Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/204

 i68 ALLEN, Trinity college, Oxford, in 1561; and, in 1567, took his degree of matter of arts. In 1570, he quitted his college and fellowship, and retired toGlocefter hall, where he ftudied very clofely, and became famous for his knowledge in anti- quity, philofophy, and mathematics. Having received an invitation from Henry earl of Northumberland, a great friend and patron of the mathematicians, he fpent fome time at the earl's houfe, where he became acquainted with thofe celebrated mathematicians Thomas Harriot, John Dee, Wal- ter Warner, and Nathaniel Torporley. Robert earl of Lei- cefter had a particular efteeni for Mr. Allen, and would have Wood's conferred a bifhopric upon him, but hjs love of folitude and c! i re ' rement made him decline the offer. His great fkill in the 'mathematics made the ignorant and vulgar look upon him as a magician or conjuror : the author of a book, intituled " Leicefter's Commonwealth," has accordingly accufed him with ufing the art of fi^urin?, to brine about the earl of Lei- O CO' ceuer's fchemes, and endeavouring, by the black art, to bring about a match betwixt him and queen Elizabeth. But waving the abfurdity of the charge, it is certain the earl placed fuch confidence in Allen, that nothing material in the date was tranfa&ed without his knowledge ; and the earl had conftant information, by letter from Allen, of what pafied in the univerfity. Allen was very curious and inde- fatigable in collecting fcattered manufcripts relating to hiC- tory, antiquity, aflronomy, philofophy, and mathematics : which collections have been quoted by feveral learned au- thors, cc. and mentioned to have been in the Bibliotheca AUeniana. He publiflied in Latin ihe fecond and third books of Ptolemy, " Concerning the Judgment of the Stars," or, as it is commonly called, of the quadripartite conftruc- tion, with an expofition. Ke wrote allb notes on many of Lilly's books, and fome on John Bale's work " De fcriptori- bus Maj. Britannia?." Having lived to a great age, he died at Glocefter hall in 1632. Mr. Burton, the author of his fu- neral oration, calls him not only the Coryphaeus, but the very foul and fun of all the mathematicians of his time. Mr. I* notis ad Selden mentions him as <<; Omni eruditionis genere furn- t Hi rTo 7. * moque judicio ornati.Timus, celeberrimae academiae Oxo- p. 200. " l( nienfis decus infigniffimum : a perfon of the moft exten- " nament of the univerfity of Oxford." Camden fays, he was " Plurimus optimifque artibus ornatiilimus : fkilled ia icribed part of his character from a manufcript in the library ol
 * five learning and confummate judgement, the brightefl or-
 * moft of the beft arts and fciences." Mr. Wood has tran-