Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 56.djvu/200

 with some Italian gentlemen, he defended the personal character and public policy of the deceased king. He subsequently drew up a narrative of the discussion, and an Italian version was issued abroad in 1552. There is a copy in the British Museum bearing the title, 'Il Pellegrino Inglese ne'l quale si defende l'innocente & la sincera vita de'l pio & religioso re d'Inghilterra Henrico ottauo.' He also wrote, but did not publish, an English version, to which he added a dedication to Pietro Aretino, the Italian poet, and a copy of this, possibly in Thomas's own writing, is preserved among the Cottonian MSS. at the British Museum (Vespasian D. 18), a later transcript being also in the Harleian collection (vol. cccliii. ff. 8–36), while there is a third copy at the Bodleian Library, Oxford (No. 53). Froude erroneously states that there is also a copy among the Lansdowne MSS. Presumably in ignorance of the existence of these texts, Edward Brown made, about 1690, an independent translation of the Italian version, which he intended incorporating in the third volume of his 'Fasciculus' (, Athenæ Oxon. i. 220), and which is still preserved at the Bodleian Library (Tanner MS. No. 303). The Cottonian text was quoted by Strype (Eccles. Mem. i. 385) and more fully in the 'Miscellaneous Antiquities' (No. ii. pp. 55–62), issued in 1772 from the Strawberry Hill press. Two years later the dialogue was published in its entirety by Abraham D'Aubant, together with Thomas's political discourses, also in the Cottonian collection, under the title of 'The Works of William Thomas' (London, 8vo). A reprint of the dialogue, edited by Froude, was published in 1861, bearing the title 'The Pilgrim: a Dialogue of the Life and Actions of King Henry the Eighth,' London, 8vo. Thomas's work is specially valuable as representing the popular view of the character of Henry VIII current in England at the time of his death. It is not free from mistakes, but it 'has the accuracies and the inaccuracies' which might be naturally expected 'in any account of a series of intricate events given by memory without the assistance of documents'.

From Bologna Thomas appears to have gone to Padua, whence on 3 Feb. 1548–9 he forwarded to his 'verie good friende Maister [John] Tamwoorth at Venice' an Italian primer which he had undertaken at his request. This Tamworth showed to [q.v.], who, approving of it, 'caused it to be put in printe' (cf.,  i. 279), under the title of 'Principal Rvles of the Jtalian Grammer, with a Dictionarie for the better vnderstandynge of Boccace, Petrarcha, and Dante, gathered into this tongue by William Thomas.' It was printed (in black letter, 4to) by Berthelet in 1550, subsequent editions being brought out by H. Wykes in 1560 and 1567, and by T. Powell in 1562.

During the summer of 1549 Thomas appears to have returned to England 'highly fam'd for his travels through France and Italy,' and bringing home with him another work, the result of his Italian studies, which was also published by Berthelet under the title, 'The Historie of Italie …' (1549, 4to, black letter). This work was dedicated, under the date of 20 Sept. 1549, to Lord Lisle, then Earl of Warwick. It is said to have been 'suppressed and publicly burnt,' probably after Thomas's execution (Notes and Queries, 4th ser. v. 361, viii. 48; Cat. of Huth Libr. p. 1466), but it was twice reprinted by Thomas Marshe, in 1561 and (with cuts) in 1562.

On 19 April 1550, partly owing to his knowledge of modern languages, but chiefly perhaps for his defence of the late king, Thomas was appointed one of the clerks of the privy council, and was sworn in on the same day at Greenwich (Acts P. C. ii. 433, iii. 3–4; cf. Lit. Remains of Edward VI, Roxb. Club, p. 258). Possibly a portion of the register of the council for the next year is in his autograph (Acts P. C. iii. pref. p. v).

The new clerk had 'his fortunes to make', and, though not a spiritual person, he 'greedily affected a certain good prebend of St. Paul's,' which, doubtless at his instigation, the council on 23 June 1550 agreed to settle on him (Acts P. C. iii. 53, 58). Ridley, who had intended this preferment for his chaplain Grindal, stigmatised Thomas as 'an ungodly man,' and resisted the grant, but without success; for when the prebend fell vacant, it was conveyed to the king, 'for the furnishing of his stables,' and its emoluments granted to Thomas (, Works, Parker Soc., 1841, pp. 331–4, and, Eccl. Mem. ii. 264; cf.  i. 95, Life of Grindal, p. 7). This 'unreasonable piece of covetousness' was, in Strype's opinion, 'the greatest blur sticking upon' Thomas's character.

Among many other grants which Thomas received was that of the tolls of Presteign, Builth, and 'Elvael' in Radnorshire on 27 Dec. 1551 (, Eccl. Mem. i. 522; cf.  ii. 221), and the parsonage of Presteign with the patronage of the vicarage on 26 Oct. 1552 (Acts P. C. iv. 153). These were in addition to a sum of 248l. previously given him 'by waie of rewarde,' 7 Jan. 1550–1 (ib. iii. 186). In April 1551 he was appointed