Lewes Lewknor

Lewes Lewknor
The Commonwealth and Government of Venice "translated out of Italian into English by Lewes Lewkenor Esquire"
Born	c.1560 Selsey, Sussex
Died	11 March 1627
Residence	London
Other names	variant spellings: Lewis; Lewkenor
Education	Cambridge University Middle Temple
Occupation	Soldier, courtier, M.P., author, Master of the ceremonies
Known for	The Estate of English Fugitives The Commonwealth and Government of Venice

Sir Lewes Lewknor (c.1560–1627) was an English courtier, M.P. writer and soldier who served as Master of the Ceremonies to King James I of England. M.P. for Midhurst in 1597 and for Bridgnorth 1604-10. His career has been described as a "tortuous trajectory rich in false starts, byways and rather nebulous interludes...[with] slippery religious and political allegiances".

He was noted for his translations of courtly European literature. Particularly important was the translation of Gasparo Contarini's account of the Venetian republic, The Commonwealth and Government of Venice, which influenced contemporary writers including Shakespeare.

He was also the author of an original work, The Estate of English Fugitives, a polemic attacking the Spanish and the machinations of Catholic clergy, while also defending the rights of English Catholics.

He was the son of Thomas Lewknor of Tangmere and Selsey and his wife Bridget Lewes. He studied at Cambridge and the Middle Temple, working for a short time as a lawyer with his uncle, Richard. His uncle Edmund Lewknor was tutor to the Jesuit priest John Gerard. In the 1580s he was in the Low Countries, as an exile due to his Catholic sympathies. He attempted a career as a soldier, serving as a captain in the Duke of Parma's army, but suffered a disabling injury to his right arm. Lewkenor would later acknowledge the debt he owed to the General under whom he served, Jan Baptista del Monte, and his brother Camillo del Monte. In 1587 he was living in Antwerp with his wife, but returned to England after experiencing financial problems. He reported to Lord Burghley about the activities of English Catholics working for the Spanish. He became a member of parliament for Midhurst in 1597. Lewknor served as a Gentleman Pensioner in Ordinary from 1599 to 1603.

He appears to have accepted the Church of England after his return from the continent, but he returned to Catholicism after the death of Queen Elizabeth.

Lewknor became an expert on ceremonial court protocol and as a Gentleman Pensioner, was required to host foreign ambassadors. In 1600 he looked after the French ambassador, travelling with him from Dover to London. In the same year he escorted the Moroccan ambassador Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud thought to be the inspiration for Shakespeare's Othello.