CAMDEN, WiLmAm, one of the most learned men that this country has produced, was born at London in 1551, of respectable, but not opulent parents. Ile re ceived the rudiments of his education in Christ's hospi tal ; was afterwards sent. to St Paul's school ; entered, at the age of fifteen, a servitor at Oxford ; and laid the foundation of his classical erudition under Dr Thomas Cooper, who was afterwards Bishop of Lincoln. By the influence of the Popish party, he was disappointed of a fellowship ; and soon after went to London where he successfully prosecuted his studies, his litcPiFy friends kindly supplying him with money and books. In 1573 he returned to Oxford, where he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts ; and, two years afterwards, he was ap pointed second master of Westminster school, the duties of which office he discharged with fidelity and diligence, and rose to the rank of head-master in 1593. Notwith standing the laborious duties of his office, he found time, while at Westminster, to collect and prepare materials for his great work Britannia, a chorographical description of the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, wi'h the adjacent Islands, with an account of the origin, man ners, and laws of the inhabitants, from the remotest anti quity. This learned work established his reputation as a scholar all over Europe. In 1593, he published a fourth edition of it in folio, much enlarged and improved, and embellished with valuable maps ; for which he had been at great pains to collect new materials, and to avail him self of the information of his literary friends. It was, however, severely criticised, and charged with many errors, which obliged its author to revise it anew ; but while he candidly acknowledged and corrected his mis Lakes, he also proved, from various undoubted authori ties, that he had in many instances been unjustly attack ed. The edition which received his finishing hand wa printed in 1607. Dr Holland of Coventry having pub lished a translation of it in 161 1, in which he had insert ed several articles of his own, Edmund Gibson of t)x fOrd, afterwards Bishop of Loudon, gave a new transla tion of it in 1695, free of all interpolations : but, because lolland's additions were often valuable, and because it was generally believed that he had ( himself When lie met with any difficulties, Gibson pre served them, and placed them at the bottom of the page Ile also added remarks of his own at the. cud of each county, either to confirm what Camden had advanced, or to supply his defects ; with a list of the persons by whom he was Furnished with his materials. This edition was published in two volumes folio in 1722, under the bishop' own inspection : but the public has been favoured with a new translation, and much improved edition, by the learned Mr Gough, who has enlarged it to nearly douhi the size of the preceding edition.
In 1597, Camden published a Greek Grammar, which was taught in all the public schools in the kingdom, and ran through nearly a hundred editions. In the subse quent year, he was taken from the office of schoolmastei, and promoted to the higher one of Clarenc•ux king a: arms. In 1600, lie published an account of all the mo nunients in Westminster Abbey, with their inscriptions , and in 1603, a collection of the ancient historians of Bri tain, was sent from the press at Frankfort, under his su perintendance, which he had originally intended as the ground work of a civil history of England. After the discovery of the gunpowder plot, King James, desirous to guard the reformed churches on the continent against the enemies of the Protestant religion, as well as to satisfy foreign princes of the justice of his own proceedings against the conspirators, made choice of Camden as the fittest person to draw up in Latin a narrative of that in famous plot. He executed this work with great accu racy. spirit, and elegance.; and in testimony of its having received the royal sanction, it issued from the press of the king's printer. In 1615, he published in Latin his Annals of Queen Elizabeth, also under the sanction of his sovereign, and with this solemn appeal to posterity for his veracity as a historian, e. I dedicate and conse crate it at the altar of truth to God, to my country, and to posterity." From the reputation of the author. this work raised great expectations, which were not disap pointed. It is a valuable historical composition, although, in the opinion of many, the reign of that illustrious prin cess is drawn with a partial hand. The favourable re ception which the first part of that work received from the public, might have determined him to proceed. had he not been sensible of the inconv enience attending the publication of a history, while the persons who had borne. a distinguished part in it, or their immediate descendants, were still alive. This consideration made him •eseill e that the second volume should not be published till after his death, and left him at liberty to prosecute his history with that spirit of impartiality and freedom, with which he had so solemnly professed to guide his enquiries. That it might be given to the public in an entire state. he caused one copy to he deposited in the Cotton library, and another to be lodged with a friend for publication. who undertook faithfully to execute the trust committed to him.