William Covell

William Covell (died 1613) was an English clergyman and writer.

Contents

Life

He was born in Chadderton, Lancashire, England, and proceeded M.A. at Queens' College, Cambridge in 1588.[1]

In the 1590s Covell took part in the controversy about how far the newly-reformed Church of England should abandon the liturgy and hierarchy of the past, to which debate he contributed several broadly anti-puritan works. In his later career he allied himself with Archbishop John Whitgift and afterwards with his successor, Richard Bancroft, who like Covell was Lancashire-born.

William Covell died in 1613 at Mersham, Kent, where he was rector.

Works

Covell's interest to modern scholars now largely depends on one polemical work published in 1595, Polimanteia.[2] In the course of this work, dedicated to the 3rd Earl of Essex, Covell briefly mentioned contemporary authors such as Thomas Nashe, Samuel Daniel and William Shakespeare.

References

Notes

  1. ^ Covell or Cowell, William in Venn, J. & J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge University Press, 10 vols, 1922–1958.
  2. ^ Polimanteia, or, The meanes lawfull and unlawfull, to judge of the fall of a common-wealth, against the frivolous and foolish conjectures of this age, whereunto is added, a letter from England to her three daughters, Cambridge, Oxford, innes of court, and to all the rest of her inhabitants: perswading them to a constant unitie of what religion soever they are, for the defence of our dread soveraigne, and native cuntry: most requisite for this time wherein wee now live.