Family Name: Rycaut
First Name: Paul
Birth Date: 1628
Birth Place: London
Death Date: Mon, Nov 15, 1700
Death Place: London
Main places of activity:
Place From To
Istanbul 1660 1666
Place From To
Smyrna 1666 1677
Place From To
London 1677 1688
Personal info:
Education

Rycaut studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a BA in 1650. In 1651, while on family business in Madrid, he enrolled at the University of Alcalá de Henares. In 1652 he was admitted to Gray's Inn in London.

He was elected to the Royal Society in 1666.

He spoke several languages.
Career

Rycaut's main career was as a diplomat, after he went to Constantinople in 1660 as secretary to Heneage Finch, earl of Winchilsea, on Finch's appointment as Ambassador to the Porte. In 1661 he became Chancellor and was sent on various diplomatic missions, and in 1667 he became British Consul in Smyrna. On his return to England at the end of 1678, he hoped to be appointed ambassador, but was passed over, although he was consulted by the government on Ottoman affairs. He was knighted in 1685 and appointed appointed chief secretary in Ireland, but only stayed in Dublin until 1687. In 1689 he was appointed resident in the Hanse towns, and only returned to England shortly before his death.
Financial Situation

His wealth at death was about £5700.
Translations Other Works

translations activities

Rycaut only did translations incidentally, mainly from Spanish (Gracian, Garcilaso de la Vega) and Greek.

secondary bibliography references

Sonia P. Anderson, An English Consul in Turkey: Paul Rycaut at Smyrna, 1667–1678, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1989.

Sonia P. Anderson, 'Rycaut, Sir Paul', ODNB.

Translations

  • El Criticon

  • Translation Title: The Critick
  • Original Author: Baltazar Graciàn y Morales
  • Original title: El Criticon
  • Publ. Year From: 1650 to: 1656
  • lang: Spanish
  • Translation: The Critick
  • Publisher: Henry Brome
  • Pub. Place: London
  • Pub. Date: 1680
  • Lang: English

  • (The life of Numa Pompilius)

  • Translation Title: Life of Numa Pompilius
  • Original Author: Plutarch
  • Original title: (The life of Numa Pompilius)
  • lang: Greek
  • Translation: Life of Numa Pompilius
  • Publisher: Jacob Tonson
  • Pub. Place: London
  • Pub. Date: 1682
  • Lang: English
  • Note:

    This translation was published in vol.I of Dryden's edition of Plutarch's Lives 'translated fom the Greek by several hands'

  • Comentarios Reales de los Incas

  • Translation Title: Royal Commentaries of Peru
  • Original Author: Garcilaso de la Vega
  • Original title: Comentarios Reales de los Incas
  • Publ. Year From: 1608 to:
  • lang: Spanish
  • Translation: Royal Commentaries of Peru
  • Publisher: Samuel Heyrick
  • Pub. Place: London
  • Pub. Date: 1687
  • Lang: English
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By:

  • Ann Thomson