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THE

POEMS

OF

Richard

BISHOP CORBET

THE

LIFE OF RICHARD CORBET, D. D.

BISHOP OF OXFORD AND NORWICH.

BY MR. CHALMERS.

RICHARD, the son of Vincent Corbet, was born at Ewell in Surrey, in the year 1582. His father, who attained the age of eighty, appears to have been a man of excellent character, and is celebrated in one of his son's poems with filial ardour. For some reason, his biographers inform us, he assumed the name of Pointer, or perhaps relinquished that for Corbet, which seems more probable. His usual residence was at Whitton in the county of Middlesex, where he was noted for his skill in horticulture, and amassed considerable property in houses and land, which he bequeathed to his son at his death in 1619.

Our poet was educated at Westminster-school, and in lent-term 1597-8 entered in Broadgate-Hall, (afterwards Pembroke College) and the year following was admitted a student of Christ-Church, Oxford, where he soon became noted among men of wit and vivacity. In 1605, he took his master's degree, and entered into holy orders. In 1612, he pronounced a funeral oration, in Saint Mary's church Oxford, on the death of Henry, prince of Wales, and the following year, another on the interment of that eminent benefactor to learning, sir Thomas Bodley. In 1618 he took a journey to France, from which he wrote the epistle to sir Thomas Aylesbury. His Journey to France, one of his most humorous poems, is remarkable for giving some traits of the French character that are visible in the present day.

King James, who showed no weakness in the choice of his literary favourites, made him one of his chaplains in ordinary, and in 1627 advanced him to the dignity of dean of Christ Church. At this time he was doctor of divinity, vicar of Cassington near Woodstock in Oxfordshire, and prebendary of Bedminster Secunda in the church of Sarum.

In 1617, Barton Holliday's play of Technogamia was performed before the king at Woodstock, and being received with indifferent success, various verses were written in excuse of his majesty's entertainment. Among others were some from Corbet who, as Anthony Wood informs us, "had that day preached before the king, with his band starched clean, for which he was reproved by the graver sort, but those who knew him well took no notice of it, for they have several times said, that he loved to the last boys

play very well." This is not the only occasion which the Oxford biographer takes to advert to a levity in Corbet's character which was thought unbecoming his profession.

On the 30th of July 1629, he was promoted to the see of Oxford, and on the 7th of April 1632 was translated to that of Norwich. He married, probably before this time, Alice the daughter of Dr. Leonard Hutton, vicar of Flower, or Flore in Northamptonshire, who had been his contemporary at the university, and with whom he appears to have renewed his acquaintance during his Iter Boreale. By this wife he had a son, named after his grandfather Vincent, to whom he addresses some lines of parental advice and good wishes. Of the rest of his life, little can be now recovered. We have already seen that he invited Ben Jonson to Oxford and procured him a master's degree. He died July 28, 1635, and was buried at the upper end of the choir of the cathedral church of Norwich, with the following inscription on a brass-plate.

Ricardus Corbet, Theologiæ Doctor,
Ecclesia Cathedralis Christi Oxoniensis
Primum Alumnus, deinde Decanus, exinde
Episcopus, illinc huc translatus, et
Hinc in cælum Jul. 28, 1635.

Besides his son Vincent, he had a daughter, named Alice. They were both living in 1642, when their grandmother Anne Hutton made her will, and the son administered to it in 1648, but no memorial can be found of their future history. It would appear that his wife died before him, as in his will he committed his children to the care of their grandmother.

His most accurate biographer, Mr. Gilchrist, to whom this sketch is greatly indebted, has collected many particulars illustrative of his character, which are, upon the whole, favourable. Living in turbulent times, when the church was assailed from every quarter, he conducted himself with great moderation towards the recusants, or puritans; and although he could not disobey, yet contrived to soften by a gracious pleasantry of manner, the harsher orders received from the metropolitan Laud. In his principles he inclined to the Arminianism of Laud, in opposition to the Calvinism of Laud's predecessor archbishop Abbot, and it is evident from his poems, entertained a hearty contempt for the puritans, who, however, could not reproach him for persecution. As he published no theological works we are unable to judge of his talents in his proper profession, but his munificence in matters which regarded the church has been justly extolled. When St. Paul's cathedral stood in need of repairs, he not only contributed four hundred pounds from his own purse, but dispersed an epistle to the clergy of his diocese soliciting their assistance. This epistle, which Mr. Gilchrist has published, is highly characteristic of his propensity to humour, as well as of the quaint and quibbling style of his age. The following short specimen comes nearer to our own times, and will be easily understood by the dealers in fashionable chapels.

"I am verily persuaded, were it not for the pulpit and the pews (I do not now mean the altar and the font for the two sacraments, but for the pulpit and the stools as you call them) many churches had been down that stand. Stately pews are now become tabernacles, with rings and curtains to them. There wants nothing but beds to hear the word of God on; we have casements, locks and keys, and cushions: I had almost said, bolsters and pillows: and for those we love the church, I will not guess what is done within them, who sits, stands, or lies asleep, at prayers, communion, &c. but this I dare

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