Michael Robinson on 9 Jan 2008  •  Link

Joseph Beaumont
Birth: Mar. 13, 1616: Death: Nov. 23, 1699

Poet, Chaplain to King Charles II, and Master of Peterhouse College, Cambridge. A Royalist and High-Church Anglican, Beaumont was among the group of scholars ejected from their positions at Cambridge in 1644 for refusing to accept the "Solemn League and Covenant" demanded by Parliament. Returning to his native village of Hadleigh, he composed Psyche, or Love's Mystery, an allegorical epic that is thought to be the longest poem in the English language. In addition to Psyche, Beaumont wrote a commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes, detailed notes on the Pentateuch, and a number of short Latin lyrics. In 1650 he and his wife, step-daughter of Matthew Wren, moved to her estate near Ipswich, where they remained until the Restoration, at which time Beaumont's loyalty to the monarchy was rewarded by his being made Doctor of Divinity and Royal Chaplain. In 1663 he was named Master of Peterhouse College, his Cambridge alma mater. He remained at Peterhouse as Regius Professor of Divinity until his death. (bio by: NM)

Cause of death: Gout
Includes a photo of the memorial tablet at Peterhouse:-
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin…

JOSEPH BEAUMONT, D.D., Master of Jesus 1662-1663. Born at Hadleigh, 16l5; educ. at Peterhouse; Fellow, 1636; ejected, 1644; Chaplain to Bishop Wren, 1650; D.D. by royal mandate, 1660. Obtained a dispensation from the Vice-Chancellor to eat meat in Lent, 1662, for his health's sake. Master of Jesus, April, 1662; Master of Peterhouse, April, 1663. Married Bishop Wren's step-daughter, 1650. Only one of their six children, Charles, survived youth. Mrs. Beaumont died in 1662; he died in 1699. Psyche first printed 1648; again, revised and enlarged by his son, 1702. He left a number of English and Latin poems to Peterhouse, with the injunction that none should be printed. Some were printed, with Psyche, 1749. In the biography prefixed to them the Rev. John Gee says: 'He was religious without bigotry, devout without superstition, learned without pedantry, judicious without censoriousness, eloquent without vanity, charitable without ostentation, generous without profusion, friendly without dissimulation, courteous without flattery, prudent without cunning, and humble without meanness.'

http://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/colleg…

Ruben on 9 Jan 2008  •  Link

"Cause of death: Gout"
"Obtained a dispensation from the Vice-Chancellor to eat meat in Lent, 1662, for his health’s sake."

If he really had Gout, eating meat was a bad choice...

Michael Robinson on 9 Jan 2008  •  Link

Reuben,
but Peterhouse could not have produced the fabled militant swaggering cadres of today if it had not had the example of at least one Master, an high Tory Royal Chaplin dead of the gout. The 'House' Grace:-

Benedic nos Domine, et dona Tua, quae de Tua largitate sumus sumpturi, et concede, ut illis salubriter nutriti,...
(Bless us, O Lord, and your gifts, which of your bounty we are about to receive, and grant that, fed wholesomely upon them, ...)

Ruben on 9 Jan 2008  •  Link

"Benedic, Domine, nos..."
A small digression, but one the object of this annotations would consent (except it is coming from the Pope!), :),:
"CWnews reports that Pope Benedict is urging a renewal of the regular practice of giving thanks before meals:

Pope Benedict said that the regular practice of giving thanks before meals is a custom that "should be preserved and rediscovered, because it teaches us not to take our 'daily bread' for granted, but to recognize it as a gift." That gift, in turn, comes reflects the bounty of the earth's resources, the Pope observed, and mankind should always protect natural resources, showing respect for nature and consideration for future generations. [Emphasis Added.]

Oremus. Benedic, Domine, nos et haec tua dona quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Edamus!"

Translation:

Let us pray. Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let's eat!
from: http://fumare.blogspot.com/2006/1…

Terry Foreman on 22 Feb 2012  •  Link

Joseph Beaumont (March 13, 1616 – November 23, 1699) was an English clergyman, academic and poet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose…

Bill on 29 Dec 2013  •  Link

Dr. Joseph Beaumont succeeded Dr. Pearson in the mastership of Jesus college in Cambridge in 1662; and was, within two years afterwards, appointed master of Peter-house. In 1672, he was preferred to the chair of regius professor of divinity, in which he sat many years with great reputation. He was author of "Psyche, or Love's Mystery, in twenty-four Cantos, displaying the Intercourse betwixt Christ and the Soul." This allegorical poem was not without its admirers in the last age. Giles Jacob calls it an invaluable work. The second edition of it was printed in 1702. Dr. Beaumont also wrote "Observations upon the Apology of Dr. Henry More," Camb. 1685; 4to. A considerable number of his poems, &c. were published in quarto, by subscription, in 1749, with the life of the author prefixed. He died in 1699, in the 84th year of his age. He is, in his epitaph in the antichapel at Peter-house, styled, "Poeta, Orator, Theologus præstantissimus; quovis nomine Hæreticorum Malleus, et Veritatis Vindex."
---A Biographical History of England. J. Granger, 1779.