Aston Cokayne

Sir Aston Cokayne (1608-1684). Engraving, 1796. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Sir Aston Cokayne (1608-1684) was an English poet, now best remembered as a friend of Philip Massinger, John Fletcher, Michael Drayton, Richard Brome, Thomas Randolph, and other writers of his generation.

Life

Youth

Cockayne was born into an ancient family long seated at Ashbourne in Derbyshire, which by marriage at the time of Henry IV with the heiress of the family of Herthull, had acquired large estates in several midland counties, including the lordship of Pooley (in Polesworth), Warwickshire. He was the son and heir of Thomas Cokayne and Ann, half-sister of Philip, 1st earl of Chesterfield, daughter of Sir John Stanhope of Elvaston, Derbyshire, by his 2nd wife, Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Trentham of Rocester, Staffordshire; his father being son and heir of Sir Edward Cokayne, the youngest son, but eventually heir of Sir Thomas Cokayne. Poet Charles Cotton was his cousin.

Cokayne's life can, in a great measure, be compiled from his Poems. He was born at Elvaston (p. 184), and baptised 20 December 1608, at Ashbourne. He was educated at 'Chenie school' (138), doubtless 'Chenies,' Buckinghamshire, of which Peter Allibond was rector. He proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge as a fellow commoner (11, line 3, 194), being under Robert Creyghton, D.D., orator and Greek professor (237). He entered an Inn of Court in London "for fashion's sake," and about 1642 received an M.A. at Oxford, "but neglected to be registered."

On 16 July 1632, aged 24, he started, with a "Mr. Maurice La Meir, alias Ardenville" (Poems 192), on a tour to France and Italy, of which he gives an elaborate account in a poem (93-97) to his son, "Mr. Thomas Cokaine." Soon afterwards he married Mary, daughter of Sir Gilbert Knyveton, bart., of Mercaston, Derbyshire, the "My Mall" of the epigram to his wife (188). His son was born on 8 May 1636. On 26 January 1638-9 he succeeded, by his father's death, to Pooley Hall (but not to the estate of Ashbourne, which was held by his mother till her death there on 29 August 1664).

Later life

Wood says that he "was esteemed by many an ingenious gentleman, a good poet, and a great lover of learning, yet by others a perfect boon-fellow, by which means he wasted all he had."

Though doubtless Cokayne loved a "fine little glass" (Poems, 197), and alienated every acre of his inheritance, whatever his extravagance, he was staunch to his religion and to his king, and sustained heavy financial losses in their cause. His name appears among the "compounders" for £356, while the fines inflicted on him as a 'popish delinquent' were probably much larger.

He had previously been created a baronet by the late king, the date ascribed being 10 January 1641-2, but the patent was never enrolled. The fact is recognized by Dugdale (his neighbor and friend) in his Warwickshire and in the Heralds' Visitation of Derbyshire, 1662.

In 1671 he joined with his son in selling the long-inherited estate of Ashbourne, and in 1683, shortly before his own death, he sold his "beloved Pooley' (Poems 111, line 11).

Having survived his only son, who died childless, and his wife, who died at Pooley in May 1683, a few months before him, he died in his 76th year, a ruined man, in lodgings at Derby, "at the breaking up of the great frost," and was buried with his wife on 13 February 1683-4 at Polesworth.

By his will, dated 6 February 1683-4, and proved at Lichfield, he left 20 shillings to his daughter Mary Lacy and to each of her children, and the residue to his daughter Isabella Turville, which amounted in all to just £79, his goods and chattels being still at Pooley.

Writing

His writings include: (1) a translation into English of 'Dianea, an excellent new romance written in Italian by Gio. Francisco Loredano, a noble Venetian,' to whom 'The Author's Epistle 'is inscribed, being dated 'from Venice, 25 Oct. 1635,' though. the work was not published in London till 1654. (2) 'Small poems of divers sorts written by Sir Aston Cokain,' 1658. The 'poems' include the 'Masque presented at Bretbie in Darbyshire [the seat of the Earl of Chesterfield] on Twelfth Night, 1639' (118-28), and are followed by the comedy of 'The Obstinate Lady,' of which a copy had surreptitiously been printed in the previous year, 1657. (3) A reissue of the above poems in 1659, entitled 'A Chain of Golden Poems, embellished with wit, mirth, and eloquence, together with two most excellent comedies, viz. The Obstinate Lady and Trappolin suppos'd a Prince, written by Sir Aston Cokayn.' (4) Another reissue of the above in 1662, entitled 'Poems, with The Obstinate Lady and Trappolin a supposed Prince, by Sir Aston Cokain, Baronet; whereunto is now added The Tragedy of Ovid.' Finally (5), in 1669, came the last reissue, entitled 'Choice Poems of several sorts, with three new plays, &c.'

The literary merit of the "two most excellent comedies" and of the Tragedy of Ovid is small, while that of the Poems is marred by an extreme coarseness. For genealogical purposes, however, these numerous poems and epitaphs are invaluable, the number of persons and facts therein mentioned being probably without parallel.

In Charles Cotton's Poems (1689), Cokayne is highly praised for his Tragedy of Ovid, while his neighbor, Thomas Bancroft, in his Epigrams (book i. No. 120) writes to him and of him:

⁠He that with learning vertue doth combine,
⁠May, tho' a laick, passe for a divine
⁠Piece of perfection; such to all men's sight
⁠Appeares yourselfe.

Recognition

In 1642, Charles I elevated Cokayne to baronet.

Publications

Poetry

• Small Poems of Divers Sorts. London: Wil. Godbid, 1658.
• A Chain of Golden Poems. London: W.G., for Isaac Pridmore, 1658.
• Poems (edited by Richard Everett Morton). Hamilton, ON: Cromlech Press, 1977.

Plays

• The Obstinate Lady: A new comedy. London: Wil. Godbid, 1657.
• The Tragedy of Ovid. London: Phil. Stephens junior, 1662; London: Francis Kirkman, 1669..
• A Duke and no Duke. A farce. London: Henry Bonwicke, 1685
  • (revised by Nahum Tate). London: J. Turner, 1759.
• Dramatic Works (edited by James Maidment). Edinburgh: William Paterson, 1874; New York: Blom, 1967.

Collected editions

• Poems; with 'The Obstinate Lady', and 'Trappolin: A supposed prince'. London: Phil. Stephens junior, 1662.
• Choice Poems of Several Sorts; with three new plays. London: Francis Kirkman, 1669.

Translated

• Giovanni Francesco Loredano, Dianea: An excellent new romance. London: Humphrey Moseley, 1654.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of British poets
• List of English-language playwrights

References

•  Cokayne, George Edward (1887) "Cokayne, Aston" in Stephen, Leslie Dictionary of National Biography 11 London: Smith, Elder, pp. 224-225 . Wikisource, Web, Mar. 16, 2020.
• AE. Cockayne (1863). "The Family of Cokayne". The Gentleman's Magazine 215: 223. 
• Maidment, James; Logan, William Hugh, eds (1967). Dramatic Works of Sir Aston Cokain. . Edinburgh: William Paterson, 1875; New York: Ayer.

External links

Poems

• Sir Aston Cokayne (1608-1684) at English Poetry, 1579-1830

About

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Cokayne, Aston