Poultry-compter; and 1007. yearly to provide a dinner for the whole Mercers company in their hall on every of their quarter days, at 25l. each dinner. By this disposition sufficient care was taken that the two corporations, to whom the affair was trusted, should receive no damage by the execution of it; for the stated annual payments amount to no more than 6037. 6s. 8d. and the yearly rents of the exchange received by sir Thomas were 740%. besides the additional profits that must arise from time to time by fines, which were very considerable. But the lady Anne his wife was to enjoy both the mansion-house and the exchange during her life if she survived sir Thomas, and then they were both vested in the two corporations for the uses declared in the will for the term of fifty years; which limitation was made on account of the statutes of mortmain, that prohibited the alienation of lands or tenements to any corporation, without licence first had from the crown. And that space of time the testator thought sufficient for procuring such licence, the doing of which he earnestly recommends to them without delay; in default whereof, at the expiration of fifty years, these estates were to go to his heirs at law.

Having thus settled his affairs so much to his own honour, the interest of the public, and the regards due to his family, he was at leisure to reap the fruits of his industry and success. But he did not long enjoy this felicity, for Nov. 21, 1579, coming from the exchange to his house in Bishopsgate-street, he suddenly fell down in his kitchen, became speechless, and presently died. He was buried in his own parish church of St. Helen's. His obsequies were performed in a very solemn manner, the corpse being attended by 100 poor men, and the like number of poor women, whom he had ordered to be cloathed in black gowns of 5s. 8d. per yard at his own expence. The charges of the funeral amounted to 800l. His corpse was deposited in a vault at the north-east corner of the church, which he had before provided for himself and family, with a curious marble tomb over it; on the south and west sides of which are bis own arms, and on the north and east the same impaled with those of his lady. The arms of sir Thomas, together with the City of London and Mercers company, are likewise painted in the glass of the east window of the church, above the tomb, which stood as he left it without any inscription, till 1736, when the following words, taken from

1

the parish register, were cut on the stone that covers it, by order of the church-wardens: "Sir Thomas Gresham, knight, was buried December 15, 1579." By his death many large estates in several counties of England, amounting at that time to the clear yearly value of 2300l. and upwards, came to his lady, who survived him many years, and continued to reside after his decease in the mansionhouse at London, in the winter, and at Osterley-park in the summer season, at which last place she died Nov. 23, 1596, very aged. Her corpse was brought to London, and buried in the same vault with her husband.

Mr. Ward has drawn sir Thomas's character at large, and observes, that he had the happiness of a mind every way suited to his fortune, generous and benign; ready to perform any good actions and encourage them in others. He was a great friend and patron of our celebrated martyrologist John Fox. He was well acquainted with the ancient and several modern languages; he had a very comprehensive knowledge of all affairs relating to commerce, whether foreign or domestic; and his success was not less, being in his time esteemed the richest commoner in England. He transacted queen Elizabeth's mercantile affairs so constantly, that he was called "The Royal Merchant," and his house was sometimes appointed for the reception of foreign princes upon their first arrival at London. As no one could be more ready to perform any generous actions which might contribute to the honour of this country, so he very well knew how to make the best use of them for the most laudable purposes. Nor was he less serviceable both to the queen and her ministry on other occasions, who often consulted him, and sought his advice in matters of the greatest importance relating to the welfare of the government. But the most shining part of his character appears in his public benefactions. The royal exchange was not only a singular ornament to the city of London, and a great convenience to the merchants, who wanted such a place to meet and transact their affairs in, but likewise contributed very much to the promotion of trade, both by the number of shops erected there, and the much greater number of the poor, who were employed in working for them. And the donation of his own mansionhouse for a seat of learning and the liberal arts, with the handsome provision made for the endowment and support of it, was such an instance of a generous and public spirit

as has been equalled by few, and must perpetuate his memory with the highest esteem and gratitude so long as any regard to learning and virtue is preserved among us. Nor ought his charities to the poor, his alms-houses, and the liberal contributions to the ten prisons and hospitals in London and Southwark, to be omitted.

His public benefactions, the royal exchange, and his mansion-house on the decease of his lady, immediately came into the hands of the two corporations, the City of London and the Mercers' company, who, according to their trust, obtained a patent from the crown, dated Feb. 3, 1614, 12 Jacobi I. to hold them for ever upon the terms expressed in the will of the donor.'

GRESSET (JOHN BAPTIST LEWIS), a French poet of considerable eminence, was born 1709, at Amiens, entered among the Jesuits at 16, and quitted the society at the age of 26, about the end of 1735. It was about this time his "Ver Vert" first came out, which has been so justly admired, as the production of a genius (in Rousseau's judgment)" at once refined, embellished, ornamented;' appearing in short, "in all its perfection." This great poet considers the author as " displaying in his familiar style, whatever is most brilliant in poetry, and every idea with which a complete knowledge of the world could furnish a man who had passed his whole life in it." He thought the same of the "Chartreuse," another of his productions, but accused its author of negligence in his other pieces, being of opinion that the familiar style did not exclude the perfection of poetry. M. Gresset was admitted into the French academy in 1748, and gave up poetry that he might devote himself wholly to works of piety, and died June 16, 1777, at Amiens, after having received letters of nobility, and been appointed historiographer of the order of St. Lazore., He married in 1751, mademoiselle Galland, daughter of a merchaut of Amiens, but had no children. Besides the pieces above-mentioned, he wrote "Le Lutrin vivant;"" Les Ombres ;" "Epistles;" "Odes;" a poetical translation of Virgil's Eclogues; "Edward III." a tragedy; "Sidney," and "Le Mechant," comedies; the latter of which is deservedly admired. They have all been collected in 1748, 2 vols. 12mo. Two little poems in the style of " Ver Vert" were found among

1 Biog. Brit.-Ward's Gresham Professors.-Lodge's Illustrations, vol. I.

1

his papers, one entitled "Le Gazetin;" the other, "Le Parrain Magnifique," but not the two cantos which he had added to the Ver Vert. This last poem has been versified in English by Gilbert Cooper, and by Dr. Geddes.'

GRETSER (JAMES), a learned German, was born at Marcdorf about 1561, and entered among the society of Jesuits at the age of seventeen. When he had finished his studies, he was appointed a professor at Ingolstad, where he spent twenty-four years, teaching philosophy, morality, and school-divinity, employments which did not hinder him from composing an unusual number of books. The catalogue of them, as given by Niceron, consists of near 153 articles; which, he tells us, were copied by him from the proposals, published in 1753, for printing an edition of all Gretser's works at Ratisbon, in 17 vols. folio. His great erudition was equalled by his modesty, and we are told he could not bear to be commended. The inhabitants of Marcdorf were desirous of having his picture; but when informed of the earnest application they had made to his superiors for that purpose, he expressed his chagrin, and told them, that if they wanted his picture, they need but draw that of an ass. Still, however, to shew their regard, and in a way more acceptable to him, they purchased all his works, and devoted them to the use of the public. He died at Ingolstad, in 1635. He spent his whole life in writing · against foreign and English protestant authors (See THOMAS JAMES), and in defending the order to which he belonged. Some authors have bestowed very great enco miums upon him, but others think his works only compilations of materials that may be useful to writers of more judgment. They were printed according to the proposals above-mentioned, at Ratisbon, 1739, 17 vols. folio.

2

GREVILLE (FULK or FOULK), lord Brooke, an ingenious writer, was the eldest son of sir Fulk Greville, of Beauchamp-court (at Alcaster) in Warwickshire, and born there in 1554. It is conjectured, that he was educated at the school in Shrewsbury; whence he was removed to Cambridge, and admitted a fellow-commoner at Trinitycollege; and some time after, making a visit to Oxford, he became a member of that university, but of what college is not certain. Having completed his academical

1 Dict. Hist.-Eloge by Bailly.

2 Dupin.-Gen. Dict.-Moreri.Niceron, vol. XXVIII.-Saxii Onomast

studies, he travelled abroad to finish his education; and upon his return, being well accomplished, was introduced to the court of queen Elizabeth by his uncle Robert Greville, where he was esteemed a most ingenious person, and particularly favoured by the lovers of arts and sciences. He was soon nominated to some beneficial employment in the court of marches of Wales by his kinsman, sir Henry Sidney, then lord-president of that court and principality.

Our author was not then above twenty-two years of age, so that this post may be esteemed an honourable attestation of his merit. But the nature of it did not please him; his ambition prompted him to another course of life. He had already made some advances in the queen's favour, had attained a competent familiarity with the modern languages, and some expertness in the martial exercises of those times; these were qualifications for a foreign employment, which was more agreeable to the activity of his temper, and promised a quicker access to some of the first posts in the state. In reality he was so eager to advance his fortune in this line, that to gratify his desire, he ventured to incur his royal mistress's displeasure, and made several attempts in it, not only with, but even without her majesty's consent. Out of many of these we have an account of the few following from his own pen. First, when the two mighty armies of Don John and the duke Casimire were to meet in the Low-countries, he applied and obtained her majesty's leave under her own hand, to go thither; but after his horses with all other preparations were shipped at Dover, the queen (who always discouraged these excursions) sent her messenger, sir Edward Dyer, with her mandate to stop him. He was so much vexed at this disappointment, that afterwards, when secretary Walsingham was sent ambassador in 1578, to treat with those two princes, an opportunity of seeing an affair in which so much Christian blood and so many Christian empires were concerned, was so tempting, that he resolved not to risque a denial, and therefore stole away without leave, and went over with the secretary incog. The consequence was, that at his return the queen forbade him her presence for many months. To the same ambition may also be referred his engagement with sir Philip Sidney to accompany sir Francis Drake in his last expedition but one to the WestIndies in 1515, in which they were both frustrated by the same authority.