WILLIAM LILLIE.
Reading edition
To this John Scelton, we shall next present you with the Life of his Contemporary and great Antagonist William Lillie, born at Odiham, a great Market-Town in Hantshire; who to better his knowledge, in his youth travelled to the City of Jerusalem, where having satisfied his curiosity in beholding those sacred places where on our Saviour trode when he was upon the Earth; he returned homewards, making some stay at Rhodes, to study Greek. Hence he went to Rome, where he heard John Sulpitius and Pomponius Sabinus, great Masters of Latine in those days. At his return home, Doctor John Collet had new builded a fair School at the East-end of St. Paul's, for 153 poor mens Children, to be taught free in the same School; for which he appointed a Master, an Usher, and a Chaplain, with large Stipends for ever; committing the oversight thereof to the Masters, Wardens and Assistants of the Mercers in London, because he was Son to Henry Collet Mercer, sometime Major; leaving for the Maintenance thereof, Lands to the yearly value of 120l. or better; making this William Lilly first Master thereof; which Place he commendably discharg'd for 15 years. During which time he made his Latine Grammar, the Oracle of Free Schools of England, and other Grammatical Works. He is said also by Bale, to have written Epigrams, and other Poetry of various Subjects in various Latine Verse, though scarce any of them (unless it be his Grammar) now extant, only Mr. Stow makes mention of an Epitaph made by him, and graven on a fair Tomb, in the midst of the Chancel of St. Paul's in London containing these Words;
Inclyta Joannes Londini Gloria gentis, Is tibi qui quondam Paule Decanus erat, Qui toties magno resonabat pectore Christum, Doctor & Interpres fidus Evangelij: Qui mores hominum multum sermone disertæ Formarat, vitæ sed probitate magis: Quique Scholam struxit celebrem cognomine Jesu, Hac dormit tectus membra Coletus humo. Floruit sub Henrico 7. & Henrico 8. Reg. Obiit An. Dom. 1519. Disce mori Mundo, vivere disce Deo.
John Skelton (whom we mentioned before) whose Writings were for the most part Satyrical, mixing store of Gall and Copperas in his Ink, having fell foul upon Mr. Lilly in some of his Verses, Lilly return'd him this biting Answer;
Quid me Sceltone fronte sic aperta Carpis, vipereo potens veneno? Quid Versus trutina, meos iniqua Libras? Dicere vera num licebit? Doctrinæ, tibi dum parare famam, Et doctus fieri studes Poeta, Doctrinam ne habes, nec es Poeta. With Face so bold, and Teeth so sharp, Of Viper's venom, why dost carp? Why are my Verses by thee weigh'd In a false Scale? May Truth be said; Whilst thou to get the more esteem, A Learned Poet fain wouldst seem, Skelton, thou art, let all men know it, Neither Learned, nor a Poet.
He died of the Plague, Anno 1522, and was buried in St. Paul's, with this Epitaph on a Brass Plate, fixed in the Wall by the great North-Door:
Gulielmo Lilio, Pauliæ Scholæ olim Præceptori primario, & Agnetæ Conjugi, in sacratissimo hujus Templi Coemiterio hinc a tergo nunc destructo consepultis; Georgius Lilius, hujus Ecclesiæ Canonicus, Parentum Memoriæ pie consulens, Tabellam hanc ab amicis conservatam, hic reponendam curavit.