In his literary character, Linacre holds a high rank among the men of learning in this country. He was one of the first, in conjunction with Colet, Lily, Grocyn, and Latymer, who revived or rather intro duced classical learning into England; and he conferred a benefit on his profession by translating into Latin several of the best pieces of Galen. These were—the treatises 'De Sanitate tuenda,' fol., Par., 1517; ' Methodus Medendi; foL, Par., 1519 ; De Temperamentis; 4to, Cambr., 1521 (the first book printed in England with types of the Greek characters); 'De Pulsuum Usu,' 4to, Lend., 1522; 'De Natu ralibus Facultatibus; 4to, Loud., 1523 ; De Symptomatum Differentiis liber unus : Ejusdem de Symptomatum Causis liber tres,' 4to, Land., 1524. In these versions Linacre's style was excellent.
Linacre's translation of Proclus, De Sphwra; was printed in the ' Astronomi Veteres' of 1499; his translation of Paulus lEgineta, De Crisi et Diebua decretoriis, eorumque signs, Fragmentum,' 8vo, Bas., 1529. He also wrote a small book upon the Rudiments of Latin Grammar, in English, for the use of the Princess Mary, first printed by Pynson without date, and afterwards translated into Latin by Buchanan. But his most learned work was his treatise De Emendata Structure Latini Sermonis libri sex,' printed at London immediately after his death in 1524, and frequently reprinted in later years in the 16th century.
Of Linacre's talents as a physician no testimony remains except the high repute which he enjoyed. For the excellence of his translations from Galen it may be sufficient to quote the praise of Erasmus, who, writing to a friend, says, "I present you with the works of Galen, now, by the help of Linacre, speaking better Latin than they ever before spoke Greek." There are two copies of Linacre's Methodus Medendi,' upon vellum, in the British Museum : one a presentation copy to King Henry VIII., the other to Cardinal Wolsey ; and a dedicatory letter, in manuscript, to Wolsey, precedes, in his copy, the dedication to Henry VIII. The British Museum also contains the treatise De Sanitate tuenda' upon vellum. This was Wolsey 's copy, and has the cardinal's hat illuminated in the title, and a similar dedicatory letter similarly placed.
(Biogr. Brit. ; Herbert's edition of Ames 's Topogr. Antiq. ; Wood, Atkente Oxon., by Bliss, voL coL 42; Tanner, Bibl. Brit. Hyb. ; Chalmers, Biogr. Diet.)