John Hoskins (poet)
Encyclopedia
Serjeant John Hoskins was an English
poet, scholar of Greek
, and politician.
, Herefordshire
. His father, impressed by his memory and mental abilities, arranged for him to be taught Greek at the age of ten. He attended Westminster School
for a year before going to Winchester College
in 1579. From 1584 to 1588 he attended their sister foundation New College
, Oxford, arriving alongside Henry Wotton
. However he was expelled from the University before he became Regent master
. The authorities did not appreciate his biting satire
. He became a teacher in Ilchester
Somerset, where he worked on a Greek lexicon which went as far as the letter M. However through a fortuitous meeting with Benedicta Moyle, he gained entrance to the Middle Temple
to study for the bar.
He was elected to parliament for Hereford
in 1604 and 1614. However whilst in 1614, in parliament he spoke his mind about the Sicilian Vespers
and consequently was imprisoned for a year in the Tower of London
alongside Sir Charles Cornmwallis. Subsequent to his release he was elected Lent Reader in 1619, and became a Judge
in 1623. He was re-elected MP for Hereford in 1628.
He was an intimate of John Selden
, Sir Walter Raleigh and Ben Jonson
. He once fought a duel with Sir Benjamin Rudyard, but they subsequently became great friends. When he was a Serjeant-at-law
and was once indicted for not keeping the pavement in front of his door in goodrepair. He successfully defended his case arguing that the charge did not specify how he was liable, whether he owned a property at that location, whether he lived there, or even whether he had a tenant who had legally assumed such responsibilities.
The poem Absence, Hear thou my Protestation (Printed anonymously in Francis Davison's A poetical rhapsody containing diverse sonnets, odes, [etc.] (V. S. for J. Baily, 1602)) was at one time attributed to John Donne
. However Herbert Grierson has argued persuasively that it should be attributed to Hoskins.
He is noted for painting an image of the Trusty Servant
as an emblem
outside the kitchen of Winchester College
in 1579. The emblem was accompanied by verse in both Latin
and English
providing a reading of the image.
He is buried in Abbey Dore
, Herefordshire
. His son Bennet Hoskyns
was created a Baronet in 1676 (see Hoskyns Baronets
).
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
poet, scholar of Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, and politician.
Life
He was the son of John and Margery Hoskins born in Mownton-upon-Wye, LlanwarneLlanwarne
Llanwarne is a village in Herefordshire, England. It is approximately six miles north-west of Ross-on-Wye, near Harewood End and Pencoyd. Llanwarne means The church by the swamp/marsh or alders, according to the Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names....
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
. His father, impressed by his memory and mental abilities, arranged for him to be taught Greek at the age of ten. He attended Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
for a year before going to Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
in 1579. From 1584 to 1588 he attended their sister foundation New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, Oxford, arriving alongside Henry Wotton
Henry Wotton
Sir Henry Wotton was an English author and diplomat. He is often quoted as saying, "An ambassador is an honest gentleman sent to lie abroad for the good of his country." -Life:The son of Thomas Wotton , brother of Edward Wotton, 1st Baron Wotton, and grandnephew of the diplomat...
. However he was expelled from the University before he became Regent master
Regent master
Regent master was a title conferred in the medieval universities upon a student who had acquired a master's degree. The degree meant simply the right to teach, the Licentia docendi, a right which could be granted, in the University of Paris, only by the Chancellor of the Cathedral of Notre Dame,...
. The authorities did not appreciate his biting satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
. He became a teacher in Ilchester
Ilchester
Ilchester is a village and civil parish, situated on the River Yeo or Ivel, five miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. The parish, which includes the village of Sock Dennis and the old parish of Northover, has a population of 2,021...
Somerset, where he worked on a Greek lexicon which went as far as the letter M. However through a fortuitous meeting with Benedicta Moyle, he gained entrance to the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
to study for the bar.
He was elected to parliament for Hereford
Hereford (UK Parliament constituency)
Hereford was, until 2010, a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1918, it had elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
in 1604 and 1614. However whilst in 1614, in parliament he spoke his mind about the Sicilian Vespers
Sicilian Vespers
The Sicilian Vespers is the name given to the successful rebellion on the island of Sicily that broke out on the Easter of 1282 against the rule of the French/Angevin king Charles I, who had ruled the Kingdom of Sicily since 1266. Within six weeks three thousand French men and women were slain by...
and consequently was imprisoned for a year in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
alongside Sir Charles Cornmwallis. Subsequent to his release he was elected Lent Reader in 1619, and became a Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in 1623. He was re-elected MP for Hereford in 1628.
He was an intimate of John Selden
John Selden
John Selden was an English jurist and a scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution and scholar of Jewish law...
, Sir Walter Raleigh and Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
. He once fought a duel with Sir Benjamin Rudyard, but they subsequently became great friends. When he was a Serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
and was once indicted for not keeping the pavement in front of his door in goodrepair. He successfully defended his case arguing that the charge did not specify how he was liable, whether he owned a property at that location, whether he lived there, or even whether he had a tenant who had legally assumed such responsibilities.
The poem Absence, Hear thou my Protestation (Printed anonymously in Francis Davison's A poetical rhapsody containing diverse sonnets, odes, [etc.] (V. S. for J. Baily, 1602)) was at one time attributed to John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
. However Herbert Grierson has argued persuasively that it should be attributed to Hoskins.
He is noted for painting an image of the Trusty Servant
Hircocervus
The hircocervus or tragelaph , also known as a goat-stag or horse-stag, was a legendary creature imagined to be half-goat, half-stag...
as an emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
outside the kitchen of Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
in 1579. The emblem was accompanied by verse in both Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
providing a reading of the image.
He is buried in Abbey Dore
Abbey Dore
Abbey Dore is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, known for Dore Abbey, a 12th century Cistercian abbey, expanded in the 13th century. The village is situated in the Golden Valley, and has a population of 342. Abbey Dore Court has large gardens open to the public in spring and...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
. His son Bennet Hoskyns
Sir Bennet Hoskyns, 1st Baronet
Sir Bennet Hoskyns, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1659.Hoskyns was the son of Mr Serjeant Hoskyns and his wife Benedicta Moyle, daughter of Robert Moyle of Buckwell, Kent...
was created a Baronet in 1676 (see Hoskyns Baronets
Hoskyns Baronets
The Hoskyns Baronetcy, of Harewood in the County of Hereford, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 18 December 1676 for Bennet Hoskyns, Member of Parliament for Wendover, Hereford and Herefordshire. He was the son of the poet, lawyer and politician John Hoskins...
).
Further reading
- Baird W. Whitlock, John Hoskyns, Sergeant-at-Law, Washington, D.C.: University of America Press, 1982.
- Brent L. Nelson, "John Hoskyns," The Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 281: British Rhetoricians and Logicians, 1500-1660, Second Series, Detroit: Gale, 2003, pp. 154-166.
- Louise Brown Osborn, The Life, Letters, and Writings of John Hoskyns, 1566-1638, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1937.
- Gary R. Grund, John Hoskyns, Elizabethan Rhetoric, and the Development of English Prose, New York: Garland, 1987.
- David Colclough, "'The Muses Recreation': John Hoskyns and the Manuscript Culture of the Seventeenth Century," Huntington Library Quarterly, vol. 61, nos. 3-4, 2000, pp. 369-400.