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 Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

, 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. He may have practiced as a physician in Butley and taught at Macclesfield school. In 1583 he was appointed rector of Little Ilford, Essex, from where most of his later works are dated. His most significant publications were a series of translations of Cicero and of Seneca's tragedies. ''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'': :"Newton was a skilled writer of Latin verse, in which, Ritson states, he excited the admiration of his contemporaries; while Warton describes him as the elegant Latin encomiast and the first Englishman who wrote Latin elegiacs with classical clearness and terseness. He also wrote English verses with ease and fluency, and translated several works from the Latin. All his books are now very scarce; most of them have very long titles." Newton was married and the father of two sons, Emanuel (who seems to have died before his father) and Abel. After his death in 1607 (sometime between 27 April, when his will was dated, and 13 June, when it was proved at Canterbury), he was probably buried at Little Ilford.

Bibliography

Each year links to its corresponding " earin literature" or " earin poetry" article (spelling and capitalisation as in the source material): * 1568: ''An epitaphe vpon the ..Lady Knowles'' (attributed to Newton, but "doubtful if by him", according to the ''Dictionary of National Biography'') *

1569 Year 1569 ( MDLXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 11–May 6 – The first recorded lottery in England is performed nonstop, at the we ...

(attribution less certain): ''The Booke of Marcus Tullius Cicero, entituled Paradoxia Stoicorum ..'; the dedication, signed "Thomas Newton" is dated "from Greenwich the kalendes of June 1569" *

: ''The Worthye Booke of Old Age'', translated from Cicero *

1574 __NOTOC__ Year 1574 ( MDLXXIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * February 23 – The fifth War of Religion against the Huguenots begins ...

: ''A Direction for the Health of Magistrates and Studentes'', translated from Latin, dedicated to Sir Francis Walsingham *

1575 __NOTOC__ Year 1575 ( MDLXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 21 – Queen Elizabeth I of England grants a monopoly on producin ...

: ''A Notable Historie of the Saracens'', translation from the Italian of Agostino Curione. *

1576 Year 1576 (Roman numerals, MDLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 20 – Viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almanza founds the settle ...

: ''The Touchstone of Complexions'', translated from Latin; second edition

1581 1581 ( MDLXXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) in the Julian calendar, and a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Proleptic Gregorian calendar. Events Ja ...

; third edition

1633 Events January–March * January 20 – Galileo Galilei, having been summoned to Rome on orders of Pope Urban VIII, leaves for Florence for his journey. His carriage is halted at Ponte a Centino at the border of Tuscany, where ...

1577 __NOTOC__ Year 1577 ( MDLXXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 9 – The second Union of Brussels is formed, first without the P ...

: ''Foure Seuerall Treatises of M. Tullius Cicero'' *

: ''Vocabula Magistri Stanbrigii''; second edition

1596 Events January–June * January 6– 20 – An English attempt led by Francis Drake to cross the Isthmus of Panama ends in defeat. * January 28 – Francis Drake dies of dysentery off Portobelo. * February 14 – Archbishop John Whitg ...

, third edition

1615 Events January–June * January 1 – The New Netherland Company is granted a three-year monopoly in North American trade, between the 40th and 45th parallels. * February – Sir Thomas Roe sets out to become the first am ...

, fourth edition

1636 Events January–March * January 1 – Anthony van Diemen takes office as Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), and will serve until his death in 1645. * January 18 – ''The Duke's Mistress'', the last ...

, fifth edition

1649 Events January–March * January 4 – In England, the Rump Parliament passes an ordinance to set up a High Court of Justice, to try Charles I for high treason. * January 17 – The Second Ormonde Peace concludes an allian ...

1580 __NOTOC__ Events January–June * January 31 – Portuguese succession crisis of 1580: The death of Henry, King of Portugal, with no direct heirs, leads to conflict between his potential successors, including King Philip II of ...

: ''Approved Medicines and Cordiall Receiptes'' ("Receiptes": Recipes) *

(attribution less certain): ''A Pleasaunt Dialogue concerning Phisicke and Phisitions ..translated out of the Castlin tongue by T. N.'' * Year uncertain, but possibly

: ''A View of Valyaunce'' *

: (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 *

: ''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 Events * January 18 – The 7.9 Tenshō earthquake strikes the Chubu region of Japan, triggering a tsunami and causing at least 8,000 deaths. * June 16 – The deposed and imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots, recognizes Philip II of ...

: ''True and Christian Friendshippe'', translated from Latin *

: ''The Olde Mans Dietarie'' * 1587: ''The True Tryall and Examination of a Mans own Selfe'', translated * 1587: ''An Herbal for the Bible'' *

1589 Events January–June * War of the Three Henrys: In France, the Catholic League is in rebellion against King Henry III, in revenge for his murder of Henry I, Duke of Guise in December 1588. The King makes peace with his old riv ...

: ''Principum ac illustrium aliquot et eruditorum in Anglia virorum Ecomia'' and ''Illustrium aliquot Anglorum Encomia'', contributions to Leland's ''De Rebus Britannicus Collectanea'' *

1590 Events January–June * January 4 – The Cortes of Castile approves a new subsidy, the '' millones''. * March 4 – Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, takes Breda, by concealing 68 of his best men in a peat-boat, to ge ...

: ''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: *

: Blandie's translation of Osorius's ''Discourse of Ciuill and Christian Nobilitie'' *

: Batman's ''Golden Booke of the Leaden Goddes'' *

1578 __NOTOC__ Year 1578 (Roman numerals, MDLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 31 – Battle of Gembloux (1578), Battle of Ge ...

: Hunnis's ''Hive of Hunnye'' *

: Lyte's translation of Dodoens' ''A nievve herball, or, Historie of plantes'' *

1579 Year 1579 ( MDLXXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, and a common year starting on Monday of the Proleptic Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 6 ...

: Munday's ''Mirror of Mutabilitie'' *

: Bullein's ''Bulwarke of Defence'' * 1587: ''Mirror for Magistrates'' * 1587: a metrical epilogue to Heywood's ''Workes'' *

: Ives's ''Instructions for the Warres'' *

1591 Events January–June * March 13 – Battle of Tondibi: In Mali, forces sent by the Saadi dynasty ruler of Morocco, Ahmad al-Mansur, and led by Judar Pasha, defeat the fractured Songhai Empire, despite being outnumbered by at l ...

: Ripley's ''Compound of Alchymy'' * 1595: Tymme's ''Briefe Description of Hierus lem''

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Newton, Thomas Poet 1542 births 1607 deaths 16th-century English medical doctors 17th-century English medical doctors 17th-century English poets 17th-century male writers 16th-century English poets English translators 16th-century translators 17th-century translators Year of birth uncertain People of the Elizabethan era People from Cheshire Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge English male poets