Thomas Newton

Thomas Newton (c. 1542–1607) was an English clergyman, poet, author and translator.

Life

The eldest son of Edward Newton of Park House, in Butley, a part of the parish of Prestbury, Cheshire, he was educated first at the Macclesfield grammar school by John Brownsword, a much-praised schoolmaster. Newton went on to Trinity College, Oxford, which he left in 1562 to study at Queens' College, Cambridge, but then returned to his original college.

In 1569 or 1570, he published The Worthye Booke of Old Age. The book's preface was dated "frome Butleye the seuenth of March 1569", and many of his other books before 1583 were dated from the same place. He wrote books on historical, medical and theological subjects, and contributed many commendatory verses in English and Latin to various works, a common practice of the time. For many of his verses and books he styles himself "Thomas Newtonus Cestreshyrius", showing an evident affection for his county of birth. Atropoion Delion; or, The Death of Delia, a pastoral elegy on the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603 may have been by this Thomas Newton.

According to The Dictionary of National Biography: 1576: The Touchstone of Complexions, translated from Latin; second edition 1581; third edition 1633 1577: Foure Seuerall Treatises of M. Tullius Cicero 1577: Vocabula Magistri Stanbrigii; second edition 1596, third edition 1615, fourth edition 1636, fifth edition 1649 1580: Approved Medicines and Cordiall Receiptes ("Receiptes": Recipes) 1580 (attribution less certain): A Pleasaunt Dialogue concerning Phisicke and Phisitions [...] translated out of the Castlin tongue by T. N. Year uncertain, but possibly 1580: A View of Valyaunce 1581: (Editor, and translator of one of the works, the Thebais) Seneca his tenne Tragedies translated into Englysh, a compilation of translations previously published separately by Studley, Nevile, Nuce and Jasper Heywood, here collected for the first time in one volume; dedicated to Sir Thomas Heneage, treasurer of the Queen's Chamber 1581: A Commentarie or Exposition vpon the twoo Epistles Generall of Sainct Peter and that of Sainct Jude, translated from the Latin of Martin Luther 1586: True and Christian Friendshippe, translated from Latin 1586: The Olde Mans Dietarie 1587: The True Tryall and Examination of a Mans own Selfe, translated 1587: An Herbal for the Bible 1589: Principum ac illustrium aliquot et eruditorum in Anglia virorum Ecomia and Illustrium aliquot Anglorum Encomia, contributions to Leland's De Rebus Britannicus Collectanea 1590: Ioannis Brunseurdi Maclesfeldensis Gymnasiarchae Progymnasmata quaedam Poetica 1590: Thomas Newton's Staff to lean on

Verses published in other works Newton's poetry in English and Latin appear in more than 20 works from 1578 to 1597, including these: 1576: Blandie's translation of Osorius's Discourse of Ciuill and Christian Nobilitie 1577: Batman's Golden Booke of the Leaden Goddes 1578: Hunnis's Hive of Hunnye 1578: Lyte's translation of Dodoens' A nievve herball, or, Historie of plantes 1579: Munday's Mirror of Mutabilitie 1579: Bullein's Bulwarke of Defence 1587: Mirror for Magistrates 1587: a metrical epilogue to Heywood's Workes 1589: Ives's Instructions for the Warres 1591: Ripley's Compound of Alchymy 1595: Tymme's Briefe Description of Hierus lem