(Richard), a learned prelate, and principal pillar of the Reformation, was born at Whaddon in Buckinghamshire, of low parentage, in the year 1499. From Eaton school he obtained a scholarship in King's college in Cambridge, of which he became a fellow in 1519; he was thence invited to Oxford by cardinal Woolley, and was there made one of the junior canons of Cardinal College. In 1525 he was incorporated Batchelor; and the following year took the degree of Master of Arts in the same university. In this situation he became remarkable for his learning and poetical abilities; but his attachment to the opinions of Luther rendered him hateful to his superiors, who stripped him of his preferment, and threw him into prison, on a suspicion of heresy. Being, however, soon released, he was chosen master of Eaton school, which flourished remarkably under his care. In 1537, he commenced Doctor of Divinity at Cambridge; in 1540, was made archdeacon of Ely; and the following year prebendary of that cathedral, on its being newly founded by king Henry VIII. In 1546, he was made dean of Christ-church, Oxford. By the recommendation of archbishop Cranmer and bishop Goodrich, to the latter of whom he had been chaplain, he not only obtained the above preferments, but was chosen preceptor to prince Edward; on whose accession to the throne he became a favourite at court, was sworn of the privy council, and made king's almoner. In 1547, he was elected chancellor of Oxford; in 1548, canon of Windsor; and the next year, dean of Westminster. About this time he was appointed one of the commissioners to visit the university of Oxford; in which office his zeal for reformation was so excessive, that he destroyed a number of curious and valuable books, for no better reason than because they were written by Roman Catholics. On the accession of queen Mary he was stripped of all his preferments, and committed to the Marshalsea. He was, however, soon released, and immediately left the kingdom. Having resided some time at Strasbourg with his intimate friend Pater Martyr, on the death of queen Mary he returned to England, and, with other divines, was appointed to revile the liturgy. He often preached before the queen; and, in 1559, was preferred to the see of Ely, which he continued to enjoy upwards of 21 years. He was, however, no favourite with the queen; the reason assigned for which was, his zealous opposition to her retaining the crucifix and wax-candles on the altar of the royal chapel; also his strenuous defence of the marriage of the clergy, which her majesty always disapproved. He died on the 22nd of July 1581, aged 81. He was a man of considerable learning, a zealous and rigid bulwark of the church of England, and an implacable enemy both to Papists and Puritans. In a letter to archbishop Parker he advises him to proceed vigorously in reclaiming or purifying the Puritans, and not to be discouraged at the frown of those court-favourites who protected them; assuring him that he might expect the blessing of God on his pious labours to free the church from their dangerous attempts, and to establish uniformity.—This zealous reformer we find had not totally lost sight of the popular text, compel them to come in: but a stronger proof of his implacability and self-importance appears in his letter to the lord treasurer Burleigh, in which he warmly expostulates with the council for interfering in behalf of the Puritans, or meddling in affairs of the church, admonishing them to keep their own sphere. Such language from a bishop would make a modern privy council stare. His works are, 1. Two Latin Orations on the Dispute between Dr Trelham and Peter Martyr, Lond. 1549, 4to. 2. Liturgy of the Church of England; in compiling, and afterwards correcting which, he was principally concerned. 3. The Lord's Prayer in verse, commonly printed at the end of David's Psalms by Sternhold and Hopkins. 4. Translation of the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistle to the Romans, in the new translation of the Bible in the reign of queen Elizabeth. 5. Resolutions of some Questions concerning the Sacrament, in the Collection of Records at the end of Burnet's History of the Reformation. 6. Several Letters to the Queen and others, published in Strype's Annals of the Reformation. He is also said to have been concerned in the declaration concerning the divine institution of bishops, and to have assisted Lilye in his Grammar.