He was Publique Oratour, and Greek Reader in Cambridge. In the discharge of the later he went over Sophocles twice, all Homer, all Euripides, and part of He∣r••dotus.
Roger Ascham in the first Book of his Epistles, speaking of him and Sir Thomas Smith, saith, Qui si adscribendum se dedissent, nec in Sadoleto Italia, nec in Longolio Gallia, justius, quam in istis duobus Anglia gloriata fuisset.
He was the first Regius Professour of the Greek Tongue in Cambridge, as Sir Thomas Smith was of Law. They were both Fellows of the same Colledge, both Professours in the same University, both Officers of State in the same Court, both wrote De pronunciatione linguae Graecae. They two especially by their advice and example brought the study of Tongues, and other politer Learning first into re∣quest in Cambridge.
Under God Sir Iohn Cheek was a special instrument of the propagation of the Gospel, and that religion which we now professe in this Kingdom. For he not only sowed the seeds of that Doctrine in the heart of Prince Edward, which after∣ward grew up iuto a general Reformation, when he came to be King, but by his means the same saving truth was gently instilled into the Lady Elizabeth, by those who by his procurement were admitted to be the Guides of her younger studies.
In Henry the eighths time his friends and familiars were most of those worthy men which proved Reformers in King Edwards dayes, and either Martyrs or ex∣iles in Queen Maries. His forreign acquaintance were Sleidan, Melancthon, Sturmius, Bucer, Camerarius, Celius, Peter Martyr, and others, great Scholars, and good Protestants.
He went into Low-Germany, Ut uxorem educeret, saith Sleiden, to fetch his wife from thence. These words were corrupted into Uxorem duceret by Thuanus and others, for he was married before.
In his return from Bruxwels to Antwerp he was apprehended by a Provost-Mar∣tial from King Philip, and so conveighed speedily away to the Tower of London. He was there by threatnings, and other wayes brought to a recantation, for which he was after much troubled, and so died.
Sir Iohn Cheeks Works were,
Introductio Grammatices, l. 1.
De Ludi magistrorum officio, l. 1.
De Pronunciatione linguae Graecae.
Correctiones Herodoti, Thucididis, Platonis, Demosthenis, & Xenophontis, lib. plurimis.
Epitaphia. l. 1.
Panegyricus in nativitatem Edvardi Principis.
Elegia de aegrotatione & obitu Edvardi 6ti.
In obitum Antonii Dennei. l. 1.
De obitu Buceri.
Commentarii in Psalmum 139. & alios.
An liceat nubere post Divortium, lib. 1.
De Fide justificante, lib. 1.
De aqua lustrali, cineribus & palmis, ad Wintoniensem, l. 1.
De Eucharistiae Sacramento, l. 1.
Collegit in Parliamento argumenta & rationes ex utraque parte super negotio Eu∣charistiae.
Libellus de damno ex seditione.
He translated also other things out of Greek into Latine, and out of English in∣to Latine.
Martinus Ch••mnitius.