JAMES, Thomas, a learned English critic and divine, born about the year 1571. He recommended himself to the office of keeper of the public library at Oxford, by the arduous undertaking of publishing a catalogue of the MSS. in each college library at both universities. He was elected to this office in 1602, and held it 18 years, when he resigned it to prosecute his studies with more freedom. In the convocation held with the parliament at Oxford in 1625, of which he was a member, he moved to have proper commissioners appointed to collate the MSS. of the fathers in all the libraries in England, with the Popish editions, in order to detect the forgeries in the latter; but this proposal not meeting with the desired encouragement, he engaged in the laborious task himself, which he continued until his death in 1629. He left behind him a great number of learned works.