William Phiston Explained

William Phiston or Fiston (fl. 1571 – 1609), was an English translator and author.^[1] He describes himself as "a student of London", and had some leading figures of the time as patrons. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography points out that a William Phiston matriculated at Magdalene College, Cambridge in 1572. It also notes the strong Protestant tone to the Testimonie, intended as a cheaper substitute for the Actes and Monuments.^[2]

Works

Phiston's works are:^[1]

• A Testimonie of the True Church of God … translated out of the French by William Phiston, London; c. 1570. From Simon Voyon, dedicated to Alexander Nowell.^[2]
• A Lamentacion of Englande for John Ivele [i.e. John Jewel], bishop of Sarisburie, by W. Ph. London [1571].
• Certaine Godly Sermons … First set foorthe by Master Bernardine Occhine … and now lately collected and translated out of the Italian tongue into the English by William Phiston of London, student, London, 1580; from Bernardino Ochino, and dedicated to Edmund Grindal.^[2]
• The Welspringe of Wittie Conceites … translated out of the Italian by W. Phist., student, London, 1584; Phiston added other matter, "partly the invention of late writers and partly mine own". Publisher's dedication to David Lewis.^[2]
• The Estate of the Germaine Empire, with the Description of Germanie, London, 1595; a translation from two works, one Italian the other Latin. Dedicated to Robert Radclyffe, 5th Earl of Sussex.^[2] It was an ambitious historical, ecclesiastical and military guide to the Holy Roman Empire.^[3]
• The Auncient Historie of the Destruction of Troy … translated out of the French [of Le Fevre] into English by W. Caxton Newly corrected and the English much amended by William Fiston, London, 1596; another edit. 1607.
• The Most Pleasant and Delectable Historie of Lazarillo de Tormes, a Spanyard; and of his marvellous Fortunes and Adversities. The second part, translated out of Spanish by W. P., London, 1596. A sequel to Lazarillo de Tormes, the first part having been translated by David Rowland.^[4]
• An edition of Francis Segar's conduct book, Schoole of Good manners, or a new Schoole of Vertue … by William Fiston, London, 1609; another edition, "newly corrected" by Phiston, appeared in 1629; but Phiston is not known to have been alive then.

References

Attribution

Notes and References

1. Phiston, William. 45.
2. 22194. Phiston, William. E.. Lord.
3. Book: Monica Matei-Chesnoiu. Re-imagining Western European Geography in English Renaissance Drama. 25 July 2012. Palgrave Macmillan. 978-1-137-02933-1. 80.
4. Book: Andrew Hadfield. The Oxford Handbook of English Prose 1500-1640. 4 July 2013. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-958068-2. 123.