The Poems of Richard Corbet, late bishop of Oxford and of Norwich 4th edition

This volume gathers the varied verse of a seventeenth‑century clergyman whose reputation rested on wit as much as on devotion. The poems range from light, teasing epigrams that recall the lively banter of a university hall to more solemn elegies crafted for royal and scholarly funerals. Interspersed are occasional Latin pieces and a newly added oration marking the death of a young prince, giving listeners a glimpse of the ceremonial language of the era.

Accompanying the verses are biographical notes that trace the poet’s modest origins, his education at Westminster and Oxford, and his rise to the episcopate. The editor’s commentary situates his work among contemporaries, noting both his humor and his engagement with the religious disputes of his day. Listeners will hear the texture of early modern English, the rhythm of formal hymnody, and the playful sparkle that made his verses a favorite in learned circles.