Clement Robinson () was an English writer and editor of songs and ballads. He edited and probably contributed to ''A Boke of very pleasaunte Sonettes'', 1566 (not extant; reprinted, 1584, with title, ''A Handefull of pleasant Delites'').

Works

Clement Robinson prepared in 1566 ''A boke of very pleasaunte sonettes and storyes in myter'', for the publication of which Richard Jones obtained a license in the same year.Lee 1897, p. 6. No copy of this work is extant, although

Sidney Lee Sir Sidney Lee (5 December 1859 – 3 March 1926) was an English biographer, writer, and critic. Biography Lee was born Solomon Lazarus Lee in 1859 at 12 Keppel Street, Bloomsbury, London. He was educated at the City of London School , ...

thinks a single leaf in the collection of ''

Bagford Ballads The Bagford Ballads were English ballads collected by John Bagford (1651 - 1716) for Robert Harley, first Earl of Oxford. Bagford was originally a cobbler, but he became a book collector in his later years, and he assembled this set of ballads f ...

'' in the British Library may possibly have belonged to one. The book was reprinted in 1584 by the same publisher, Richard Jones, under the new title ''wikisource:A_Handful_of_Pleasant_Delights, A Handefull of pleasant delites, containing sundrie new Sonets and delectable Histories in diuers kinds of Meeter. Newly diuised to the newest tunes that are now in use to be sung; euerie Sonet orderly pointed to his proper tune. With new additions of certain Songs to verie late deuised Notes, not commonly knowen, nor vsed heretofore. By Clement Robinson and diuers others''. A unique imperfect copy of this edition, formerly in the Corser Collection, Corser collection, is now in the British Library. All the pieces were written for music; several of them had been entered in the

Stationers' Register The Stationers' Register was a record book maintained by the Stationers' Company of London. The company is a trade guild given a royal charter in 1557 to regulate the various professions associated with the publishing industry, including print ...

for separate publication between 1566 and 1582. In the case of eight the authors' names are appended. In Lee's view, the remaining twenty-five pieces, which are anonymous, "doubtless came for the most part from Robinson's own pen". Among these is the opening song, entitled "A Nosegay", to which Lee thinks Shakespeare may have been indebted for

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends up in ...

's farewell remarks to

Laertes In Greek mythology, Laertes (; grc, Λαέρτης, Laértēs ; also spelled Laërtes) was the king of the Cephallenians, an ethnic group who lived both on the Ionian islands and on the mainland, which he presumably inherited from his father A ...

in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'', iv. 5. Another song in the collection, "A Sorrowfull Sonet", ascribed to George Mannington, is parodied at length in ''

Eastward Ho ''Eastward Hoe'' or ''Eastward Ho!'' is an early Jacobean-era stage play written by George Chapman, Ben Jonson and John Marston. The play was first performed at the Blackfriars Theatre by a company of boy actors known as the Children of the ...

'' (1603), by Chapman, Jonson, and Marston. The volume also contains "A new Courtly Sonet, of the Lady Greensleeues, to the new tune of Greensleeues". By 1897, Robinson's ''Handefull'' had been thrice reprinted: in

Park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

's ''Heliconia'', 1815, vol. ii. ("carelessly edited", according to Lee); by the Spenser Society, edited by James Crossley in 1871 (Manchester, 8vo), and by

Edward Arber Edward Arber (4 December 183623 November 1912) was an English scholar, writer, and editor. Background and professional work Arber was born in London. From 1854 he 1878 he worked as a clerk in the Admiralty, and began evening classes at King ...

in 1878, in his ''English Scholar's Library''. A unique tract in the Huth Library is also assigned to Robinson. The title runs: ''The true descripcion of the marueilous straunge Fishe whiche was taken on Thursday was sennight the xvj day of June this present month in the yeare of our Lord God MDLXIX. Finis quod C. R. London, by Thomas Colwell''. This was entered on the Stationers' Registers early in 1569 as "a mounsterus fysshe which was taken at Ip yche".Arber 1875, p. 381.

References

Source attribution

* Arber, Edward, ed. (1875).
A Transcript of the Registers of the Company of Stationers of London, 1554–1640 A.D.
'' London: privately printed. Vol. 1. p. 381. *

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Clement 16th-century births English male songwriters

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See also

References

Source attribution

Bibliography