Cheke, SIR JOHN

Cheke, SIR JOHN, one of the revivers of Greek learning in England, was born in 1514 at Cambridge, and in 1529 obtained a fellowship of St John's College, where he embraced the Reformed doctrines. He labored earnestly to advance the study of the Greek language and literature; and when a regius professorship of Greek was founded at Cambridge in 1540, Cheke was appointed its first occupant. A new mode of pronouncing Greek which he introduced was assailed by Bishop Gardiner, the chancellor of the university; but notwithstanding, Cheke's system prevailed. It resembled that still in vogue in England, as opposed to the continental system. In 1544 Cheke became tutor to the Prince, afterwards Edward VI., whose elevation to the throne secured him rank, wealth, and honour—a seat in parliament (1547), the provostship of King's College (1548), and knighthood (1552). He was stripped of everything at Mary's accession, and went abroad, but in 1556 was treacherously seized in Belgium, and brought to the Tower. Fear of the stake induced him to abjure Protestantism, and fresh lands were given to him in the place of those he had forfeited, but his recantation preyed on his mind, and he died in the course of the following year, 13th September 1557. Of more than thirty Latin and English books by him, one is a translation of St Matthew's Gospel (edited by Goodwin, 1843), exemplifying a plan for reforming the language by eradicating all words save those of English origin. See his Life by Strype (best ed. Oxford, 1821).