John Sandford (poet)
Encyclopedia
John Sandford or Sanford (1565? – 1629) was an English clergyman and academic, known as a grammarian of the Romance languages
. He was also a neo-Latin poet, and a founder of the tradition of literary nonsense
under the pseudonym Glareanus Vadianus, a mocker of Thomas Coryat
.
, he was born there about 1565. He entered Balliol College, Oxford
, as a commoner about 16 October 1581, and graduated B.A. from Balliol on 17 December 1586, M.A. on 27 May 1595. He was chosen in 1593 chaplain of Magdalen College
, but more than once was censured for absenting himself from public worship. Sandford retained the office of chaplain at Magdalen until 1616; but before that date he commenced travelling as chaplain to Sir John Digby
. About 1610 Sandford was in Brussels
, and on 20 March 1611 they started for Spain, Digby's mission being the Spanish Match
.
In 1614 Sandford was at Lambeth Palace
, acting as domestic chaplain to George Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury
. Abbot in 1615 presented him to a prebend in Canterbury Cathedral
, and to the rectories of Ivechurch in Romney Marsh
, and Blackmanstone, also in Kent
. On 27 October 1621 he was presented to Snave
in the same county, which he held until his death on 24 September 1629. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral.
, describing them jointly as the 'two swans' of Somerset, and John Davies of Hereford
eulogised him in a sonnet. Sandford's earliest publication, 'Appolinis et Mvsarum Eὐκτικὰ Eἰδύλλια in Serenissimae Reginae Elizabethae . . . adventum,' Oxford, 1592, describes in Latin verse the banquet given by the president and fellows of Magdalen to Queen Elizabeth's retinue on the occasion of her visit to Oxford on 22 September 1592. Other verses by Sandford are 'In obitum clar. Herois Domini Arthuri Greij,' in a funeral sermon by Thomas Sparke
, 1593; 'In Funebria nob. et praest. equitis D. Henrici Vnton,' 1596, in 'Academiae Oxoniensis funebre officium in mort. Eliz. Reginae,' Oxford, 1603; and commendatory poems in Latin before John Davies's Microcosmos, 1603, Thomas Winter
's translation of Du Bartas, pts. i. and ii. (1603), and Thomas Godwin's Romanae Historiae Anthologia, 1614.
He also published on his own account at Oxford 'God's Arrow of the Pestilence,' a sermon never preached (1604), and grammars of French, Latin, and Italian, to which he afterwards added one of Spanish. The first three were entitled respectively, Le Guichet Francois, sive Janicvla et Brevis Introductio ad Linguam Gallicam, Oxford, 1604; A briefe extract of the former Latin Grammar, done into English for the easier instruction of the Learner, Oxford, 1605, (dedicated to William, son of Arthur, lord Grey de Wilton); A Grammar, or Introdvction to the Italian Tongue, Oxford, 1605, containing a poem, Sur l'Autheur, by Jean More. he prepared 'Προπύλαιον, or Entrance to the Spanish Tongue ' (London, 1611; 2nd edit. 1633), for the use of ambassador Digby's party. It was dedicated to William Langton, President of Madgalen, and among the embassy using it was James Mabbe
.
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
. He was also a neo-Latin poet, and a founder of the tradition of literary nonsense
Literary nonsense
Literary nonsense is a broad categorization of literature that uses sensical and nonsensical elements to defy language conventions or logical reasoning...
under the pseudonym Glareanus Vadianus, a mocker of Thomas Coryat
Thomas Coryat
Thomas Coryat was an English traveller and writer of the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean age. He is principally remembered for two volumes of writings he left regarding his travels, often on foot, through Europe and parts of Asia...
.
Life
Son of Richard Sandford, of Chard, SomersetChard, Somerset
Chard is a town and civil parish in the Somerset county of England. It lies on the A30 road near the Devon border, south west of Yeovil. The parish has a population of approximately 12,000 and, at an elevation of , it is the southernmost and highest town in Somerset...
, he was born there about 1565. He entered Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, as a commoner about 16 October 1581, and graduated B.A. from Balliol on 17 December 1586, M.A. on 27 May 1595. He was chosen in 1593 chaplain of Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, but more than once was censured for absenting himself from public worship. Sandford retained the office of chaplain at Magdalen until 1616; but before that date he commenced travelling as chaplain to Sir John Digby
John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol
John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol , was an English diplomat and a moderate royalist during the English Civil War.- Early career :...
. About 1610 Sandford was in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and on 20 March 1611 they started for Spain, Digby's mission being the Spanish Match
Spanish Match
The Spanish Match was a proposed marriage between Prince Charles, the son of King James I of England, and Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, the daughter of Philip III of Spain...
.
In 1614 Sandford was at Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
, acting as domestic chaplain to George Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. Abbot in 1615 presented him to a prebend in Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, and to the rectories of Ivechurch in Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about 100 mi ² .-Quotations:*“As Egypt was the gift of the Nile, this level tract .....
, and Blackmanstone, also in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. On 27 October 1621 he was presented to Snave
Snave
Snave is a very small hamlet located on Romney Marsh in Kent, England just off the A2070 road nine miles south of the town of Ashford. Snave only consists of a few houses and the church of St Augustine's which holds one service per year at harvest festival. In spring, the churchyard is famed for...
in the same county, which he held until his death on 24 September 1629. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral.
Works
He obtained a reputation as a writer of Latin verse; John Lane reckoned him on a level with Samuel DanielSamuel Daniel
Samuel Daniel was an English poet and historian.-Early life:Daniel was born near Taunton in Somerset, the son of a music-master. He was the brother of lutenist and composer John Danyel. Their sister Rosa was Edmund Spenser's model for Rosalind in his The Shepherd's Calendar; she eventually married...
, describing them jointly as the 'two swans' of Somerset, and John Davies of Hereford
John Davies of Hereford
John Davies of Hereford was a writing-master and an Anglo-Welsh poet. He is usually known as John Davies of Hereford in order to distinguish him from others of the same name....
eulogised him in a sonnet. Sandford's earliest publication, 'Appolinis et Mvsarum Eὐκτικὰ Eἰδύλλια in Serenissimae Reginae Elizabethae . . . adventum,' Oxford, 1592, describes in Latin verse the banquet given by the president and fellows of Magdalen to Queen Elizabeth's retinue on the occasion of her visit to Oxford on 22 September 1592. Other verses by Sandford are 'In obitum clar. Herois Domini Arthuri Greij,' in a funeral sermon by Thomas Sparke
Thomas Sparke
Thomas Sparke was the only incumbent of the office of Bishop of Berwick. Previously Prior of Lindisfarne and Prebendary at Durham Cathedral , he was consecrated by Archbishop Lee of York in 1536 and continued in post until his death in 1571.-Notes:...
, 1593; 'In Funebria nob. et praest. equitis D. Henrici Vnton,' 1596, in 'Academiae Oxoniensis funebre officium in mort. Eliz. Reginae,' Oxford, 1603; and commendatory poems in Latin before John Davies's Microcosmos, 1603, Thomas Winter
Thomas Winter
Thomas Winter may refer to:*Thomas Daniel Winter , U.S. Representative from Kansas*Thomas Winter , current editor-in-chief of Human Events...
's translation of Du Bartas, pts. i. and ii. (1603), and Thomas Godwin's Romanae Historiae Anthologia, 1614.
He also published on his own account at Oxford 'God's Arrow of the Pestilence,' a sermon never preached (1604), and grammars of French, Latin, and Italian, to which he afterwards added one of Spanish. The first three were entitled respectively, Le Guichet Francois, sive Janicvla et Brevis Introductio ad Linguam Gallicam, Oxford, 1604; A briefe extract of the former Latin Grammar, done into English for the easier instruction of the Learner, Oxford, 1605, (dedicated to William, son of Arthur, lord Grey de Wilton); A Grammar, or Introdvction to the Italian Tongue, Oxford, 1605, containing a poem, Sur l'Autheur, by Jean More. he prepared 'Προπύλαιον, or Entrance to the Spanish Tongue ' (London, 1611; 2nd edit. 1633), for the use of ambassador Digby's party. It was dedicated to William Langton, President of Madgalen, and among the embassy using it was James Mabbe
James Mabbe
James Mabbe or Mab was an English scholar and poet, and a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. He was involved in translations from Spanish, in particular of some of the work of Cervantes...
.