THIS illustrious scholar was born at Cambridge, in 1514; and admitted at the age of seventeen of St. John's College, where he speedily distinguished himself by his proficiency in the learned languages, particularly Greek, then much neglected in that University. After taking his degrees in arts, on the recommendation of Dr. Butts he was sent abroad at the King's expense to travel for his farther improvement; and, upon his return, he was chosen Greek lecturer in his college. To this office no salary was annexed; but in the year 1540, Henry VIII. founded a Greek professorship at Cambridge, of which Cheke was appointed the first Professor, when only twenty-six years of age. He had, also, the honour of being elected University-Orator.

In 1544 he was appointed, jointly with Sir Antony Cook, preceptor to Prince Edward; and he appears, also, to have given instruction to the Princess Elizabeth. At the same time, he was appointed to a canonry of the newly-founded college of Christ-Church, Oxford, which he subsequently exchanged for a pension. Edward VI. likewise, upon his accession, settled on him an annuity of a hundred marks, together with

a grant of several lands and manors; and caused him to be elected Provost of King's College, Cambridge. His interest at court, indeed, sustained some temporary shocks, especially from his connexion with the unfortunate Duke of Somerset: but he still retained his office of tutor to the young Sovereign, who was greatly indebted to him for the knowledge and virtue, by which his transient reign was so illustri ously distinguished. In 1550, he was appointed chief gentleman of the King's privy-chamber; and the year following, his Majesty conferred upon him the honour of knighthood, with an additional grant of considerable value. He was, subsequently, made Chamberlain of the Exchequer for life; in 1553, Clerk of the Council; and after a short interval, one of the Secre taries of State, and a Privy-Councillor.

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Upon the death of Edward VI., with a view of sustaining the threatened interests of the Reformed Faith, Cheke entered into the criminal project of transferring the crown to Lady Jane Grey, to whose council he acted as Secretary. That rash scheme being speedily quashed, he was committed to the Tower, stripped of the chief part of his substance, and not long afterward set at liberty. Having procured leave to travel, he visited Basle and Padua, where he directed some of his countrymen in their studies. He then settled at Strasburg, where many learned Englishmen had associated to maintain the Protestant worship. There by the insidious invitation of his former friends, Lord Paget and Sir John Mason, who had reverted to their old creed, and his own unfortunate confidence in astrology (to the follies of which he was, unhappily, much addicted) he was decoyed in 1556 to Brussels, where his wife then

resided; and, on his way between that city and Antwerp, seized by order of Philip LI., and reconveyed to the Tower. Ultimately reduced to the terrifying dilemma, Turn or burn,' he was not proof against the fiery ordeal. Hoping, however, to escape the disgrace of a public recantation, he first made his solemn submission before Cardinal Pole, and humbly re quested to be re-admitted into the bosom of the Ca tholic Church. But the triumph over such a man was too flattering to be enjoyed in a corner. He was, therefore, compelled to repeat this humiliating act of his infirmity before the Queen and her whole court. His property was now restored; but his recantation was followed by such bitterness of remorse, that he survived it but a short time, dying in 1557, at the early age of forty-three. He left behind him three sons. > The period, in which Cheke flourished, is highly interesting to letters. He, in conjunction with his friend and contemporary Smith, was the great instrument of the diffusion of classical learning. Ancient literature had already begun to dawn; but it had not yet advanced into the clear and steady light of day. The efforts of these men contributed greatly to accelerate it's progress, and were effectual in deciding the taste of the age. Cheke and Smith were first incited to the pursuit of Grecian literature by the reputation and example of Dr. John Redman, of St. John's College (subsequently, Dean of Westminster) who after having followed his studies at the univer sity of Paris, where he accomplished himself in the two learned languages, was elected Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity about the year 1538. They abandoned the idle disputations of the schools, with the metaphysical subtilties of the schoolmen, for the

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more delightful enjoyment of the Grecian and Roman classics. One of the great objects of their literary labours was, to introduce a more rational method of pronouncing Greek; or rather, to restore what they conceived to be the original pronunciation of that language. It may not be unacceptable to the philological student to be informed what the meditated change was, as stated in the Life of Cheke, by Strype.

At this period, the Greek language had only begun to be studied even in our Universities; and it's pronunciation had been vitiated by the corrupt channels, through which it had been transmitted. In particular, the received method of sounding the diphthongs, and also some of the consonants, was such that it was sometimes impossible to distinguish different words by difference of sound. Thus as was pronounced as E, and as, and and were both sounded as wra or j. Some of the consonants were differently pronounced, accordingly as they were differently situated in a word. Thus after was sounded as a soft ß, and after μ was pronounced as our d. The letter x was pronounced as our ch, and B as our consonant. With a very little reflexion upon the subject, it was not difficult to conclude, that such a method of pronunciation was totally destructive of all that euphony, which arises from variety of 'sound'; and that such, therefore, could not have been the pronunciation of the Greeks.

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These scruples formed the subjects of frequent conversations between Cheke and Smith, who was also public reader of Greek in his own college, and they determined upon an innovation. They seem tõ

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have been led to the improvement in question by feeling, while lecturing in their respective colleges, the necessity of varying the sound as the vowels varied, in order to render the language intelligible, as well as harmonious to the ear. At the commencement of their doubts, they had not seen the book of Erasmus on the subject; but having procured it, together with Terentianus De Literis et Syllabis, they began their work of reformation: at the same time consulting those Grecian writers, particularly Aristophanes, from whom they were likely to derive aid. At length they arrived at the conclusion, that each vowel ought to possess it's appropriate and distinct sound; and that every diphthong, as composed of twą vowels, should have the sound of two..

But they were obliged to proceed with caution. They felt, that having reason on their side was not enough to insure support. In the first instance, they communicated the proposed change only to a few of their most intimate friends, and obtaining their approbation, resolved on making it public; still, however, with circumspection and prudence. It was agreed, that Smith should begin. At this time, he read Aristotle De Republicâ to his hearers; and the artifice, by which he contrived to smuggle in a few contraband words, is calculated to excite a smile in a modern reader, while it exhibits a strong proof of the ignorance and prejudice of the age. To hide the novelty of his pronunciation, he occasionally let fall a word, as if by inadvertence, pronounced in the new mode. At first, this excited no attention from his auditors; but as the number of these new-fangled vocables gradually increased, their curiosity was