).

COPLEY, JOHN SINGLETON (1737-1815), English historical painter, was born
of Irish parents at Boston, Massachusetts. He was self-educated, and
commenced his career as a portrait-painter in his native city. The germ
of his reputation in England was a little picture of a boy and squirrel,
exhibited at the Society of Arts in 1760. In 1774 he went to Rome, and
thence in 1775 came to England. In 1777 he was admitted associate of the
Royal Academy; in 1783 he was made Academician on the exhibition of his
most famous picture, the "Death of Chatham," popularized immediately by
Bartolozzi's elaborate engraving; and in 1790 he was commissioned to
paint a portrait picture of the defence of Gibraltar. The "Death of
Major Pierson," in the National Gallery, also deserves mention. Copley's
powers appear to greatest advantage in his portraits. He was the father
of Lord Chancellor Lyndhurst.

COPPEE, FRANCOIS EDOUARD JOACHIM (1842-1908), French poet and novelist,
was born in Paris on the 12th of January 1842. His father held a small
post in the civil service, and he owed much to the care of an admirable
mother. After passing through the Lycee Saint-Louis he became a clerk in
the ministry of war, and soon sprang into public favour as a poet of the
young "Parnassian" school. His first printed verses date from 1864. They
were republished with others in 1866 in a collected form (_Le
Reliquaire_), followed (1867) by _Les Intimites_ and _Poemes modernes_
(1867-1869). In 1869 his first play, _Le Passant_, was received with
marked approval at the Odeon theatre, and later _Fais ce que dois_
(1871) and _Les Bijoux de la delivrance_ (1872), short metrical dramas
inspired by the war, were warmly applauded.

After filling a post in the library of the senate, Coppee was chosen in
1878 as archivist of the Comedie-Francaise, an office which he held till
1884. In that year his election to the Academy caused him to retire
altogether from his public appointments. He continued to publish volumes
of poetry at frequent intervals, including _Les Humbles_ (1872), _Le
Cahier rouge_ (1874), _Olivier_ (1875), _L'Exilee_ (1876), _Contes en
vers_, &c. (1881), _Poemes et recits_ (1886), _Arriere-saison_ (1887),
_Paroles sinceres_ (1890). In his later years his output of verse
declined, but he published two more volumes, _Dans la priere et la
lutte_ and _Vers francais_. He had established his fame as "le poete des
humbles." Besides the plays mentione