Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/1203

COT Burlesque;" an excellent poem, of which the good-humoured absurdity and temporary forgetfulness of every thing sober and solemn are not a little amusing. Some translations from the French, "The Planter's Manual," and "Burlesque upon Burlesque,"—the last a disagreeable production—preceded the "Second Part of the Complete Angler," which as the author tells us, was written off in the short space of ten days. Cotton was a great angler and a most intimate friend of Isaak Walton. But the most valuable of all Cotton's works is his admirable translation of Montaigne's Essays, which appeared in 1685 in three vols. 8vo. He was a perfect master of the French language; and his strong sympathy with the freedom and eccentricity of the old Gascon gentleman's opinions, must have rendered the version of his essays truly a labour of love. He died in 1687. A collection of his fugitive poems, many of which are translations from the Latin lyric and elegiac poets, was published after his death. Cotton was constantly harassed with pecuniary difficulties, and there is reason to believe that his life lacked much of that saintliness which characterized his adoptive father, dear old Isaak Walton.—R. M., A.  COTTON,, an English physician and poet, died in 1788. He studied at Leyden under the famous Boerhaave, and after his return to England practised medicine, first at Dunstable, and afterwards at St. Albans. For some time he devoted himself to the care of insane persons, whom he received into his house. Cowper the poet, who placed himself under his tender and skilful management, had a particular regard for him. Cotton wrote "Visions in Verse, for the instruction of Younger Minds."  COTTON,, an eminent English antiquarian, was born at Denton in Huntingdonshire in 1570, and educated at Trinity college, Cambridge. He seems to have early acquired a high reputation for learning and integrity, and was consulted on public affairs both by the king and the leading men of the times. He was first knighted, and afterwards created a baronet by James I.; but notwithstanding these proofs of the favour in which he was held by the court. Sir Robert joined the popular party, and urged the redress of grievances, though with great moderation. He was in consequence subjected to the persecution of the government; and a surreptitious copy of a MS. treatise on a political topic, which belonged to his library having been laid before the privy council, he was committed to the Tower, and his valuable library seized. This harsh and unjust treatment injured his constitution, and ultimately led to his death, 6th May, 1631. His library, which contains a great mass of records and precious manuscripts, as well as books, was improved by his son and grandson, and is now deposited in the British museum.—J. T.  * COUCH,, F.L.S., &c., was born on 15th March, 1788, at Polperro, a fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall, where he has spent the greater part of his life in the practice of medicine, devoting his hours of leisure to the study of natural history. His attention has been chiefly directed to the investigation of marine zoology. As long ago as when Bewick was contemplating a history of British fishes, to be illustrated in the same manner as his other celebrated works—a labour which was interrupted by his death—Mr. Couch largely furnished him with materials; and how greatly British icthyology is indebted to the Cornish naturalist may be seen on a perusal of Mr. Gurrett's almost national work on that subject. Mr. Couch has also been a contributor to the Transactions of the philosophical societies of his native country, and has published numerous papers on almost all branches of his favourite study, in the journals having natural history for their subject. He is also the author of "Illustrations of Instinct;" "The Cornish Fauna," Parts I. and II.; Part III., On the Zoophytes of Cornwall, being furnished by his son,, also a naturalist of repute.—M.  COUCY, or, a distinguished poet of the twelfth century. He went to the crusades with Richard Cœur de Lion, and died in battle. The date of 1192 is stated as that of the year of his death. His biography, as far as it is connected with literature would seem, if we may speak "a l'Irlandaise," to begin after his death. When dying, the sire de Coucy ordered his écuyer to take his heart to the dame de Fayel, and tell her how it had lived upon smiles and wine, and how the best of both were what had cheered him in her castle. Her husband met the luckless missionary, robbed hin; of the cherished treasure, had it delicately dressed, and made his wife eat it actually, not metaphorically. She refused all other food when she was told of what delicates her last dinner consisted. The story seems to have pleased the taste of the period and of later days, for we have the same story repeated in almost every language of Europe. Twenty-four chansons are ascribed to De Coucy. Michel published them in 1830, with an introduction and notes.—J. A., D.  COULOMB,, a French mechanician, born at Angoulême in 1736, and died in 1806. Coulomb entered the army at an early age, and distinguished himself as a military engineer. He was sent to Martinique, to the isle of Aix, to Rochefort, and to Cherbourg; but his public labours did not wholly interrupt his private studies. In 1779 he obtained a prize from the Royal Academy of Sciences for the best construction of the mariner's compass, and two years afterwards another for his "Theory of Simple Machines." But his reputation rests chiefly on his invention of the torsion balance (balance de torsion). This ingenious instrument, which was suggested by a series of experiments on the elasticity of metallic threads, is employed for increasing minute forces.—R. M., A.  COURCY or COURCEY,, an English warrior who died about 1199. He went to Ireland with a band of English, to assist the tyrant Dermot Macmorrogh to regain the crown of Leinster, which he had lost by his violent oppressions. In 1186 Courcy succeeded John, son of Henry II., as viceroy of Ireland. Being afterwards deprived of this post he took arms, and for some time resisted the royal forces. He was at length apprehended, and thrown into prison, whence he was released by King John. He then set sail for Ireland, but was driven on the coast of France, where he died.—R. M., A.  COURT,, a celebrated French protestant minister, was born in 1696, and died in 1760. In 1715 he set himself to reorganize the French protestant church, which had been broken and scattered by the revocation of the edict of Nantes—a work in which he was successful beyond his most fervent hopes. He founded, about 1730, the French theological school at Lausanne, which he directed till his death.—R. M., A. <section end="1203H" /> <section begin="1203I" />COURT, son of the preceding, was born at Nismes in 1725. He, like his father, was called to the ministry, but soon abandoned active religious ministrations to devote himself to his favourite study of mythology. In 1763 he settled in Paris, and in two years afterwards he commenced the publication of his great work, "Le Monde Primitif, Analysé et Comparé avec le Monde Moderne." Gebelin wrote a work entitled "Les Toulousaines," in favour of the reformed religion, and established in Paris an office, in which all protestants could record their complaints, grievances, and views in general, and thus he became the centre of that party throughout the kingdom, and the advocate of liberty, religious and civil. He died of a lingering and painful disease in 1784.—J. F. W. <section end="1203I" /> <section begin="1203J" />COURTENAY,, was born in Ireland in 1741. He obtained an introduction to Lord Townshend, which his talent and conviviality improved to intimacy, so that the viceroy took his friend with him on his departure, and appointed him his secretary when he was made master-general of the ordnance. Courtenay commenced his political career in 1780, as member for the borough of Tamworth, which he continued to represent till 1796; after which he sat for Appleby, having in the meantime been made surveyor of the ordnance. On the resignation of Lord North, Lord Townshend retired from the ordnance, and Courtenay accompanied him. They were again in office for a short time under the coalition ministry. Courtenay was held in sufficient consideration to be placed on the committee for the impeachment of Warren Hastings. In 1806 he was appointed a commissioner of the treasury, and shortly after retired from public life, and died March 4, 1816. As a man of letters, Courtenay wrote with point and spirit, and some of his poetical pieces have merit. Most of them allude to the passing incidents of the day. The "Poetical Review of Dr. Johnson" is the best of these compositions. He wrote two or three pamphlets on the French revolution.—J. F. W. <section end="1203J" /> <section begin="1203K" />COURTNEY,, Archbishop of Canterbury, was born in 1341, and died in 1396. When bishop of London, he summoned before him Wickliff the reformer, upon which occasion a tumult was excited amongst the citizens of the metropolis. Courtney was afterwards raised to the see of Canterbury, and is remembered as a persecutor of the Wickliffites.—R. M., A. <section end="1203K" /> <section begin="1203Zcontin" />COURTEVILLE,, a musician, supposed to be the son <section end="1203Zcontin" />