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SIR GEOFFREY FENTON (c. 1539-1608)

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Originally appearing in Volume V10, Page 260 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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SIR See also:GEOFFREY See also:FENTON (c. 1539-1608)  , See also:English writer and politician, was the son of See also:Henry See also:Fenton, of See also:Nottinghamshire . He was See also:brother of See also:Edward Fenton the navigator . He is said to have visited See also:Spain and See also:Italy in his youth; possibly he went to See also:Paris in See also:Sir See also:Thomas See also:Hoby's See also:train in 1566, for he was living there in 1567, when he wrote Certaine tragicall discourses written oute of Frenche and Latin . This See also:book is a See also:free See also:translation of See also:Francois de Belleforest's See also:French rendering of Matteo See also:Bandello's Novelle . Till 1579 Fenton continued his See also:literary labours, See also:publishing Monophylo in 1572, See also:Golden epistles gathered out of Guevarae's workes as other authors . . . 1575, and various religious tracts of strong See also:protestant tendencies . In 1579 appeared the Historie of See also:Guicciardini, translated out of French by G . F. and dedicated to See also:Elizabeth . Through See also:Lord See also:Burghley he obtained, in 158o, the See also:post of secretary to the new lord See also:deputy of See also:Ireland, Lord See also:Grey de See also:Wilton, and thus became a See also:fellow worker with the poet, See also:Edmund See also:Spenser . From this See also:time Fenton abandoned literature and became a faithful if somewhat unscrupulous servant of the See also:crown . He was a bigoted protestant, longing to use the See also:rack against " the diabolicall secte of See also:Rome," and even advocating the assassination of the See also:queen's most dangerous subjects .

He won Elizabeth's confidence, and the hatred of all his fellow-workers, by keeping her informed of every one's doings in Ireland . In 1587 Sir See also:

John See also:Perrot arrested Fenton, but the queen instantly ordered his See also:release . Fenton was knighted in 1589, and in 1590-1591 he was in See also:London as See also:commissioner on the See also:impeachment of Perrot . Full of dislike of the Scots and of See also:James VI . (which he did not See also:scruple to utter), on the latter's See also:accession Fenton's post of secretary was in danger, but Burghley exerted himself in his favour, and in 1604 it was confirmed to him for See also:life, though he had to See also:share it with Sir See also:Richard See also:Coke . Fenton died in See also:Dublin on the 19th of See also:October 16o8, and was buried in St See also:Patrick's See also:cathedral . He married in See also:June 1585, Alice, daughter of Dr See also:Robert See also:Weston, formerly lord See also:chancellor of Ireland, and widow of Dr See also:Hugh See also:Brady, See also:bishop of See also:Meath, by whom he had two See also:children, a son, Sir See also:William Fenton, and a daughter, See also:Catherine, who in 1603 married Richard See also:Boyle, 1st See also:earl of See also:Cork .

End of Article: SIR GEOFFREY FENTON (c. 1539-1608)
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