LINACRE, or LYNACER, THOMAS, one of the most eminent physicians of his age, descended from the Linacrea of Livacre Hall, in the parish of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, was born at Canterbury about 1460. He received his first education in his native city, uuder William Tilly, or De Selling, and afterwards entered at Oxford, where he was chosen a Fellow of All Souls College in 1484. Anxious for further improvement in learning, be accompanied De Selling into Italy, whither he was sent on an embassy to the court of Rome by King Henry VII. De Selling left him at Bologna with strong recommenda tions to Angelo Poliziano, then one of the best Latin scholars in Europe. Linscre removed thence to Florence, where Loreuzo de' Medici allowed him the privilege of attending the same preceptors with his own sons; and under Demetrius Chalcondylas, who had fled from Conetantiuoplo at the taking of that city by the Turks, he studied Greek. He then went to Rome, and studied medicine and natural philosophy uuder Ilermolaus Barbarus. Ho applied himself particularly to the works of Aristotle and Galen, and is said to have been the first Euglishman who made himself master of those writers in the original Greek. He also translated several of Galen's treatises into elegant Latin, and with Grocyu and William Latymer uudertook a translation of Aristotle, which was never completed. On his return to England he was incor porated M.D. at Oxford, which degree he had taken at Padua, and gave temporary lectures in physic, and taught the Greek language at Oxford. His reputation became so high that Kiug Henry V11. called him to court, and intrusted him with the care both of the health and education of Prince Arthur.
In the reign of Henry VIII. Linscre stood at the bead of his pro fession, and showed his attachment to its interests by founding two lectures on physic in the University of Oxford, and one in that of Cambridge. He may also be considered the founder of the College of Physicians in London, for in 1518 he obtained letters.pateut from King
Henry VIII., constituting a corporate body of regularly bred physicians in London, in whom was vested the sole right of examining and admit ting persons to practise within the city and seven miles round it ; and also of licensing practitioners throughout the whole kingdom, except such as were graduates of Oxford or Cambridge, who by virtue of their degrees were independent of the college, except within London and its precincts. The college had likewise authority given to it to emuniue prescriptions and drugs in apothecaries' shops. Linacre was the first president of the new college, and at his death he bequeathed to it his house in Kuiglat-Rider-street; in which the meetings of the members had been held. Before this time medicine had been practised without control by pretenders of all kinds, but chiefly by monks, who were licensed by the bishops; and this charter was the first measure by which the well-educated physician was afforded the least advantage, beyond that which his own character would give him, over the most ignorant empirio.
Highly as Linacre was esteemed in his profession, he became desirous to change it for that of divinity, or rather to combine the two pursuits. In 1509 we find him in possession of the rectory of Mersham, which he resigned in the latter part of the same year, and was installed into the prebend of Eaton in the church of Wells; and afterwards, in 1518, he became possessed of a prcheud in the cathedral of York, where he was also for a short time precentor. He had other preferments in the church, some of which be received from Archbishop Warham, as he gratefully acknowledges in a letter to that prelate. Dr. Kuight informs us that he held a prebend In St. Stephen's chapel, Westminster; and Bishop Tanner, that be had the rectory of Wigan in Lancashire. He died of the stone, after great suffering, October 20, 1521, and was buried in St. Paul's cathedral, where Dr. Cahn erected a monument to his memory.