INTRODUCTION.

Johnson, the best biographer of Linacre, that this election must have implied relationship to Archbishop Chichele, the founder, and thus also to Selling, assuming that the latter owed his preferment also to family connexions. But the entry in the College books (which though not contemporary is a copy thought to have been made about 1571 of the original record) has no indication of his being of founder's kin. It is simply "Thomas Lynaker, medicus insignis" distinguished physician. The omission to specify kinship to the founder is regarded by Dr Leighton the present Warden of All Souls (he was himself good enough to inform me) as decisive that no such kinship existed, and the supposition of any family tie between Linacre and Chichele or Selling must therefore be regarded as entirely baseless¹.

The time of Linacre's residence at Oxford was one of much moment in the history of the University, already stirred by the earliest movements of the revival of learning. The first Oxford printing press was already issuing those few volumes, now become so rare, which must have been of startling interest to the world of scholars. The study of the new learning, Greek, had been introduced by Cornelio Vitali, an Italian, said to have been the first teacher of that language in England, and it is stated that Linacre became his pupil. At the same time he doubtless formed the acquaintance of two scholars who shared his devotion to the 'new learning,' William Grocyn and William Latimer, the former of whom survived to form part, with Linacre himself, of the brilliant circle of Oxford scholars, who a few years later excited the admiration of Erasmus.

But Linacre was soon to have the privilege which he must have long coveted, of perfecting his knowledge of Greek at what was then the fountain-head of that learning,