born about the year 1567. In 1582, being then a student of Furnival's Inn, "he stole away," and joined his father and mother at Rouen. He continued on the Continent, partly at Rouen, where he stayed until his father's death in 1584, partly in the service of the Prince of Parma in the Low Countries, and partly at Rome, until 1590. On his return to England he seems to have been immediately arrested as a Popish recusant, and, although soon set at liberty, appears to have been an object of great suspicion to the Government, and to have been in prison several times during the remainder of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Topliffe, in a letter to the Queen, dated June 22nd, 1592 (given in Strype's Annals, vol. iv. No. LXXXIX.), speaks of him as "the most desperate youth that lived." His published works, however, breathe the most fervent loyalty and devotion to the Queen. In addition to his poems, Copley took part in the controversy between the Jesuits and the Secular clergy, and wrote two pamphlets on the side of the Seculars, respectively entitled, An aunswere to a letter of a Jesuited Gentleman by his cosin Maister A. C., 1601, pp. 122; Another letter of Maister A. C. to his Disjesuited Kinsman concerning the Appeal, State, Jesuits, &c., printed in 1602, 4to; also a third letter of his Apologetical for himself, &c., 1602, 4to, pp. 53. No writer has connected these pamphlets with Anthony Copley, or has indeed at all referred to the first of them. The second is noticed by Lowndes, under "C. (A.),” as quoted by Ant. Wood. On the accession to the crown of King James, Anthony Copley was concerned in the plot for placing Lady Arabella Stuart on the throne. He and the other conspirators were tried and condemned to death (see State Trials), but Copley was afterwards pardoned, having made a confession relating the entire history of the plot, which is printed in extenso in the appendix to vol. iv. of Tierney's edition of Dodd's Church History. Beyond this time we have been unable to trace any further particulars of his history, but, as the present poem was his latest known publication, we may conclude that he did not survive much longer. His younger brother, John Copley, left the Church of Rome for that of England, and became rector of Pluckley, in Kent, and died at an advanced age in 1662. He published in 1612, Doctrinall and Morall Observations concerning religion, wherein the Author declareth the reasons of his late unenforced departure from the Church of Rome, &c. By John Copley M.A. Seminary Priest, 1612, 4to. For most of the particulars relating to the personal history of Anthony Copley we have been indebted to the kindness of Richard Copley Christie, Esq., of Manchester, Barrister-at-Law, to whom, for his obliging information, we beg to tender our very sincere thanks. An imperfect copy, made up with manuscript, of this scarce poem sold in Jolley's sale, pt. ii. No. 813, for 17. 198., and a perfect one in Bindley's ditto, pt. i. No. 1838, 71. 178. 6d. Collation: Title, A 2; Sig. A to M 2, in fours; A 1 being a blank leaf. Bound in Red Morocco, gilt leaves. COPLEY, (ANTHONY.) — Wits, Fits, and Fancies: or, A generall and curious Collection of the Sententious Speeches, Answers, Jests, and Behauiours of all sortes of Estates from the Throne to the Cottage. Being properly reduced to their severall heads for the more ease to the Reader. Newly corrected and augmented, with many late true and wittie accidents. Musica mentis, medicina Mæstus. London, Printed by Edw. Allde, dwelling in little Saint Bartholomewes, near Christ-Church. 1614. 4to, blk. lett. pp. 200. The present work is chiefly remarkable for its rarity, and for its being what may be styled in general terms a Shakespearian jest book, as two or three of its stories serve to illustrate some passages in his plays. The first edition of it, as we have already mentioned, was published in 1595, 4to, blk. Lett., by Richard Johnes, and is of extreme rarity, not more than one or two copies at the most being known, one of them being Mr. Douce's, now in the Bodleian Library. This impression has at the end a poem entitled "Loues Owle." This poetical piece (together with Copley's name) is omitted from the present edition, probably from his participation in the conspiracy in favour of Lady Arabella Stuart, and the whole of the present volume is in prose. It consists of a series of jests, stories, anecdotes and sayings, chiefly collected from a Spanish work, La Floresta Spagnola, of which there is a French translation printed at Lyons in 1600. These stories and sayings, which, like Joe Miller's jests, are generally considered as common property, are often met with in other works, and are handed down as novelties even to our own days. One or two of these anecdotes will therefore suffice as specimens: An Italian used to say that wine hath these two discommodities with it: if you put water into it, you marre it; and if you put none in, you marre your selfe. The Dutchman useth to say, that eating is not any whit necessarie, other then in as much as it procureth a man to drinke and talke. A gentleman using to dine often with the Maior of London, on a time brought his friend with him, saying, 'My Lord, heer I am come, a bold guest of yours againe, and have brought my shadow with me.' The Maior welcomed him and his shadow. Within a while after he came againe to dinner to him, and brought two companions with him to whom the Maior said-'Sir, you be hartily welcome: bnt I pray you tel me, Do you not think it a monstrous thing, for one body to have two shadowes ? That Shakespeare was acquainted with this curious book, and made use of it occasionally, has been shewn by Malone and Douce. The latter, noticing the direction in Hamlet, act iii. sc. ii., "Enter the players with recorders," which were supposed to be flutes or small pipes, quotes the following story from Copley's work, shewing that the pipe and recorder were different: A merie recorder of London (supposed to be Fleetwood) mistaking the name of one Pepper, call'd him Piper: whereunto the partie excepting, and saying, Sir, you mistake, my name is Pepper, not Piper: hee answered; Why, what difference is there (I pray thee) between Piper in Latin, and Pepper in English: is it not all ore? No, Sir, (reply'd the other) there is even as much difference betweene them, as is betweene a Pipe and a Recorder. Mr. Collier also has noticed some instances from the second part of Henry IV., act ii. sc. iv.; Loves Labour Lost, act iv. sc. ii.; Twelfth Night, act iii. sc. ii., &c., which it is not necessary to repeat here, and likewise an interesting anecdote of Henry Goldingham the author. Copley, in his dedication of the first edition of this work to George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, alluding to the poem of "Loues Owle" at the end of it, omitted in the present edition, remarks: As for my Loues Owle, in the latter ende, the trueth is, I can pretend it no outlandish priuiledge to your Honour's fauour, and therefore doe rather leaue it to your pardon then good liking, as a folie of an idle value. And again : As for my Loues Owle, I am content that Momus turn it to a tennis ball if he can, and bandy it quite away: namely, I desire M. Daniel, M. Spencer, and other the prime poets of our time, to pardon it with as easie a frowne as they please, for that I giue them to understand, that an Universitie muse neuer penn'd it, though humbly devoted thereunto. This poem of" Loues Owle," here omitted, is noticed by Mr. Park in the Cens. Liter., who has given some extracts from it, which seem hardly worthy of quotation, and do not add to Copley's reputation as a poet. For further notices of the present singular work consult Douce's Illust., vol. i. p. 341 and p. 454, and vol. ii. p. 249; Cens. Liter., vol. ii. p. 126; and Collier's Bibliogr. Cat., vol. p. 155. A copy in Bright's sale, No. 1442, sold for 67. 158., and since then another has been sold for 167. Fine Copy. Bound by Charles Lewis. Red Morocco, gilt leaves. CORBET, (RICHARD.) -Certain Elegant Poems, written by Dr. Corbet, Bishop of Norwich. London, Printed by R. Cotes for Andrew Crooke at the Green Dragon in Pauls Church-yard. 1647. sm. 8vo, pp. 92. When we consider the subjects and style of these poems by Bishop Corbet, and the accounts that are given of the wit and drollery of the reverend author, and the peculiar anecdotes that are recorded of him, we must at once come to the conclusion that they are not such as either would or ought to recommend a man, in these days, for advancement to the dignity and office of a Christian Bishop, and that the author must have been indebted in a great degree to the patronage of King James I., to whom his brilliant wit and fancy, his quaintness in preaching, and his general gaiety and good humour and conversational powers were attractive, for his original advancement. In looking over his poems we cannot help being struck with their lightness and unfitness in one holding such an office. There is a joviality and humour in the composition of some of them, which, however they might please the manners and tastes of those days, would not be exactly suitable to the pen of a modern bishop. But perhaps we ought not to judge of these poems too harshly or unfavourably, as they were chiefly composed in his youth, and were not intended to be published at all. The work is a posthumous one, and did not appear until twelve years after his decease. The present is the first edition, and has a prose dedication "To the Right Honorable the Lady Teynham: Her humble Servant N. N. wisheth eternall Beauty, both in this world, and the world to come." The first and longest poem, "Iter Boreale," is an imitation of Horace's "Journey to Brundisium," and relates the travels and adventures of four clerks of Oxford; two doctors, and two that would become so. It gives the various places they visited, and derives additional interest from the different persons, clergy and others, with whom they stayed being mentioned by name. They spent a night at Floore in Northamptonshire, from whence the bishop obtained his wife, and from there went on to Daventry, Lutterworth, Leicester, Nottingham, Newark, Loughborough, Bosworth, Nuneaton, Coventry, Kenilworth, Warwick, Banbury, and home to Oxford. As an example of Corbet's lighter style we quote a short passage or two from this poem, which reminds us much of the Iter Lancastrense, by Richard James, only that there is more wit and fun in it than in that more soberly written poem. The first passage is descriptive of their adventures at Daventry : The next morne To Daintry with a Land-winde wee were borne, It was the Market, and the Lecture day For Lecturers sell Sermons, as the Lay Doe Sheepe and Oxen, have their seasons just For both their Markets; there wee dranke downe dust. His face and gowne draw'd out with the same budge. Look'd like a Letters-patents by his side: He was as awfull as he had beene sent From Moses with the eleventh Commandement; And one of us he sought, a man of Flower He must bid stand, and challenge for an hower: Because he needs but ruminate that o're Which he had chew'd the Sabbath day before; For he nor Deacon was, nor Minister: You have a licence, Sir, or Toleration; |