Robert Copland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Copland
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| Occupation | Author, Printer |
Robert Copland was an English printer and writer who lived a long time ago, from about 1508 to 1547. He was an important person in the early days of printing books in England. He is thought to have worked for some of the very first English printers, like William Caxton and Wynkyn de Worde.
Contents
Robert Copland: Early Printing Career
Robert Copland's name first appeared on a book he printed in 1515. This book was called The Boke of Justices of Peace. He had his printing shop in a place called the Rose Garland, on Fleet Street in London. Some people believed he was very well-educated for a printer. They even thought he might have studied at Oxford University.
Robert Copland's Famous Writings
Robert Copland was not just a printer; he was also a writer. He wrote several interesting works, often in the form of poems or stories.
The Highway to the Hospital
One of his most well-known works is The hye way to the Spytell hous. This was a poem written as a conversation. It was a dialogue between Copland himself and the gatekeeper of St Bartholomew's hospital. The poem shares a lot of details about the poor and homeless people who came to the hospital. It even included some of the secret language or slang they used.
Jyl of Breyntford's Testament
Another one of his poems was called Jyl of Breyntford's Testament. This work was also quite popular in its time.
Robert Copland: Translator of Stories
Robert Copland was also good at translating books from other languages into English. He helped bring many exciting stories to English readers.
- Kynge Appolyne of Thyre: He translated this romance story from French in 1510.
- The History of Helyas Knyght of the Swanne: This was another adventure story he translated from French. It was printed in 1512 and again in 1522.
- The Life of Ipomydon: This was another story he translated, though the exact date it was printed is not known.
Other Works and Family
Among his other writings was a short book called The Complaynte of them that ben too late maryed. This was a tract, or short essay, that was also printed by Wynkyn de Worde.
William Copland, who was also a printer, is thought to have been Robert's brother. William published some editions of a story called Howleglas. This story might have been written by Robert Copland. These versions are the earliest English translations of the famous German folk hero, Till Eulenspiegel.
