Vergil, Polydore
Born at Ubino about 1470; died there probably in 1555. Having studied at Bologna and Padua, he became successfully secretary to the Duke of Urbino and chamberlain to Alexander VI. He became famous by two early works, “Proverbiorum libellus” and “De inventoribus rerum”, which attained extraordinary popularity. In 1501 the pope sent him to England as a sub-collector of Peterspence. He became intimate with Henry VII, who in 1505 commissioned him to write the history of England, and he obtained much preferment, including the archdeaconry of Wells. On 22 Oct., 1510, he was naturalized as an English subject. Subsequently to a visit to Rome in 1514, he offended Wolsey who had entrusted him with business, and was imprisoned and deprived of his sub-collectorship. Though finally released, he avenged himself by writing a hostile view of Wolsey in his history, which profoundly influenced later English historians. This work was published in 1533 and is specially valuable for his account of Henry VII’s reign. In the third edition (Basle, 1555) the work is continued from 1509 to 1538. He is the first of the modern historians, consulting authorities, weighing evidence, and writing a connected story, not a simple chronicle. His other works are too numerous to specify. Throughout the religious changes he remained loyal, though not a fervent, Catholic. He kept in touch with Italy by frequent visits, and the religious changes under Edward VI led him to return there to spend his last years in his native land.
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There is no complete biography, but references to him and his career are found in all the numerous sources for the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. The best connected accounts are: ELLIS, Prefaces to the History of England published by the Camden Society (London, 1844); ARCHBOLD in Dict. Nat. Biog., s.v.
EDWIN BURTON Transcribed by Thomas M. Barrett Dedicated to the Poor Souls in Purgatory
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XVCopyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, October 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Vergil, Polydore
a priest of the Roman Church and an ecclesiastical historian, was born at Urbino, Italy, about 1470. He acquired a considerable literary reputation by. his Proverbiorum Libellus (1498) and De Rerum Inventoribus (1499). In 1501 he was sent to England by pope Alexander VI, to collect the papal tribute called Peter’s pence, and was the last to hold that office. He remained in England the greater part of his life; became rector of Church- Langton, in Leicestershire; archdeacon of Wells in 1507; and a prebendary of Hereford and Lincoln the same year; then prebendary in St. Paul’s, London, in 1513. When he had been in England nearly fifty years, he returned to Italy, having received a present of three hundred crowns and leave to hold his archdeaconry of Wells and his prebend at Hereford during life. He died in Italy about 1555. He was the friend of Erasmus, and wrote several works of value. His principal work is a voluminous Latin History of England, Historiae Anglicae Libri XXX VI (Basle, 1533, fol.).. Two volumes of an old English edition of this work were edited by Sir Henry Ellis for the Camden Society (1844-46). The Agathynian Club published (N. Y. 1868) a translation of his De Rerum Inventoribus, by John Langley, with an Account of the Author and his Works, by Dr. W. A. Hammond.