William Browne (c. 1590 – c. 1645) was an English pastoral poet, born at Tavistock, Devon, and educated at Exeter College, Oxford; subsequently he entered the Inner Temple.

Illustration by Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale
William Browne
Born1590
Died1645 (aged c. 55)
NationalityEnglish
Occupationpoet
Notable workBritannia's Pastorals (1613); The Shepherd's Pipe (contributing author, 1614)

His chief works were the long poem Britannia's Pastorals (1613), and a contribution to The Shepheard's Pipe (1614). Britannia's Pastorals was never finished: in his lifetime Books I & II were published successively in 1613 and 1616. The manuscript of Book III (unfinished) was not published until 1852. The poem is concerned with the loves and woes of Celia, Marina, etc.

To him is due the epitaph for the dowager Countess of Pembroke ("Sidney's sister, Pembroke's mother").[1]

References

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  1. ^ Drabble, M. (1998) The Oxford Companion to English Literature; 5th ed., 2nd revision. Oxford U. P.; p. 138
  •   This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainCousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London: J. M. Dent & Sons – via Wikisource.
  • O'Callaghan, Michelle (2004). "Browne, William (1590/91–1645?)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
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