John Florio facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids John Florio
Engraving by William Hole, 1611
Born	1552 London, England
Died	October 1625 Fulham, London
Occupation	Linguist poet translator
Era	Elizabethan Jacobean
Movement	English Renaissance
Spouse(s)	Anna Soresollo (m. ?) Rose Spicer (m. 1617)
Children	5 by first wife

Giovanni Florio (1552–1625), known as John Florio, was an English linguist, poet, writer, and translator. He was also a lexicographer, meaning he wrote dictionaries. Florio worked as a language tutor for royalty at the Court of King James I. He is seen as a very important Renaissance thinker in England. Florio added many words to the English language, about 1,149 new words! This puts him third after Chaucer and Shakespeare in terms of new words contributed.

Florio was the first person to translate the famous French writer Montaigne into English. He also translated Boccaccio's works into English. He created the first complete Italian-English dictionary, which was much bigger than any before it. Famous playwright Ben Jonson was a close friend of Florio. Jonson even called Florio his "loving father" and "ayde of his muses." The philosopher Giordano Bruno was also a friend. They met in London while both staying at the French embassy. Bruno even mentioned Florio in one of his famous books, La cena de le ceneri (The Ash Wednesday Supper). John Florio taught Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. From 1604, he worked for Queen Anne until she died in 1619. Later, he was supported by William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, to whom he left his library. Many experts believe that William Shakespeare used ideas and words from Florio's works in his plays.

John Florio's Early Life

John Florio was born in London in 1552. However, he spent his childhood and teenage years in Europe until he was 19. He once said he was "Italian in mouth, English in chest." This means he spoke Italian but felt English in his heart.

His Father, Michelangelo Florio

John's father, Michelangelo Florio, was born in Tuscany, Italy. He was a Franciscan friar before he became a Protestant. He was a strong Protestant and had Jewish ancestors. He faced problems with the Inquisition in Italy because of his preaching. He found safety in England during the reign of Edward VI. In 1550, he became the pastor of the Italian Protestant church in London. He also worked for William Cecil. Michelangelo Florio later became an Italian tutor to Lady Jane Grey. He also taught in the family of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke. He wrote a book about the rules of the Tuscan language for his students. Lady Jane Grey's young life and death deeply affected him. He later wrote a book about her life called Historia de la vita e de la morte de L'Illlustriss. Signora Giovanna Graia.

Time in Exile

When Mary Tudor became queen in 1554, she brought back Catholicism to England. In February 1554, a royal order said all foreigners had to leave England. So, on March 4, 1554, Michelangelo Florio and his family, including baby John, left England. They found temporary shelter in Strasbourg. Later, they were invited to Soglio, Switzerland. Soglio was a safe place from the Inquisition. Michelangelo worked as a pastor and notary there. He taught John Italian, Latin, Hebrew, and Greek.

When John was ten, he was sent to a school in Tübingen, Germany. He lived with and was taught by a Protestant theologian named Pier Paolo Vergerio. John learned a lot about humanism there. Sadly, he never finished his studies because Vergerio died in 1566. John was 14 years old and had no money or family support. He left Tübingen and returned to Soglio. In the early 1570s, he moved back to England. He had a great education in Christian Reformed and humanist ideas.

London: First Steps (1571–1578)

Around age 19, John Florio returned to London. He worked as a silk dyer and servant for a while. He also worked for a Venetian merchant. At 21, he married an Italian woman named Anna Soresollo. They had five children: Annebelle, Joane, Edward, Aurelia, and Elizabeth.

First Fruits

At 25, John Florio published his first book, Firste Fruites (1578). This book was a collection of dialogues, proverbs, and witty sayings. It was made to help people learn both Italian and English. Florio dedicated his book to Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester. In the book, Florio called himself a "poor artisan." This suggests that teaching languages was a new career for him. The book also included praises from actors of Dudley's theatre company. This shows Florio was already connected to the theatre world. With Firste Fruites, John Florio started his career as a language teacher in London.

Oxford: Learning and Translating (1578–1582)

By the summer of 1578, Lord Burleigh sent John Florio to Magdalen College, Oxford. He became a servant and Italian tutor to the sons of the Bishop of Durham. Florio stayed at Oxford until at least 1582. Today, Magdalen College has a "John Florio Society" that celebrates poetry.

Euphuism

During his time in Oxford, Florio became a better dictionary maker. He made it his goal to help develop the modern English language. He taught Italian to John Lyly, who was a key figure in a writing style called Euphuism. This style used very fancy and balanced sentences. Another student of Florio who used this style was Stephen Gosson. Florio's lessons helped these writers learn Italian and use the Euphuistic style.

Cartier's Voyages

In Oxford, Florio also started translating. He met Richard Hakluyt, an English writer who loved stories about sea travel. Hakluyt asked Florio to translate Jacques Cartier's journey to Canada. In 1580, Florio published his translation. It was called A Shorte and briefe narration of the two navigations and discoveries to the northweast partes called Newe Fraunce. Florio quickly understood the importance of the "New World." He supported the idea of settling new lands even before others like Hakluyt and Raleigh. He was excited about these English adventures. He wanted to improve the English language and help England's efforts to explore and settle new places.

At the French Embassy (1583–1585)

Between 1583 and 1585, John Florio and his family lived at the French embassy in London. The French ambassador, Michel de Castelnau, hired Florio for two years. Florio taught languages to Castelnau's daughter. He also had "other honourable employment." He worked as a tutor, translator, interpreter, and even as the ambassador's personal secretary. He did his duties well and earned praise from the ambassador.

Early News Translation

At the French embassy, John Florio also started a new job: translating news. In Elizabethan England, there was a huge demand for news. Newspapers didn't exist yet. Florio began to translate Italian newsletters from Rome into English stories. He published a pamphlet in 1585 called A letter lately written from Rome. He signed it "I.F." and dedicated it to Henry Stanley, the Earl of Derby. Some believe Florio didn't just translate but also rewrote and combined news to make it suitable for an English audience.

Giordano Bruno and The Ash Wednesday Supper

Living with Giordano Bruno was a very important experience for Florio. Bruno was a philosopher who greatly influenced Florio. Florio adopted Bruno's ideas, especially his belief in an infinite universe and the possibility of life on other planets. These ideas were much more advanced than what people believed at the time. Bruno faced criticism for his revolutionary theories. Florio and Castelnau always defended him. Bruno wrote about these events in his book La cena de le ceneri (The Ash Wednesday Supper, 1584).

The friendship between Bruno and Florio was very special. Florio appears in The Ash Wednesday Supper as a messenger who invites Bruno to dinner. In another scene, Bruno and Florio are on a boat at night, singing songs. Bruno also gave Florio different names in his other books, like "Eliotropo" and "Elpino." Florio also wrote about Bruno in his own book, Second Fruits (1591). He described Bruno as a friend who liked to make fun of him. Florio always remembered Giordano Bruno, even after Bruno's tragic death. In 1603, Florio mentioned Bruno in the preface of Montaigne's Essays. He said Bruno taught him the value of translations. Florio also included many words from Bruno's works in his dictionaries.

Second Fruits (1591)

Second Frutes was John Florio's second major work, published in 1591. It came out 13 years after First Fruits. In this book, Florio defended Italian culture in England and the practice of translation. He signed himself with the nickname "Resolute John Florio." Unlike his first book, Second Fruits had only one poem praising it. This poem was one of the earliest sonnets printed in England.

Giardino di Ricreatione

Proverbs were common in language lesson books of that time. But in Second Fruits, they were very important. The proverbs in the book were linked to another work by Florio, the Giardino di Ricreatione. This book contained six thousand Italian proverbs without their English meanings. It was a very important collection of proverbs. The full title was Giardino di ricreatione, nel quel crescono fronde, fiori e frutti... (Garden of Recreation, in which grow leaves, flowers and fruits...).

Tutor to Henry Wriothesley

It is not clear exactly when John Florio became a tutor to Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. Some experts believe he was teaching Southampton before 1590. In Second Fruits (1591), there is a dialogue between John Florio and a character named Henry. They play tennis and go to the theatre together. This suggests that Florio was close to Southampton. The topics in Second Fruits, like games, theatre, and love, matched Southampton's interests. Florio's connection to this literary group, which was linked to theatre, was a big step in his career. When Florio published his first dictionary, A World of Words, in 1598, he dedicated it to Henry. He wrote that he owed much to Southampton's kindness and support.

A World of Words (1598)

While working for Henry Wriothesley, Florio created a very important book. A Worlde of Wordes, or Dictionarie of the Italian and English tongues (1598) was an Italian-English dictionary. It was only the second of its kind in England, but it was much larger. It had 44,000 words, compared to the previous one's 6,000 words. This dictionary was published by Edward Blount. It was dedicated to several important people, including Roger Manners, 5th Earl of Rutland, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, and Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford. This work showed Florio was a very skilled scholar.

In the dedication, John Florio praised the Italian language. But his view of the English language had changed. In First Fruits, he thought English was mixed with too many languages. Now, he called English his "sweet-mother-tongue." The dictionary used many contemporary literary texts as sources. These included famous Italian works like Arcadia and Gerusalemme Liberata. Florio also used many theatrical texts, especially from Pietro Aretino. Florio knew that using words from popular authors like Aretino would make his dictionary popular. A World of Words was a work of art. It is a great resource for understanding Italian and early modern English. It shows Florio's roles as a reader, word collector, Italian teacher, and translator.

Shakespeare's Use of Florio's Works

Many scholars believe that Florio's translation of Michel de Montaigne's Essays greatly influenced William Shakespeare's plays. Some, like Jonathan Bate, think Shakespeare knew Florio's translation even before it was published. F. O. Matthiessen noted similarities between Florio's and Shakespeare's writing styles. He concluded that "Shakespeare and Florio were constantly talking with the same people, hearing the same theories, breathing the same air." Florio's biographer, Clara Longworth de Chambrun, compared Florio's dialogues and Montaigne's Essays with Shakespeare's plays. She found some similarities between the two writers. Other studies have also compared Florio's works with Shakespeare's plays.

Royal Service (1604–1619)

Florio and Queen Anne

When King James I came to the throne, John Florio's life at court changed. He became a Groom of the Privy Chamber. This was a high-ranking position at the center of power. From 1604 until Queen Anne's death in 1619, he had a steady income. Florio's duties and influence with the Queen are clear from official documents. He became the Queen's Italian reader and one of her personal attendants. A document from 1619 shows he served her for 15 years. His yearly salary was 100 pounds, which was more than a typical groom's salary. This was likely because he also taught Italian and acted as the Queen's private secretary. He wrote letters for her and met with people on her behalf. Florio also taught Italian and French to Prince Henry, the King's son. In 1606, Queen Anne even gave him a valuable cup as a gift for his grandchild's christening.

Diplomatic Work

Florio also played an important and secret role with the Queen in diplomatic matters. This shows his position with the Queen was much more important than previously thought. Florio was in close contact with Giovanni Carlo Scaramelli, who represented the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in London. Their relationship was key to the political ties between Venice and London. Florio also met with other ambassadors. He was a crucial link between the English and Venetian worlds.

Ben Jonson

Another of Florio's jobs at court was to interview and choose musicians, often Italian ones. This shows Florio also had musical skills. Books were even dedicated to him, showing his importance and influence. These dedications reveal his connections with writers like Nicholas Breton, Ben Jonson, and Thomas Thorpe. John Florio's friendship with Ben Jonson is very interesting. Jonson wrote a special message in a copy of his play Volpone for Florio. He called Florio his "loving Father" and "The ayde of his Muses." This shows Jonson saw Florio as a mentor and helper for his writing.

Thomas Thorpe

In 1610, Thomas Thorpe published a translation of Epictetus his Manuall. He dedicated this work to Florio. Thorpe mentioned that Florio had helped him find a patron for an earlier work. He hoped Florio would do the same for this new book. Thorpe's writings show that Florio helped him get the support of William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke. Florio also helped John Healey get Pembroke's support for his book, The Discovery of a New World.

Montaigne's Essays (1603)

Florio's translation of Michel de Montaigne's Essays was approved for publication in 1600 and finally came out in 1603. This translation was highly respected as a work of art during the Elizabethan period. Florio dedicated it to six ladies of the court. In a letter to the reader, Florio argued that translation was the best way to spread knowledge and develop a nation's language and culture. He explained that he used many French words in his translation. He said these words, when paired with common English words, could become "familiar with our English." He listed words he created or used for the first time in English, such as "conscientious," "endeare," "tarnish," and "emotion."

Florio also used French words that were new or rarely used in English, like "febricitant" and "puissant." He even introduced words like "contexture" to English for the first time. Florio liked to experiment with English. He added words and phrases from other languages. This led him to create new words and even new grammar. For example, he was one of the first writers to use the pronoun "its" for things that are not male or female. Florio also loved to combine words to create new meanings, like "marble-hearted" or "pride-puft majestie." He often changed words to create a more vivid picture. His dramatic way of seeing and saying things was one of his unique qualities. Reading Montaigne's Essays in Florio's translation was like reading them alongside some of England's greatest writers.

Queen Anna's New World of Words (1611)

Florio's greatest work as a dictionary maker was Queen Anna's New World of Words (1611). This expanded dictionary had nearly 74,000 definitions. It was almost twice as large as his previous dictionary. To create it, he looked at 249 books. Many of these books were on the Index of prohibited books (a list of books the church did not want people to read). This was a huge number of sources, even more than a famous Italian dictionary published around the same time.

The sources Florio used are listed in the book. They include books on all kinds of general and specialized knowledge. The definitions were so detailed that the book was not just a dictionary but also an encyclopedia of knowledge from that time. One interesting part of the book list is the high number of plays it contains. Florio included many comedies, tragedies, and pastorals by famous authors. He also studied classical authors like Tacitus and Plato through Italian translations. Florio also had a deep knowledge of Dante, which was unusual for his time.

Later Years

Second Marriage

In 1617, at 65, Florio married Rose Spicer, his second wife. She cared for him in his final years. In his will, he spoke of her with great love. His years as Groom of the Privy Chamber and Personal Secretary to the Queen were happy ones. Queen Anne had promised him a pension of £100 a year for life. But as King James's money problems grew, these pensions were often not paid. Many loyal old courtiers became poor in the King's last years. Despite not being as wealthy, Florio kept all the things Queen Anne had given him. He still had her gifts, like her writing desk with pearls, when he made his will.

Boccaccio's Decameron

In 1620, Florio published his translation of Boccaccio's Decameron. He published it without his name. His translation left out some parts and changed others to make them less offensive.

Will and Library

In 1623, two years before he died, John Florio made his last will. He left his library to William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke. He asked Pembroke to keep his books at his homes in Wilton or London. However, his books never reached these places. For unknown reasons, the people named in his will did not carry out his wishes. Florio's library has since disappeared. In his will, Florio mentioned "about" 340 books. Most were Italian, but some were French, Spanish, and English. Over the years, some scholars have tried to find parts of his library. One book, Imprese by Paolo Giovio, was found with Florio's signature. It is now in the British Library. Another book, an annotated copy of Chaucer, is now in Yale University Library.

Death and Resting Place

John Florio died in Fulham, London, around October 1625. He was a victim of the plague. Some believe he was buried in All Saints' Church, Fulham. However, no grave marker has been found. Another idea is that he was buried in a plague pit at Hurlingham Field. Florio's only surviving daughter, Aurelia, married a surgeon named James Molins. Aurelia Florio became a famous midwife in the 17th century.

Shakespeare Authorship Theory

Some people believe that John Florio, or even his father, might have secretly written the works of William Shakespeare. These ideas are part of the Shakespeare authorship question. The Florios were first suggested as possible authors in 1927. However, most experts say there is no real proof in historical records to support these claims.

Images for kids

Engraving by William Hole, 1611