Pockock as a polyglot

Pockock
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Another of Walton's associates in the compilation of the Polyglot, as well as in other learned undertakings, Edward Pocock (born at Oxford in 1604,) appears to have given more attention to the accomplishment of speaking foreign languages. In addition to Latin, Greek, French, and probably Italian, he was well versed in Hebrew, Syriac, Ethiopic, and Arabic. During a residence of six years at Aleppo, as British chaplain, (1600-6), he had the advantage of receiving instructions from a native doctor, in the language and literature of Arabia; and he engaged an Arab servant for the sole purpose of enjoying the opportunity of speaking the language. In a second journey to the East, undertaken a few years later, under the patronage of Land, he extended his acquaintance with those langua- ges. Two of Pocock's sons, Edward and thomas, attained a certain eminence in the same pursuit; but neither of them can be said to have approached the fame of their father.