WILLIAM, the great antiquarian, was born in London in the year 1551. His father was a native of Lichfield in Staffordshire, who settling in London, became a member of the company of paper-makers, and lived in the Old Bailey. His mother was of the ancient family of Curwen, of Workington, in Cumberland. He was educated first at Christ's hospital, and afterwards at St Paul's school: from thence he was sent, in 1566, to Oxford, and entered servitor of Magdalen college; but being disappointed of a demy's place, he removed to Broadgate hall, and somewhat more than two years after to Christ-church, where he was supported by his kind friend and patron Dr Thornton. About this time he was a candidate for a fellowship of All-souls college, but lost it by the intrigues of the Popish party. In 1570, he supplicated the regents of the university to be admitted bachelor of arts; but in this also he miscarried. The following year Mr Camden came to London, where he prosecuted his favourite study of antiquity, under the patronage of Dr Goodman, dean of Westminster, by whose interest he was made second master of Westminster school in 1575. From the time of his leaving the university to this period, he took several journeys to different parts of England, with a view to make observations and collect materials for his Britannia, in which he was now deeply engaged. In 1581 he became intimately acquainted with the learned President Brison, who was then in England; and in 1586 he published the first edition of his Britannia; a work which, though much enlarged and improved in future editions, was even then esteemed an honour to its author, and the glory of its country. In 1593 he succeeded to the head mastership of Westminster school on the resignation of Dr Grant. In this office he continued till 1597, when he was promoted to be Clarenceux king at arms. In the year 1600 Mr Camden made a tour to the north, as far as Carlisle, accompanied by his friend Mr (afterwards Sir Robert) Cotton. In 1606 he began his correspondence with the celebrated President de Thou, which continued to the death of that faithful historian. In the following year he published his last edition of the Britannia, which is that from which the several English translations have been made; and in 1608, he began to digest his materials for a history of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In 1609, after recovering from a dangerous illness, he retired to Chislehurst in Kent, where he continued to spend the summer months during the remainder of his life. The first part of his Annals of the queen did not appear till the year 1615, and he determined that the second volume should not appear till after his death (A). The work was entirely finished in 1617; and from that time he was principally employed in collecting more materials for the further improvement of his Britannia. In 1622, being now upwards of 70, and finding his health decline apace, he determined to lose no time in executing his design of founding a history lecture in the university of Oxford. His deed of gift was accordingly transmitted by his friend Mr Heather to Mr Gregory Wheare, who was, by himself, appointed his first professor. He died at Chislehurst in 1623, in the 73rd year of his age; and was buried with great solemnity in Westminster abbey, in the south aisle, where a monument of white marble was erected to his memory. Camden was a man of singular modesty and integrity; profoundly learned in the history and antiquities of this kingdom, and a judicious and conscientious historian. He was reverenced and esteemed by the literati of all nations, and will be ever remembered as an honour to the age and country wherein he lived. Besides the works already mentioned, he was author of an excellent Greek grammar, and of several tracts in Hearne's collection. But his great and most useful work, the Britannia, is that upon which his fame is chiefly built. The edition above mentioned, to which he put his last hand, was correctly printed in folio, much augmented, amended where it was necessary, and adorned with maps. It was first translated into English, and published in folio at London, in 1611, by the laborious Dr Philemon Holland, a physician of Coventry, who is thought to have consulted our author himself; and therefore great respect has been paid to the additions and explanations that occur.

(A) The reign of Queen Elizabeth was so recent when the first volume of the Annals was published, that many of the persons concerned, or their dependents, were still living. It is no wonder, therefore, that the honest historian should offend those whose actions would not bear inquiry. Some of his enemies were clamorous and troublesome; which determined him not to publish the second volume during his life; but that posterity might be in no danger of disappointment, he deposited one copy in the Cotton library, and transmitted another to his friend Dupuy at Paris. It was first printed at Leyden in 1625. CAM

occur therein, on a supposition that they may belong to Camden. But in a later edition of the same translation, published in 1636, the Doctor has taken liberties which cannot either be defended or excused. A new translation, made with the utmost fidelity from the last edition of our author's work, was published in 1695, by Edmund Gibbon of Queen's college in Oxford, afterwards bishop of London; in which, besides the addition of notes, and of all that deserved to be taken notice of in Dr Holland's first edition, which, though thrown out of the text, is preserved at the bottom of the page, there are many other augmentations and improvements, all properly distinguished from the genuine work of the author, as they ought to be: and the same judicious method obtained in the next edition of the same performance, which was justly considered as the very best book of its kind that had been hitherto published. But the public has been recently put in possession of a new translation, and still more improved edition, by that learned and industrious topographer Mr Gough, under whose hands it has been enlarged to near double the size of the last of the preceding editions.