Rt. Rev. Joseph Hall, Bishop of Norwich

Joseph Hall was born at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, son of John Hall and Winifred Bainbridge. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was part of the University Wits. He published his Virgidemiarum, six books of "toothless satires", in 1597 and 1598. These verse satires were, along with those of his friend John Donne, the first English satires that followed classical models. Hall self-proclaimed himself to be the first English satirist, thus offending John Marston, who duly attacked Hall in his own satires of 1598. Hall's satires were decidedly juvenile and their fallacies were later expounded upon by Milton. In 1599, the Archbishop of Canterbury ordered Hall's satires to be burnt alongside those of Marston, Marlowe and Sir John Davies, but the order was not carried out.

Hall had taken holy orders, and in 1601, he took residence in Halsted, Essex. Hall married in 1603, after which he travelled extensively in the Netherlands and the continent. He published a prose satire, Mundus alter et idem, in 1605; it was translated into English by J. Healey in 1609. Hall also published religious writings, notably Meditations and Vows (1605) and Characters of Virtues and Vices (1608). Hall was appointed chaplain to Prince Henry in 1608, and was made Dean of Worcester by James I, representing the King at the Synod of Dort. Next, Hall was made Bishop of Exeter in 1627, and of Norwich (1641).

In 1641, Hall published Episcopacy by Divine Right, Asserted by J. H., an attack against Smectymnuus (1641), a pamphlet against episcopacy. This brought him into conflict with Milton, who defended the same. In 1642, Hall was among 13 bishops imprisoned by Parliament, his cathedral was desecrated in the Civil War, and Hall himself was evicted from his palace in 1647. He retired to the village of Higham and continued writing until his death. Reduced to beggary, Hall nonetheless survived until 1656. His last works were Observations on some Specialities of Divine Providence and Hard Measure (pub. 1674). He was attended in his final days by his good friend Sir Thomas Browne, who venerated him. After long infirmity, Hall died on 8 September 1656.