Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Framyngham, William

948351Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 20 — Framyngham, William1889Ronald Bayne

FRAMYNGHAM, WILLIAM (1512–1537), author, was born in February 1512 at Norwich, and educated at the grammar school, where he was contemporary with Dr. John Caius. From Norwich he went to Cambridge, and was at first at Pembroke Hall and afterwards at Queen's College, 'in aula Pembrokiana per adolescentiam educatus, per juventutem in Collegium reginale ascitus.' He proceeded B.A. 1530, M.A. 1533, and was scholar of Queen's College from 1530 till his death, and bursar for three years from 1534. He died 25 Sept. 1537. He left all his books to his friend and schoolfellow Dr. John Caius, who tells us that along with Framyngham he wrote 'Scholia' and notes upon them, but could never recover them from those in whose care he left them when he went to Italy. Long afterwards, in 1570, Edmund, bishop of Rochester, professed to know of them, but Caius apparently did not follow up the clue. Dr. Caius describes his friend as 'homo tenacissimæ memoriæ, fœcundi ingenii, infinitæ lectionis, indefatigati laboris atque diligentiæ,' and gives the following list of his works: 1. 'De Continentia lib. ii.' (prose). 2. 'De Consolatione ad Æmilianum cæcum lib. i.' (verse; suggested by the author's blindness, brought on by immoderate study). 3. 'D. Laurentii Martyrium' (verse). 4. 'Εκπύ-ρωσις, sive Incendium Sodomorum' (verse). 5. 'Idololatria' (verse). 6. 'Άρέτη, sive in laudem virtutis' (verse). 7. 'Epigrammatum lib. ii.'

[J. Caius de libris propriis, 1570, p. 2; N. Carlisle's Endowed Grammar Schools, ii. 186; Tanner's Bibliotheca, p. 297 ; Cooper's Athenæ Cantab. i. 63, 531.]

R. B.