Arthur Brett (d. 1677?) was an English poet.

Life

Brett was, according to Anthony Wood, "descended of a genteel family". Having been a scholar of Westminster, he was elected to a studentship at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

, in 1653. He proceeded B.A. in 1656 and M.A. in 1659. He was one of the '' Terræ filii'' in the act held in St. Mary's Church, 1661, "at which time he showed himself sufficiently ridiculous". Having taken orders, he became vicar of

Market Lavington Market Lavington is a civil parish and large village with a population of about 2,200 on the northern edge of Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, south of the market town of Devizes. The village lies on the B3098 Westbury–Urchfont road w ...

, Wiltshire, but he seems after a while to have given up the living. He went up to London, where fell into poverty, begging from gentlemen in the streets, especially from Oxford men. He was somewhat crazed, according to Wood, who met him by chance in 1675, and was perhaps annoyed by his importunity, for he writes with some bitterness of him. Brett was ''a great pretender to poetry''. He died in his mother's house in the

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline *Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa *Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street, ...

"about 1677". Wood said he did not know "where his lean and macerated carcase was buried, unless in the yard of St. Clement's church, without Temple Bar".

Writings

Brett wrote: * ''A Poem on the Restoration of King Charles II'' (1660) included in ''Britannia rediviva''. * ''Threnodia, on the Death of Henry, Duke of Gloucester'' (1660) * ''Poem on the Death of the Princess of Orange'' (1660) * ''Patientia victrix, or the Book of Job in Lyric Verse'' (1661) He is also said to have written an essay on poetry.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brett, Arthur Year of birth missing 1677 deaths Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford English male poets