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Sir John Cheke (1514-1557). Library of Literary Criticism. 1901-05

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Sir John Cheke (1514-1557). Library of Literary Criticism. 1901-05 Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Bibliographic Record Charles Wells Moulton, ed.  Library of Literary Criticism.  1901–05. Sir John Cheke (1514–1557) Was born in 1514 art Cambridge, and in 1529 obtained a fellowship of St. John’s College, where he embraced the Reformed doctrines. He laboured earnestly to advance Greek studies, and in 1540 was appointed first regius professor of Greek. His new mode of pronouncing Greek, assailed by Bishop Gardiner in vain, resembled that still in vogue in England. In 1544 he became tutor to the Prince, afterwards Edward VI., whose accession secured Cheke a seat in parliament (1547), the provostship of King’s College (1548), and knighthood (1552). He was stripped of everything at Mary’s accession, and went abroad, but in 1556 was treacherously seized in Belgium, and brought to the Tower. Fear of the stake induced him to abjure Protestantism, but his recantation preyed on his mind, and he died 13th September, 1557.—Patrick and Groome, 1897, eds., Chambers’s Biographical Dictionary, p. 209.    

1   The Exchequer of Eloquence; Sir Ihon Cheeke, a man of men, supernaturally traded in all tongues.—Nashe, Thomas, 1589, To the Gentlemen Students of Both Vnieursities, Nash’s Works, ed. Grosart, vol. I, p. xxviii.    

2   Sir John Cheekes stile was the honybee of Plato.—Harvey, Gabriel, 1593, A New Letter of Notable Contents, Works, ed. Grosart, vol. I, p. 266.    

3 Thy age like ours, O soul of Sir John Cheek, Hated not learning worse than toad or asp, When thou taughtest Cambridge and King Edward Greek. —Milton, John, 1645–46, Sonnets.    

4   There had been in King Henry’s time a great contest raised concerning the pronunciation of the Greek vowels. That tongue was but lately come to any perfection in England, and so no wonder the Greek was pronounced like English, with the same sound and apertures of the mouth: to this, Mr. Cheek, then reader of that tongue in Cambridge, opposed himself, and taught other rules of pronunciation. Gardiner was, it seems, so afraid of every innovation, though ever so much in the right, that he contended stiffly to have the old pronunciation retained: and Cheek, persisting in his opinion, was either put from the chair, or willingly left it, to avoid the indignation of so great and so spiteful a man as Gardiner was, who was then chancellor of the university. Cheek wrote a book in vindication of his way of pronouncing Greek; of which this must be said, that it is very strange to see how he could write with so much learning and judgment on so bare a subject. Redmayn, Poinet, and other learned men, were of his side, yet more covertly: but Sir Thomas Smith, now secretary of state, writ three books on the same argument, and did so evidently confirm Cheek’s opinion, that the dispute was now laid aside, and the true way of pronouncing the Greek took place; the rather, because Gardiner was in disgrace, and Cheek and Smith were in such power and authority: so great an influence had the interests of men in supporting the most speculative and indifferent things.—Burnet, Gilbert, 1681, The History of the Reformation of the Church of England, ed. Nares, vol. II, pt. ii, bk. i, p. 192.    

5   He happens, indeed, to be the very person who has the credit of amending the English style of writing, as well as the language; and that he contributed to the amendment of both is beyond dispute, though some of his improvements were never generally adopted.—Nares, Edward, 1828, Memoirs of Lord Burghley, vol. I, p. 251, note.    

6   A refined critic of our language then was the learned Sir John Cheke, who at this early period considered that the English language was capable of preserving the utmost purity of style, and he was jealously awake to its slightest violations.—Disraeli, Isaac, 1841, Vicissitudes of the English Language, Amenities of Literature.    

7   Is perhaps the first Englishman in whose prose style the influence of a familiarity with classical literature is fully and clearly manifested.—Marsh, George P., 1862, The Origin and History of the English Language, etc., p. 521.    

8   Cheke was unquestionably one of the most learned men of his age. He was a felicitous translator and a judicious imitator of the ancient classical authors…. He failed in his attempt to introduce a phonetic method of spelling English. He is described as beneficent, charitable, and communicative. It has been said that he was a libertine, but there seems to be no ground for the imputation.—Cooper, Thompson, 1887, Dictionary of National Biography, vol. X, p. 181.    

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