Chapter Cooper to Cowley of C by Biographical Dictionary of English Literature

Cooper to Cowley

Cooper, Thomas (1805-1892).—Chartist poet, was born at Leicester, and apprenticed to a shoemaker. In spite of hardships and difficulties, he educated himself, and at 23 was a schoolmaster. He became a leader and lecturer among the Chartists, and in 1842 was imprisoned in Stafford gaol for two years, where he wrote his Purgatory of Suicides, a political epic. At the same time he adopted sceptical views, which he continued to hold until 1855, when he became a Christian, joined the Baptists, and was a preacher among them. In his latter years he settled down into an old-fashioned Radical. His friends in 1867 raised an annuity for him, and in the last year of his life he received a government pension. In addition to his poems he wrote several novels. Somewhat impulsive, he was an honest and sincere man.

Corbet, Richard (1582-1635).—Poet, son of a gardener, was educated at Westminster School and Oxford, and entered the Church, in which he obtained many preferments, and rose to be Bishop successively of Oxford and Norwich. He was celebrated for his wit, which not seldom passed into buffoonery. His poems, which are often mere doggerel, were not published until after his death. They include Journey to France, Iter Boreale, the account of a tour from Oxford to Newark, and the Farewell to the Fairies.

Cornwall, Barry, see Procter, B. W.

Cory, William Johnson (1823-1892).—Poet, born at Torrington, and educated at Eton, where he was afterwards a master. He was a brilliant writer of Latin verse. His chief poetical work is Ionica, containing poems in which he showed a true lyrical gift.

Coryate, or Coryatt, Thomas (1577-1617).—Poet, born at Odcombe, Somerset, and educated at Westminster and Oxford, entered the household of Prince Henry. In 1608 he made a walking tour in France, Italy, and Germany, walking nearly 2000 miles in one pair of shoes, which were, until 1702, hung up in Odcombe Church, and known as “the thousand mile shoes.” He gave an amusing account of this in his Coryate’s Crudities hastily cobbled up (1611), prefixed to which were commendatory verses by many contemporary poets. A sequel, Coryate’s Crambé, or Colewort twice Sodden followed. Next year (1612) Coryate bade farewell to his fellow-townsmen, and set out on another journey to Greece, Egypt, and India, from which he never returned. He died at Surat. Though odd and conceited, Coryate was a close observer, and took real pains in collecting information as to the places he visited.

Costello, Louisa Stuart (1799-1877).—Poet and novelist, born in Ireland, lived chiefly in Paris, where she was a miniature-painter. In 1815 she published The Maid of the Cyprus Isle, etc. (poems). She also wrote books of travel, which were very popular, as were her novels, chiefly founded on French history. Another work, published in 1835, is Specimens of the Early Poetry of France.

Cotton, Charles (1630-1687).—Poet and translator, succeeded to an embarrassed estate, which his happy-go-lucky methods did not improve, wrote burlesques on Virgil and Lucian, and made an excellent translation of Montaigne’s Essays, also a humorous Journey to Ireland. Cotton was the friend of Izaak Walton, and wrote a second part of The Complete Angler. He was apparently always in difficulties, always happy, and always a favourite.

Cotton, Sir Robert Bruce (1571-1631).—Antiquary, born at Denton, Hunts, and educated at Cambridge, was a great collector of charters and records throwing light upon English history, and co-operated with Camden (q.v.). Among his works are a history of the Raigne of Henry III. (1627). He was the collector of the Cottonian library, now in the British Museum, and was the author of various political tracts.

Cousin, Anne Ross (Cundell) (1824-1906).—Poetess, only daughter of D. R. Cundell, M.D., Leith, married 1847 Rev. Wm. Cousin, minister of the Free Church of Scotland, latterly at Melrose. Some of her hymns, especially “The Sands of Time are sinking,” are known and sung over the English-speaking world. A collection of her poems, Immanuel’s Land and Other Pieces, was published in 1876 under her initials A. R. C., by which she was most widely known.