John Bellenden

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John Bellenden or Ballantyne (flourished 1533-1587?) of Moray was a Scottish writer in the 16th century.

He was born towards the close of the 15th century, and educated at St. Andrews and Paris. At the request of James V he translated Hector Boece's Historia Gentis Scotorum. This translation, Chroniklis of Scotland is a very free one, with a good deal of matter not in the original, so that it may be almost considered as a new work. It was published in 1536, . He also translated the first five books of Livy. These remain the earliest existing specimena of Scottish literary prose, and remarkable specimena they are, for the execution of which he enjoyed the Royal favour, and was made Archdeacon of Moray. He latterly, however, became involved in controversy which led to his being exiled to Rome, where he died, according to one account, about 1550. Another authority, however, states that he was living in 1587.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J.M. Dent & sons; New York, E.P. Dutton.
• This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopaedia.