CORAM, THOMAS, was born about 1668, was brought up in the mercantile navy, and became early In life the captain of a merchant ship trading to the Antilles. While In London hie buainess often led him from the east-end to the city, and his feelings were harrowed by witnessing "young children exposed, sometimes alive, sometimes deal, and sometimes dying." His compassion was awakened; and, finally, his enthusiasm roused, he determined to make an effort to rescue the poor victims from destruction. Ile begea cautiously by slaking the subject a frequent topic of converation. lie won adherents. lie devoted his labours and his fortune to the object in view. Ile altinatsly obtained a wider and more substantial support. At length, after serenteoa years of untiring perseverance, on Nov. 20, 1739, he presented to a meeting of noblemen and gentlemen at Somerset Ilona, a charter for a ' Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of exposed and deserted Children.' The institution was to be supported by subscription. On October 27, 1740, twenty children were first admitted at the hospital in Hatton Garden. The institution appealed to the benevolent feelings of the public, and In 1756 peril. meat voted 10,0001. to enable the hospital (which had by this time been remove I to Its present site, and is known as the Foundling Hospital) to receive children indiscriminately, This system com menced In June, and by the end of the same year 1783 children had been admitted, and In the following year 3727. The effect had not been foramen. A most material check having been removed, female im prudence became far more common ; and even the destruction of Infant life was vastly Increased, for the children were transmitted In baskets from distant parts of the county, and of 14,934 children admitted lender this system, only 4400 lived to be apprenticed. The evils became so enormous that parliament again interposed, declared Its disapproval of the system, and discontinued the grant of money.
The children are now admitted only under certain restrictions, and the charity is ranch more effectively distributed.
But the more serious results of the wide extension of the charity were not seen by Captain Ceram. While he lived he employed him self actively In the concerns of the hospital, but not in them alone ; many other useful and patriotic objects, chiefly in regard to the colonies with which he had been formerly connected, received his attention. His benevolence however had exhausted his means. His fried& therefore arranged to raise a subscription to provide him with an annuity, but before carrying the scheme into execution, and in order not to offend the good old man, Dr. Brocklesby made the plan known to him. Ilia answer was, "1 have not wasted the little wealth of which I was formerly possessed in self-indulgence or vain expenses, and am not ashamed to confess that in my old age i am poor." In
1749 an annuity of about 1701. a year was secured for him, but be did not enjoy it long. He died March 29, 1751, and was buried in the chapel of the hospital under the commHnion-table, the funeral being attended by the governors, tho children, and his numerous friends and admirers.
COltBET, RICHARD, was the son of a wealthy gardener at Ewell in Surrey, whose professional skill and personal amiability are com memorated in verses by Ben Jepson. He was born in 1592, and received his education at Westminster School and at Christchurch, Oxford, of which he became dean. After taking orders, he attained high popularity in the pulpit, beiog, to Anthony Wood's phrase, "a quaint preacher." His talents, his social qualities, and his firm adherence to the High Church party, gained for him, through tho patronage of Buckingham, the place of chaplain to James I.; and he was afterwards elevated in succession to the bishopric of Oxford and to that of Norwich, each of which he held about three years. He died in possession of the latter eeo, in 1635. Although etrongly adverse to the Puritans, and employed by Laud in several of his proceedings against them, be did much to mitigate the harsh com mands of his superior, both by forbearance in the execution of them, and by the gentleness which he showed when compelled to act. His proved ability, his tolerance and desire for moderate procedure in ecclesiastical affairs, and the cheerful kiudliness of his disposition, made Bishop Corbet beloved, and even respected, in spite of his exu berant eccentricities. These indeed were such as even the coarseness and freedom of manners prevalent in that age could hardly make reconcileable with the clerical character. Although we were to dis believe some of those anecdotes of unbecoming joviality collected by Aubrey, there would remain abundant evidence of extreme light mindedness. His only published writings are his poems. These were first collected in 1647, 12mo, under the title of ' l'oetica Stromata;' they were reprinted in 1648 and 1672 ; and they were edited in 1S07, I2mo, with a life of the author, by Octevius Gilchrist. They are, almost without exception, of a cast more or less ludicrous ; and several of them are satires on the Puritans. They possess very much merit in their class. The 'Journey to France,' and 'Farewell to the Fairies,' have been inserted in several collections of English poetry ; but there are others in the series which, for their humorous merri ment and pointed terseness, would not have been unworthy of the same distinction.