismissing him with marks of affection, and promises of favour. After this the dean continued his constant course of preaching, though he seems never to have recovered his character for orthodoxy, with the bigots of his church.

In the mean time, his father, Sir Henry Colet, dying, in 1510, he succeeded to a very considerable estate. He, therefore, delivered his church revenues to his steward, to be expended in house-keeping, and hospitality; and employed the annual produce of his paternal estate, in acts of piety, beneficence, and generosity. Having no very near, or poor relations, he founded the Grammar School of St. Paul's, in London, which he endowed with lands and tenements, for the support of a head-master, a second-master, or usher, and a chaplain, for the instruction of 153 boys, in the Greek and Latin languages; and placed it under the care of the company of mercers. The dean also appointed WILLIAM LILY to be first headmaster of his school.*

* The celebrated grammarian, WILLIAM LILY, or LILYE, was born at Oldham, in Hampshire, about 1466. At the age of eighteen, he was admitted a demy-commoner of Magdalen college, Oxford. Having taken the degree of bachelor of arts, he left the university, and travelled to Jerusalem. On his return, he resided a considerable time in the island of Rhodes, where he studied the Greek, under the learned men who had fled thither for protection, after the taking of Constantinople. From thence he proceeded to Rome, where he further improved himself in the Latin and Greek languages, under John Sulpitius and Pomponius Sabinus. On his arrival in England, in 1509, he settled in London, and taught grammar, poetry, and rhetoric, with good success; and is said to have been the first who taught Greek in that city. When Dr. Colet founded St. Paul's School, he was appointed headmaster. He had been twelve years in that laborious and useful situation, when he was seized with the plague and died, in 1522. He was a married man at the time of his appointment to the school. His two sons, George and Peter, were both learned men. The eldest of them published the first exact Map that was ever drawn of this island. Mr. Lily had also a daughter named Dionysia, who was married to John Ritwyse, usher, and afterwards successor to him in the mastership of St. Paul's school.

Lily had the character of an excellent grammarian, and a successful teacher of the learned languages. He published several small Latin pieces, principally poems and orations. His principal work, or at least that by which he is best known, is Brevissima Institutio, seu ratio grammatices cognoscendæ ; Lond. 1513; commonly called Lily's Latin Grammar. This was a very excellent work for its time. Bishop Wettenhall's Grammar, the Eton Grammar, and multitudes of others, are but abridgments of it, The English Rudiments of it were written by Dr. Colet; the Preface by Cardinal Wolsey; the Syntax chiefly by

In 1511, at the opening of the convocation of the province of Canterbury, Archbishop Warham appointed Dean Colet to preach the Latin sermon on that occasion. In this sermon, which is still extant, he attacked the corruptions of the church and clergy, in the most warm and spirited manner. His text was from St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, ch. xii. v. 2. "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed, &c." In treating of con·formity to the world, he explained what was meant, under four heads; devilish pride; carnal lusts; worldly covetousness; and secular business. "These," said the dean, "are in the world, as St. John witnesseth, who says, that all that is in the world is either the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride of life. And these same things do now so reign in the church, and amongst ecclesiastical persons, that we may, in a manner, truly say, all that is in the church is either the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride of life." He then proceeded to discuss, in the most bold and spirited manner, the different topics he had proposed; and concluded by a pointed address to the bishops, pressing the necessity of reformation, and of an immediate and firm exercise of discipline, agreeably to the canons of the church, which he proposed should be read in that convocation.

His honesty and zeal against the corruptions of the clergy increased the number of his enemies, but protected by the king, he escaped that degradation and martyrdom, which with a less powerful patron he would probably have suffered; and under the sanction of royalty, succeeded to other preferments beside those which have already been mentioned. He was rector of the fraternity,

Erasmus; and the other parts by other hands; so that, although it bears Lily's name, he probably had not the largest share in the work; and therefore, during his life, modestly refused the honour of having it ascribed to him, It has since been greatly improved, and has passed through innumerable editions. See Brit. Biog. I. pp. 384, 385; and Clarke's Bibliog. Dict. IV. p. 19.

or Gild of JESUS, in St. Paul's church, for which he procured new statutes; and also chaplain, and preacher in ordinary, to King Henry; and, if Erasmus were not mistaken, one of his privy-council. About his fiftieth year, he formed a resolution to withdraw from active life, and spend the rest of his days in retirement; but he was prevented by death: for being seized with the sweating sickness, "he retired to the lodgings he had built in the monastery of the Carthusians at Sheen, near Richmond, in Surry; when, having spent the little remainder of his days in devotion, he surrendered up his last breath to him that first gave it, on the 16th of September, 1519." His body was afterwards carried to London, and buried in the cathedral church of St. Paul, with an humble monument, that he had several years before appointed and prepared, with only this inscription on it, Joannes COLETUS.

Frugal at his meals, it was

The dean, as to his person, was tall and comely; and his mien and carriage graceful. His learning was considerable; and his piety, exemplary. As a preacher, he was cloquent and nervous. In his goods, furniture, entertainment, apparel, and books, he was neat and clean; but despised all state and magnificence: and whilst the higher clergy were generally clothed in purple, his dress was always black, and plain. his custom for many years to eat but one meal, that of dinner. As soon as grace before meat was said, some boy, with a good voice, read distinctly a chapter out of one of St. Paul's Epistles, or out of the Proverbs of Solomon; and from thence the dean took occasion to introduce grave and improving conversation, by which means his guests were refreshed in mind as well as body. At other times, when he had no agreeable companion, one of his servants read some part of the Holy Scriptures. "In his journeys, he would sometimes make me," says Erasmus, "his companion, when no one could be more pleasant; yet he always carried a