(This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before ...)
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1146698259/?tag=2022091-20
Thomas was a native of Llanigon, and brother to Sir Miles Thomas, clerk of Meline, Pembrokeshire and of Llanigon as shown in the Heraldic Visitations of Wales by Lewis Dwnn. His biographer in The History of Parliament has estimated his birth year as "by 1524".
He was presumably educated at Oxford University, where a person of both his name was admitted bachelor of the canon law on 2 December 1529.
In 1544 he went to Italy, where he spent the greater part of the next five years, and in April 1550, soon after his return to England, he was made one of the clerks of the privy council; he also taught the science of politics to the young king Edward VI, for whose instruction he wrote some treatises and some "commonplaces of state. " Being a strong Protestant he took part in the rising against Queen Mary led by Sir Thomas Wyat in 1554, being captured and thrown into the Tower of London. Having whilst in prison tried to commit suicide and been tortured on the rack in the hope of incriminating the princess Elizabeth, he was found guilty and was hanged at Tyburn on the 18th of May 1554. During his residence at Bologna Thomas, who was a very learned man, wrote II Pellegrino inglese, published in 1552. This is a valuable and interesting defence of Henry VIII by a contemporary and it originated in a discussion between the author and some Italian gentlemen. He also prepared an English version of this work, but this was not published during his lifetime. As The Pilgrim: a dialogue of the life and actions of King Henry VIII, it was edited with notes by James Anthony Froude and appeared in 1861. It had previously been edited by Abraham D'Aubant, who had added to it the six treatises written for Edward VI and had called the whole The Works of William Thomas (1774). Of his other writings perhaps the most important is The Historie of Italie (1549), and his Principal Rules of the Italian Grammar with a Dictionarie for the better understanding of Boccace, Pelrarcha and Dante (1550, 1560, 1562 and 1567) may also be mentioned. This was the first work of its kind in English. Thomas made an English translation of Josaphat Barbaro's account of his voyages, Barbaro being a Venetian traveller who died in 1494. With an introduction by Lord Stanley of Alderley this was published by the Hakluyt Society in a volume of Travels to Tana and Persia (London, 1873).
Thomas was a shrewd observer of men and affairs, but, according to Wood, had a "hot fiery spirit", which was probably the cause of most of his troubles. He was certainly "one of the most learned of his time". His Italian grammar and dictionary were the first works of the kind published in English, while his History of Italy was formerly held in the highest esteem for its comprehensive account of the chief Italian states. All his works are remarkable for their methodical arrangement, his style is always lucid, and his English shows much better orthography than that current at a later period.
(This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before ...)
In a private act of parliament, passed on the accession of Elizabeth, Thomas's name was included among those whose heirs and children were restored in blood after their attainder, but it is not known whether he was married or had a family.
