(Richard), a naval historian, is supposed to have been born in London about the year 1553, and descended of a gentle family in Herefordshire, as the name frequently occurs in the list of high sheriffs for that county in former reigns. He was educated at Westminster-school; and thence, in 1570, removed to Christchurch, Oxford; where he applied himself particularly to the study of cosmography, and read public lectures in that science. Sir Edward Stafford being sent ambassador to France in 1583, Mr Hakluyt was one of his attendants, probably in the capacity of chaplain. He was at this time master of arts and professor of divinity. In 1585 he obtained the royal mandate for the next vacant prebend of Bristol, to which preferment he succeeded during his residence at Paris. Constantly attentive to his favourite cosmographical inquiries, in searching the French libraries, he found a valuable history of Florida, which had been discovered about 20 years before by Captain Loudonniere and others: this he caused to be published, at his own expense, in the French language, and soon after revised and republished Peter Martyr's book De orbis novo. After five years residence in France, Mr Hakluyt returned to England in company with lady Sheffield, sister to the lord admiral Howard. In the year 1589 he published his Collection of Voyages in one folio volume, which in 1598 was republished in three. In 1605 our author was made prebendary of Westminster; which, with the rectory of Wetherington in the county of Suffolk, seems to have been the summit of his preferment. He died in 1616, and was buried in Westminster-abbey; bequeathing to his son Edmund his manor of Bridge-Place, and several houses in Tothill street, Westminster. He was an indefatigable and faithful historian. His works are, 1. A Collection of Voyages and Discoveries, a small volume. 2. History of Florida, above mentioned. 3. The principal Navigations, Voyages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, made by Sea or over Land to the farthest distant Quarters of the Earth, at any time within the compass of these 1500 years, in three vols folio. 4. The Discoveries of the World, from the first Original to the Year 1555, written in the Portugal tongue by Ant. Galvano; corrected, much amended, and translated into English, by Richard Hakluyt. 5. Virginia richly valued, by the Description of the Main Land of Florida, her next Neighbour, &c., written by a Portugal gentleman of Elvas, and translated by Richard Hakluyt. Besides these, he left several manuscripts, which were printed in Purchas's collection.