[From Fernelius: Universa Medicina, Geneva, 1679.] CORRESPONDENCE PHILEMON HOLLAND IN COVENTRY To the Editor: Holland’s early life. The seventeenth- I have been interested for some time century biographers and their succes in the life and works of the great Eliza- sors have been forced to bridge the gap between Philemon’s Cambridge days and his appearance as a physician and schoolmaster in Coventry with the gen- eral statement that “soon after 1595 Holland settled at Coventry, where he remained for the rest of his life” (Sir Sidney Lee in “Dictionary of National Biography”). Several months ago I was fortunate enough to secure from a London book- seller a copy of the Aldine “Lucani Civilis Belli,” Venetiis, 1502, on the half-title of which is the dated signature of Philemon Holland, herewith repro- duced. From this it appears that Hol- land was resident in Coventry at least as early as 1587, and this hitherto un- recorded fact sets in train a number of interesting speculations. For example, Holland is said to have been graduated m.d . about 1595, though no mention of it is made in the registers of Oxford or Cambridge Universities. This has led Sir Sidney Lee to surmise that the de- gree was probably conferred by a Scot- bethan translator and physician, Phile- tish or foreign university, a conjecture mon Holland, and am now engaged in which for several reasons I cannot ac- compiling a definitive bibliography of cept. It should be emphasized that Hol- his works and a more detailed account land invariably signed himself “Doctor of his life than is now available. Not in Physicke” and not “m.d .,” and the much, in fact, is known about Doctor distinction is a real one. The Arch- bishop of Canterbury was, by an Act of 1531, empowered to grant the degree of doctor of physic “in nomine Domine,” and I am inclined to believe that Hol- land was created doctor in precisely this manner. The Archbishop of Canter- bury from 1583 until his death in 1604 was John Whitgift, who had been Philemon’s Master in Trinity College, Cambridge, during Holland’s student days there. I look forward with some conhdence, therefore, to future docu- mentary conhrmation of this hypoth- esis. I shall be most appreciative of any information regarding Philemon Hol- land which your readers may be able to furnish, for biographically, biblio- graphically and critically the “Trans- lator Generall in his Age” presents an involved but fascinating problem. Herb ert Silve tte.