Robert Carliell

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Robert Carliell or Carleill (fl. 1619) was an English poet.

Polemic

Carliell is remembered mainly for a verse defence of the new Church of England and a diatribe against the Roman Catholic Church: Britaine's glorie, or An allegoricall dreame with the exposition thereof: containing The Heathens infidelitie in religion. The Turkes blasphemie in religion. The Popes hypocrisie in religion. Amsterdams varietie in religion. The Church of Englands veritie in religion. Conceiued and written by Robert Carliell Gent.

This didactic poem of 42 six-line stanzas was first published, accompanied by a prose exposition, in 1619 by G. Eld and M. Flesher of London.[1] In his exposition he likens Roman Catholics and Protestant schismatics to tobacco, for "so doth their profession and their faith in their Religion make their soules black, and cause filthy blasphemies to come out of their mouthes."[2]

Identity

The poet is thought to have been the Robert Carleill who was a citizen of London and a leather seller, and who left a legacy to an estranged son Robert, in a will dated 9 October 1622. His wife's name was Frances and he had owned property in Bell Alley, off Coleman Street, in the parish of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate.[3]

References

  1. British Library Integrated Catalogue under "Robert Carliell". [1]; Oxford Companion to English Literature. 4th e., ed. Sir Paul Harvey, rev. Dorothy Eagle. (Oxford: OUP, [1967] 1984).
  2. Page 9, quoted in ODNB entry by Sidney Lee,rev. Reavley Gair. Retrieved 17 November 2013. Pay-walled.
  3. ODNB entry.