author
Richard Corbet
1582–1635
Remembered as both a bishop and a wit, this lively 17th-century writer brought humor and sharp observation into an age often associated with solemnity. His poems circulated in manuscript during his lifetime and helped preserve his reputation long after his death.
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About the author
An English clergyman, humorist, and poet, Richard Corbet was born in 1582 at Ewell, Surrey, and was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. He built a successful career in the Church of England, eventually serving as Bishop of Oxford and later Bishop of Norwich.
Corbet was known in his own day for his wit, sociability, and gift for lively verse. Although his poems were not published until after his death in 1635, they were admired for their playful tone, satirical edge, and vivid sense of personality, setting him apart from more formal religious writers of the period.
Today he is often remembered as a minor but distinctive voice of the early 17th century: a churchman who could be serious when needed, yet whose writing often feels quick, amused, and very human. That mixture of public importance and comic charm gives his work a lasting appeal.