Brathwaite, Richard

(?1588-1673)

   Born in Burneside, near Kendal in the Lake District, he was the son of a barrister and educated at Oriel College, Oxford, and at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he studied law. In 1638, on moving to London, he devoted himself to poetry and dramatic writing. After his brother died, he lived at Burneside and became captain of a company of foot in the trained bands. It is said that he served on the royalist side in the civil war. He was later deputylieutenant of the county of Westmoreland and justice of the peace. He wrote many satires. Some of his publications: The Golden Fleece, 1611 (a collection of poems). The Poet's Willow, 614 (a moral treatise). The Prodigals Teares, 1614. The Shepheards Tale, 1621 (a collection of pastorals). The English Gentleman, 1630. The English Gentlewoman, 1631. The Psalmes of David, 1638. Astræa's Tears, 1641. The Honest Ghost, 1658. The Captive Captain, 1665. Some of his poems: "Nature's Embassy," "Of Maids' Inconstancy," "The Church Ape," "The City Ape," "The Country Ape," "The Court Ape," "The Judiciall Ape," "The Nightingale," "The Politicall Ape," "Vandunk's Four Humours, in Quality and Quantity."

   Sources: Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. English Poetry: Author Search. Chadwyck-Healey Ltd., 1995 (http://www.lib.utexas.edu:8080/search/epoetry/author.html). The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The National Portrait Gallery (www.npg.org.uk). The New Oxford Book of Seventeenth Century Verse. Alastair Fowler, ed. Oxford University Press, 2004. The Penguin Book of Bird Poetry. Peggy Munsterberg, ed. Penguin Books, 1984.