CH EKE, Sill JOIIN, a learned writer of the 16th century, descended from an ancient family in the Isle of Wight, was born at Cambridge, Julie 16, 1514. lie was admitted into St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1531. where his early studies were chiefly directed to the Latin and Greek languages, the latter of which was then almost universally neglected. After taking his degrees in arts, he was chosen Greek lecturer of the university, and about 1540 became the first professor of Greek in the university, upon King Henry VIII'. foundation. He was highly instrumental in bringing the language into repute, and directed his attention more particularly to reform and restore, what be considered, the original pronunclatioo of it. Cheke, while pro fessor, the same time University Orator. In 1543 he was Incorporated M.A. at Oxford, where be also studied for a short time; and in 1544 was lent for to court, to be made. joint-tutor for the Latin tongue with Sir Anthony Cooke to Prince Edward. He seems also to have had the Lady Elizabeth for some time under his care.
About 1544 too he became a canon (it is most probable a lay canon, for there is no proof of his having taken orders) of King Henry VIll'e first foundation of the college in Oxford, which has been since called Christ Church ; but upon the dissolution of that foundation in 1545, he was allowed a pension in the room of his canary. When Edward VI. came to the throne he rewarded Choke with an aannity of a hundred marks, and made him one or two favourable grants in purchase of monastic property. In 1548 be had a grant of the college of Stoke by Clare, in Suffolk, and in the year following the house and site of the priory of Spalding in Lincolnshire; but surrendered his annuity upon receiving the latter grant. The king likewise caused him, by a mandamus, to be elected provost of King's College, Cambridge. In 1550 be was made chief gentleman of the kIng's privy chamber, and in 1551 received the honour of knight hood. About this time ho was engaged in various couferences and disputations, on the Protestant side, on the subject of the sacrament, traneubstantiation, /cc. In 1552 he became clerk of the council, and soon after one of the secretaries of state, and privy councillor. This was the height of Sir John Cheke's fortunes. His zeal for the Pro °agent religion induced him to approve of the settlement of the crown upon Lady Jane 0 rey ; and he acted for a very short time as secretary to her and her council after King Edward's decease. Upon Mary's accession to the throne he was committed to the Tower, and an indictment was drawn up against Lim: but he remained in prison, and the year following, having been stripped of his whole substance, re.
esived a pardon, and was set at liberty September 8,1554. Foreseeing the days of persecution, he obtained a licence to travel for some time, and went to lia;c1, and thence to Italy. At Padua be re newed his Greek studies : and afterwards, in his return from Italy, settled at Strasbourg, where he read a Greek lecture in order to obtain a oubeistence. In the beginning of 1556 he came, by a treacherous levitation, to Brussels, though tinder misgivings, which were onll allayed by the consultation of astrology, apeeudo-selence to which Sir John Cheke was unfortunately attached, and which upon tht maulers' deluded him. Between Brussels and Antwerp he war seised by order of Philip II., blindfolded, thrown into a waggon conveyed to the nearest harbour, put on board a ship under batches and brought again to the Tower of London. The desire of gainha the reconciliation of so eminent a man to the church of Rome had beer the inducement to his arrest. and now led the queen not only to sem two of her chaplains, but Dr. Feckatiliam, at that time dean of St Paul's, to endeavour to convert him. The chaplains had no suecos with their argument. • but Feckenham's were brought into a narrows 001111.11•111 : be said, " Lither comply or burn." Cheke could not with eland the dreadful alternative. On July 15, after a previous negociatio: with Cardinal Pole, be wrote to the queen, and declared his readinea to obey her laws and other orders of religion. Ile afterwards not onl, nada his solemn submission before the cardinal, but on the 4th of ktober made a public recantation before the queen, and after that Adore the whole court. Upon these morti6oations his lands were Clitoral to him, but upon condition of an exchange with the queen Or others. lie was compelled to be present at the examinations and ow/teflon. of Protestants, and in various ways to make a public lisplay of his adoption of the now principles. Remorse and vexation iowever sate at last so heavy on Cheke's mind, that he pined away with shame and regret. He died September 13, 15.57, at the age of 'ortythree. Some of Sir John Cheke's works are in very elegant Latin; but few of them would suit the reading of the present day. Rill ha was one of the most learned men of his age, one of its greatest irnameata, and one of the revivers of polite literature in England. (Strype, Life of Cheke, 8vo. Loud., 17 05 ; Biogr. Brit., old edit., roL ii. p. 1309; Bliss, edit. of Wood's Athena Osoniensts, vol. L p. 241; 7,halmera. Biogr. Diet., vol. ix. p. 225.)