Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hill, Thomas (fl.1590)
HILL, THOMAS (fl. 1590), miscellaneous writer, of London, was dead by April 1599. In addition to compiling and translating for the booksellers he practised astrology, and was on that account castigated in W. Fulke's ‘Anti-prognosticon,’ 1560. He translated from the Latin of B. Cocles ‘A brief Epitomye of the whole Art of Phisiognomie gathered out of Aristotle, Rasis … and others many moe,’ 8vo, London [1550?], and from the Italian of L. Fioravanti ‘A Joyful Jewell. Contayning … orders, preservatives … for the Plague,’ 4to, London [1579], which was edited by his friend John Hester [q. v.] Hill also wrote: 1. ‘A most briefe and pleasaunt Treatyse, teachynge howe to Dress, Sowe, and Set a Garden,’ 8vo, London, 1563. 2. ‘The proffitable Arte of Gardening, now the third tyme set fourth. … To this annexed two Treatises, the one entituled the marveilous Government of the Bees … and the other the Yerely Conjectures, meete for Husbandmẽ to knowe: Englished by T. H.,’ 2 pts., 8vo, London, 1568. To another edition, also styled the third, is ‘newly added a Treatise of the Arte of Graffing and Planting of Trees,’ 2 pts., 4to, London, 1574. Other editions appeared in 1579, 1586, 1593, and 1608. 3. ‘The moste pleasaunte Arte of the Interpretacion of Dreames, whereunto is annexed sundry Problemes with apte Aunsweares, … and rare examples. Gathered by the former Auctour of T. H. … and now newly Imprinted,’ 8vo, London, 1576. 4. ‘A Briefe and pleasaunt Treatise, Intituled Naturall and Artificiall Conclusions; Written firste by sundry Schollers of the Universitie of Padua at the request of one Bartholomew, a Tuscane; and now Englished by T. Hyll,’ 8vo, London, 1586. 5. ‘A Contemplation of Mysteries: contayning the rare effectes and significations of certayne Comets. … Gathered and Englished by T. Hyll,’ 8vo, London [1590?]. 6. ‘The Schoole of Skil: containing two bookes: the first, of the Sphere, of Heaven, of the Starres, of their Orbes, and of the Earth, &c. The second, of the Sphericall Elements, of the Celestiall Circles, &c. With apt figures’ [edited by W. I.], 4to, London, 1599. 7. ‘The Arte of Vulgar Arithmeticke … devided into two Bookes. … Whereunto is added a third Booke. Newly collected, digested, and in some parts devised by a welwiller to the Mathematicals,’ 4to, London, 1600. 8. ‘A Pleasant History: declaring the whole Art of Phisiognomy, Orderly—utterly all the speciall parts of Man, from the Head to the Foot,’ 8vo [London], 1613.
Hill's portrait has been engraved.
[Brit. Mus. Cat.; Granger's Biog. Hist. of England, 6th edit., i. 277.]