The progress of the reformation had kept pace with the knowledge of ancient literature, and Ascham, says Dr Johnson, as he became a Grecian, became a protes tant. Yet such was his moderation in this respect, that throughout the whole of his life, his opinions were ne ver a bar to his advancement ; and whether the reigning party were protestants or papists, he preserved the good-will of both. Though his attention was chiefly directed to the Greek, the Roman authors were not en tirely neglected. Latin was the academical language of these days, and it was necessary that every student should be able to speak and to write it with precision. But Ascham was not contented with the mere under standing of the language : He aimed at a higher ob ject; and by application to study, and the diligent pe rusal of the writings of Cicero and Cxsar, he acquired a style, which, for purity and elegance, few nave been able to equal. All the public letters of the university were of his composition ; and, to use the language of Dr Johnson, " as little qualifications must often bring great abilities into notice, he was recommended to this honourable employment, not less by the neatness of his handwriting, than the elegance of his style." Ascham took his degree of bachelor of arts in 1534, and about a month after was chosen fellow of the col lege. This was an era of his life which he had often anticipated with satisfaction. Since his entrance at Cam. bridge, he had been supported by the bounty of sir An thony Wingfield. His fellowship now released him from his dependence ; but though freed from the necessity of receiving the benefactions of his patron, he always continued to preserve for him the most grateful and re verential affection. His reputation daily increased. In 1537,,he became master of arts, and was appointed lec turer on Greek in the university, with an honorary sti pend from the public purse. As a relief from the uni formity of a sedentary life, and a recreation from se verer studies, he frequently enjoyed the diversion of archery. This was an amusement of which he was particularly fond, and which drew upon him the remon strances of his friends, and the aspersions of his ene mies. To quiet the apprehensions of the one, and to si lence the invectives of the other, he wrote his " Toxo philus, or the School of Shooting." In this work, which abounds with learned allusions, and curious fragments of English history, he vindicates archery as a liberal, an innocent, and a useful diversion. But this is not its on ly merit : It is distinguished for the purity of its dic tion, and the perspicuity of its style. His language is purged from all those exotic terms and barbarous idioms, which were then so common, and for which he so severely censures the writers of his age. He had long expressed a wish of visiting Italy, then the chief seat of learning in Europe ; but his purse was far from being adequate for such a journey. To remedy this de ficiency, was the chief motive, according to his own candid confession, which induced him to dedicate his Toxophilus to Henry VIII. expecting, that by the bounty of his sovereign, he should be enabled to accomplish his design. He was not altogether dis appointed. The king granted him a pension of 101. equal nearly to 1001. of the present day. But whether he considered this as still insufficient to defray the ex penses of such an expedition, or whether he was de tained by the hope of preferment in his native country, it is unnecessary to enquire. He still continued at Cam bridge, and in 1544 was elected orator to the university 'in the room of sir John Cheke, who had been removed to court as tutor to prince Edward. The fame of As cham was not now confined to the walls uf his college. His pupils, and his writings, had acquired him consider able celebrity, and his instructions were courted by the first nobility, with whom it was then a fashion to study the learned languages. On the death of Henry, his pension was for some time discontinued, but was soon after restored by his successor Edward VI. and in 1548 Ascham was called from his retirement to direct the studies of the princess Elizabeth. In this situation he con tinued two years, instructing his pupil with great dili gence, and reading with her daily the Greek and Ro man classics. But Ascham, dissatisfied with some cir cumstances, now unknown, retired from court without the consent of Elizabeth. This was a step of which lie often repented, and he probably felt the effects of his imprudence as long as he lived.
In 1550 he was appointed secretary to sir Richard Morisine, who was dispatched to Germany as ambassa dor to the emperor Charles V. During his residence on the continent, he made a short excursion to Italy, which he had long desired to visit ; but was much dis gusted with the manners of its inhabitants, particularly of the Venetians, whom he mentions with great severity in his " Schoolmaster." On the death of Edward, Mo
risine was recalled ; and a complete stop was put to the reformation by the accession of Mary. Ascham, how ever, though he favoured the new opinions, felt none of the bad consequences which were to be expected from such a change. During his absence in Germany, he had been appointed Latin secretary to Edward, and shortly after his return, he was instituted, by the inter est of Gardner, bishop of Winchester, to the same of fice under Mary, with a salary of 201. His moderation in religion, which had saved him from the displeasure of one party, and had enabled him to preserve his inte grity and faith inviolate, contributed in a great measure to gain him the good will of the other. When Elizabeth mounted the throne in 1558, he was continued in his for mer employments. But though he was treated with the greatest familiarity by that princess, assisting her in her private studies, and partaking of her diversions, yet the only additional recompence which he obtained, was the small prebend of Westwang in the church of York. To attempt to reconcile this ungrateful return, with the merits of Ascham, with the high favour in which he seemed to stand with Elizabeth, with the important ser vices he had rendered her government in the manage ment of its correspondence, and with the dignity and generosity of a queen of England, is now unnecessary. The reasons generally assigned are : the queen's parsi monious disposition, Ascham's extravagance, and love of gambling ; and his disrespectful desertion of her when he had the direction of her studies. These may palliate, but can never excuse the neglect of Elizabeth ; and though she might think it useless to lavish her boun ty upon a man whose habits would always keep him poor, yet it did not become the dignity of her station to exact his services without a proper remuneration. This slender pittance, however, was all he obtained from roy al munificence. The learning of Ascham had gained him the respect, and the admiration, but not the esteem, of his mistress. She retained him at court rather from interest than from affection ; and when his death was made known to her, she only exclaimed, " I would ra ther have lost 10,000/. than my tutor Ascham !" His too intense application in the composition of a poem, which he intended to present to the queen on the anni versary of her accession, and thereby neglecting his accustomed exercise and refreshment, brought on a kind of lingering disease, which terminated only with his ex istence. He died on the 30th December, 1568, in the 53d year of his age, leaving behind him a widow and se veral orphans in deltitute circumstances.
The abilities of Ascham were of the first class. As a philologist he has seldom been surpassed, and his la bours to promote the diffusion of sound learning, and to establish tne purity of his native language, will ever be remembered with gratitude and reverence. His writings display a correctness of taste, and an elegance of style, which his coteniporaries were led to admire, but were unable to equal : Inter primos nostree nationis, says Camb den, literas Latinas ct Gnecas, stilique puritatem cum elo quentix laude, evcoluit. The frailties of the man, how ever, ought not to be forgotten in the abilities of the scholar. He has been charged with prodigality, a propen sity to gambling, and fondness for cock-fighting,—a pastime disgraceful to human nature, but particularly reprehensible in a man of a cultivated mind. But these were far outweighed by his virtues. His amiable man ners, his benevolence and liberality, his courtesy and sociality of disposition, endeared him to his friends : His piety and learning procured him the respect of his enemies. " It would be indecent," says Dr Johnson, " to treat, with wanton levity, the memory of a man, who shared his frailties with all, but whose learning and virtues few can attain, and by whose excellencies many may be improved, while himself only suffered by his faults." The following short epigram was written by the celebrated Buchanan: A collection of his writings was first published in 1761, by Bennet, to which was prefixed his life, by Dr Johnson. Besides Ills Toxophilus, which we have already noticed, and which was all that was published in his life time, it contains "The Schoolmaster," "a work," says his learned biographer, " which is conceived with great vigour, and finished with great accuracy ; and perhaps contains the best advice that was ever given for the study of the languages." A Report and Discourse of the Af fairs and State of Germany, and the Emperor Charles' Court, Ste.; with some smaller pieces, and his letters. See Grant Oratio de vita R. Aschami. Andrews' Mist. of G. Britain. Johnson's Life of rischam. Biog. Brit. Gen. Biog. (p)