# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Tymme, Thomas

​TYMME, THOMAS (d. 1620), translator and author, seems to have been educated at Cambridge, possibly at Pembroke Hall, under Edmund Grindal [q. v.], afterwards archbishop of Canterbury. In 1577 he referred to 'the benefites which long ago in Cambridge and els where since I have receiuyed by your Grace's preferment' (Commentarie upon St. Paules Epistles to the Corinthians, pref.) He did not, however, graduate, and is not mentioned in Cooper's 'Athenæ.' On 22 Oct. 1566 he was presented to the rectory of St. Antholin, Budge Row, London, and in 1575 he became rector of Hasketon, near Woodbridge, Suffolk (Davy's 'Suffolk Collections' in Addit. MS. 19165, f. 153). He appears to have held the rectory of St. Antholin until 12 Oct. 1592, when Nicholas Felton [q. v.], afterwards bishop of Ely, was appointed his successor (Hennessy, Novum Repertorium, p. 302). In 1570 he published his first work, a translation from the Latin of John Brentius, entitled 'Newes from Niniue to Englande' (London, 8vo). It was followed in 1574 by a more important work, the translation of P. de la Ramée's history of the civil wars in France, entitled 'The Three Partes of Commentaries containing the whole and perfect Discourse of the Civill Warres of France under the Raignes of Henry the Second, Frances the Second, and of Charles the Ninth' (London, 4to); prefixed is a long copy of verses in Tymme's praise by Edward Grant [q. v.], headmaster of Westminster school. From this time Tymme produced numerous translations, chiefly of theological works. He secured patronage in high quarters, among those to whom his books were dedicated being Thomas Radclifte, earl of Sussex, Charles Blount, earl of Devonshire, Ambrose Dudley, earl of Warwick, Archbishop Grindal, Sir Edward Coke, chief-justice, and Sir John Puckering, lord-keeper. He died at Hasketon in April 1620, being buried there on the 29th. ​Tymme married, at Hasketon, on 17 July 1615, Mary Hendy, who died in 1657, leaving one son, Thomas Tymme, who graduated M.D. at Cambridge on 3 July 1647, was admitted honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in December 1664, and died in 1687 (Addit. MS. 19165, f. 153; Munk, Coll of Phys. i. 334). By a deed dated 22 Sept. 1614 the elder Tymme gave eighteen acres of land in Hasketon for the maintenance of two poor parishioners. William Tymme, possibly a brother of Thomas, printed many books between 1601 and 1615 (Arber, Stationer's Reg.)
Besides the works mentioned above, Tymme published:
* 'A Catholike and Ecclesiasticall Exposition of the Holy Gospell after S. John … gathered by A[ugustine] Marlorat, and translated by T. Tymme,' London, 1575, 4to.
* 'A Commentarie upon S. Paules Epistles to the Corinthians, written by John Caluin, and translated out of the Latin,' London, 1577, 4to.
* 'A Commentarie of John Caluin upon Genesis … translated out of the Latin,' London, 1578, 4to.
* 'A Catholike and Ecclesiasticall Exposition of the Holy Gospel after S. Mark and Luke, gathered … by Augustine Marlorat, and translated out of Latin,' London, 1583, 4to.
* 'The Figure of Antichriste … disciphered by a Catholike … Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians/ London, 1586, 8vo.
* 'A Discoverie of Ten English Lepers [i.e. the Schismatic, Murderer, &c.] … setting before our Eies the Iniquitie of these Latter Daies,' London, 1592, 4to.
* 'A Briefe Description of Hierusalem … translated out of the Latin [of S. Adrichomius],' London, 1595, 4to; other editions, 1654, 4to, and 1666, 8vo.
* 'The Poore Mans Paternoster … newly imprinted,' London, 1598, 16mo.
* 'The Practice of Chymicall and Hermeticall Physicke … written in Latin by Josephus Quersitanus, and translated … ,' London, 1605, 4to.
* ' A Dialogue Philosophicall … together with the Wittie Invention of an Artificiall Perpetual Motion … ,' London, 1612, 4to.
* 'A Siluer Watchbell,' 10th impression, 1614, 8vo; this proved a very popular work of devotion, and it reached a nineteenth edition in 1659.
* 'The Chariot of Devotion … ,' London, 1618, 8vo. Tymme also 'newly corrected and augmented 'A Looking-Glasse for the Court' (1575), translated by Sir Francis Bryan [q. v.] in 1548.
[Works in Brit. Mus. Libr.; authorities cited; Wood's Athenae, ed. Bliss, i. 170, ii. 12; Halkett and Laing's Anonymous Lit. cols. 604, 2589.]
A. F. P.