Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/1201

COR it another issue had his advice been asked, or his plans been executed. Six years he languished about the court, vainly seeking a settlement of his claims. Wearied of the insolence of office and the law's delay, he was about to return to Mexico, when the design was arrested by death, which overtook him near Seville on the 2d of December, 1547.—F. E.  CORTONA. See.  CORVINUS. See and.  CORVISART-DESMARETS,, Baron, one of the most illustrious French physicians of the last century, was born in 1755, and died in 1821. He was loaded with honours by Napoleon, to whom he was introduced by Josephine, who had become acquainted with him at the house of Barras. As a professor Corvisart was eminently successful.—R. M., A.  CORVUS, M., an illustrious Roman warrior. He obtained the surname of Corvus because, in a single combat with a Gallic giant, he was assisted by a raven (corvus), which alighted on his helmet, and flew in the barbarian's face. He was six times consul and twice dictator, and rendered the most valuable services to the republic. Corvus, who lived to the age of one hundred, is frequently mentioned by the later Roman writers as one of the most fortunate of men.—R. M., A.  CORYATE,, a man who in his time had a considerable reputation as an elegant writer, particularly in Latin verse, was born at Salisbury in the early part of the sixteenth century; and having been educated at Winchester school, he obtained a fellowship of New college, Oxford, in 1562. He was appointed to the rectory of Odcombe in 1594, where he died on 4th March, 1606. A list of his works is given by Wood in the Athenæ Oxonienses.—J. F. W.  CORYATE,, son of the preceding, was born at Odcombe in 1577, and received his education at Westminster school, and subsequently at Gloucester hall, Oxford. In 1608 he set out on an extensive tour, and travelled principally on foot through Germany, France, and Italy. All this he tells us he accomplished with one pair of shoes, which on his return he had the vanity to hang up in the parish church at Odcombe. The result of this wandering he gave to the world in a volume with the strange title of "Coryate's Crudities hastily gobbled up in five months' travel." He also travelled through Constantinople, Greece, Egypt, Palestine, visiting Alexandria, Jerusalem, Cairo, the pyramids, Babylon; thence he proceeded to Lahore and Agra, where he was received at the court of the Great Mogul, and finally died of a short illness at Surat in 1617.—J. F. W.  COSA,, is said to have been the pilot of Columbus on his first voyage—certainly he was with the great navigator on his second one—and he is known to have been among the most eminent chartographers of his time and country. Cosa accompanied Ojeda in the latter's final expedition of 1509 to the Darien coast, and vainly endeavoured to dissuade him from landing at Tabasco, and engaging with the fierce natives of that locality. The cautious veteran supported his chief, however, with the utmost bravery when the conflict was commenced. Separated from Ojeda in the strife, he took refuge in an Indian hut, and fought till there was only one other survivor left, while he himself felt that the poisoned arrows of the enemy were completing their deadly work. Some of his maps have escaped the destroying hand of time, and are much valued by the geographical antiquary.—F. E. <section end="1201H" /> <section begin="1201I" />COSIERS or COSSIERS,, a painter, born at Antwerp in 1603. His repute as a historical painter attracted the notice of the king of Spain and other princes, who liberally patronized him. He was nominated director of the Academy at Antwerp in 1639. He died in 1652.—W. T. <section end="1201I" /> <section begin="1201J" />COSIN,, D.D., Lord-bishop of Durham and Count Palatine from December, 1660, to January, 1672, was the eldest son of Giles Cosin, a citizen of Norwich, where he was born, 30th November, 1594. He was educated at the free school of Norwich, and at Gonville and Caius college, Cambridge, of which society he was scholar and fellow. In 1640 Charles I., whose chaplain he then was, made him dean of Peterborough. His faithfulness to his royal master cost him much trouble, for in 1642 he was deprived of all his preferments, for being concerned in sending the plate of the university to the king. He then went to Paris as chaplain to the protestant members of Queen Henrietta's household, and there composed several works against the Roman catholics, and kept up a friendly intercourse with the French protestants. At the restoration of Charles II., Cosin returned home, after seventeen years' exile, and took possession of his former offices. On the 2nd of December, 1660, he was consecrated bishop of Durham, and there was distinguished for his princely munificence. He is said to have expended, in charitable works connected with his see, the sum of £26,000. He died in Pall Mall, 15th January, 1672. His works were numerous and valuable, and were collected in 1843 in the Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology—a memoir being prefixed, which was reprinted from the Biographia Britannica. Some of his writings have lately been translated into French and Italian, and published by the "Society for making known on the Continent the Principles of the Church of England."—T. S. P. <section end="1201J" /> <section begin="1201K" />COSMAS, usually called (Indian navigator), was an Egyptian monk of the reign of Justinian. Cosmas, who was originally a merchant, and had in that capacity visited many countries, wrote a work entitled "," Topographia Christiana, in twelve books, the greater part of which is extant.—R. M., A. <section end="1201K" /> <section begin="1201L" />COSTA,, was born at Marianno, a town of the province of Minas Geraes in Brazil, upon the 6th of June, 1729. He published in 1751 his first volume of poetry, which was followed in 1768 by a second, and both were favourably received and gave him a high reputation. His close intimacy with Ribeiro led to implicate him in a political movement, in consequence of which he was arrested by the government in 1789, and thrown into prison at Villa Rica, where he died, as it is suspected, by poison. Costa wrote with purity and elegance, and was remarkable for the classicality and harmony of his prose.—J. F. W. <section end="1201L" /> <section begin="1201M" />COSTA Y SYLVA,, was born on the 15th of August, 1788, in Coimbra in Portugal, in which city his father held an official situation. He employed himself chiefly in the translation of works of English, French, and Italian writers, though he also wrote a few original historical plays. Such was his diligence in this branch of literature, that he is said to have ultimately reproduced near two hundred dramas. Happily for the cause of literature, Costa found time towards the decline of life to confer upon his country a more solid benefit. In 1850 he published the first volume of his "Essay, Critical and Biographical, on the best Portuguese poets, from the commencement of the monarchy to the present time." Each succeeding year he continued this work till the 7th volume appeared in 1854, when death terminated his labours, leaving still three volumes unfinished. If Costa did not fully achieve the object he had in view, he has, at all events, supplied a great want, and for the first time given his countrymen what may be called a reliable history of its poetry.—J. F. W. <section end="1201M" /> <section begin="1201N" />COSTELEY,, a Scotch musician of considerable eminence in the sixteenth century, was born about 1530. He visited Paris in early life, and was appointed valet-de-chambre and organist to Charles IX. He published "Musique," Paris, Adrien le Roi, 1579, 4to; and "Chansons à quatre et à cinq Parties," Paris, Adrien le Roi, 1586, 4to. The date of his decease is unknown.—E. F. R. <section end="1201N" /> <section begin="1201O" />* COSTELLO,, a popular English authoress. Her first publication attracted the attention of Thomas Moore the poet, to whom she dedicated in 1835 her "Specimens of the early Poetry of France." She has written a considerable number of books of travel, memoirs, and romances; "A Pilgrimage to Auvergne," "Bearn and the Pyrenees;" "The Queen Mother;" "Clara Fane;" "Anne of Brittany," &c. &c.—R. M., A. <section end="1201O" /> <section begin="1201P" />COSTER, the celebrated printer, was born about 1370, and died about 1440. He is one of the four or five persons for whom severally has been claimed the honour of the invention of printing. The Dutch have zealously advocated the pretensions of Coster, but it is now all but certain that the honour rightly belongs to the German Guttenberg.—R. M., A. <section end="1201P" /> <section begin="1201Zcontin" />COSTER,, the son of a banker at Nancy, where he was born in 1729. When of sufficient age he became a partner in the establishment; but in the midst of financial business he found time to apply a clear and vigorous intellect to the cognate study of political economy. He was appointed secretary to the parliament of Lorraine, and employed in many important affairs by that body. One of his publications in this capacity was "Letters of a Citizen," in opposition to certain commercial restrictions proposed to be placed upon the trade of the province of Lorraine. These letters were extremely popular, and procured for their author the title of "the Citizen." His <section end="1201Zcontin" />