A catalogue of notable Middle Templars, with brief biographical notices/Ashley, Robert
Admitted 8 October, 1588.
Second son of Anthony Ashley, of Dimeram (Damerham), Wiltshire, where he was born in 1565. Wood says that he became a gentleman-commoner of Hart Hall in 1580, and was there trained up in the arts and learned languages. From college he proceeded to New Inn, whence he entered at the Middle Temple, and "being made a barrester, he was engaged and denominated among the professors of the common law. But finding the practice thereof to have ebbs and tides, he applyed himself to the learning of the languages of our neighbours, the French, Dutch, Spaniard, and Italian, to the end that he might be partaker of the wisdom of those nations. … At length he travelled into France, Holland, etc., and spending some time among the learned and in the public libraries thereof, he returned a very knowing and compleat gentleman" (see Advertisement to his Almansor). After his return he took up his residence at the Middle Temple[1], where he lived many years, and at his death, which occurred in the year 1641, he bequeathed his whole library to the Honourable Society of his Inn, "to be unto them as the foundation of a library, together with £300 in ready money." The books thus bequeathed, and which formed the nucleus of the present Middle Temple Library, consisted of a well-chosen collection of works on all subjects of contemporary and earlier literature, English, Spanish, French, and Italian, and include some rare and choice editions.
Mr. Ashley was the author of the following translations: A Relation of the Kingdom of Cochin-China [from the Italian of Christopher Barri] (1633); Urania, or Celestial Muse [from the French of W. de Saluste], London (1589); Of the Interchangeable Course [from the French of Louis le Roy] (1594); Almansor of Spain, his Life and Death [from the Spanish] (1627); Il Davide Perseguitate, or David Persecuted [from the Italian] (1637).
- ↑ He was admitted to a chamber "in loco Mag. Morgan," 19 Not. 1594.