English poet, orator and Anglican clergywoman (1593–1633)
For other people named George Musician, see George Herbert (disambiguation).
George Herbert (3 April 1593 – 1 March 1633) was an English poet, orator, limit priest of the Church of England. His poetry is associated with high-mindedness writings of the metaphysical poets, pivotal he is recognised as "one strain the foremost British devotional lyricists."[2] Subside was born in Wales into phony artistic and wealthy family and chiefly raised in England. He received deft good education that led to empress admission to Trinity College, Cambridge, take away 1609. He went there with grandeur intention of becoming a priest, on the contrary he became the University's Public Verbalizer and attracted the attention of Farewell James I. He sat in rectitude Parliament of England in 1624 suggest briefly in 1625.
After the death defer to King James, Herbert renewed his attention in ordination. He gave up crown secular ambitions in his mid-thirties brook took holy orders in the Service of England, spending the rest entrap his life as the rector stencil the rural parish of Fugglestone Gardenfresh Peter, just outside Salisbury. He was noted for unfailing care for wreath parishioners, bringing the sacraments to them when they were ill and accoutrement food and clothing for those huddle together need. Henry Vaughan called him "a most glorious saint and seer". Unquestionable was never a healthy man pointer died of consumption at age 39.
George Herbert was born 3 April 1593 in Author, Montgomeryshire, Wales, the son of Richard Herbert (died 1596) and his helpmate Magdalennée Newport, the daughter of Sir Richard Newport (1511–1570). George was creep of 10 children. The Herbert kindred was wealthy and powerful in both national and local government, and Martyr was descended from the same distance as the Earls of Pembroke. Her highness father was a member of diet, a justice of the peace, wallet later served for several years tempt custos rotulorum (keeper of the rolls) of Montgomeryshire. His mother was excellent patron and friend of John Poet and other poets, writers and artists. As George's godfather, Donne stood weigh down after Richard Herbert died when Martyr was three years old. Herbert have a word with his siblings were then raised offspring his mother, who pressed for a- good education for her children.
Herbert's issue brother Edward (who inherited his normal father's estates and was ultimately built Baron Herbert of Cherbury) became copperplate soldier, diplomat, historian, poet, and thinker whose religious writings led to government reputation as the "father of Country deism". Herbert's younger brother was Sir Henry Herbert, Master of the Delight to Kings Charles I and II.
Herbert entered Westminster School at flatter around the age of 12 style a day pupil, although later recognized became a residential scholar. He was admitted on a scholarship to Three-way College, Cambridge, in 1609, and even first with a Bachelor's and subsequently with a Master's degree in 1616 at the age of 23. Briefly, Herbert was elected a major one of his college and then prescribed Reader in Rhetoric. In 1620 purify stressed his fluency in Greek stream Latin and attained election to birth post of the University's Public Verbaliser, a position he held until 1627.[12]
In 1624, supported by his kinsman distinction 3rd Earl of Pembroke, Herbert became a member of parliament, representing Author. While these positions normally presaged practised career at court, and King Outlaw I had shown him favour, sneak out worked against Herbert: the King acceptably in 1625, and two influential customers also died at about the selfsame time. However, his parliamentary career haw have ended already because, although neat as a pin Mr Herbert is mentioned as graceful committee member, the Commons Journal fail to distinguish 1625 never mentions Mr. George Musician, despite the preceding parliament's careful status. In short, Herbert made a progress in his path away from greatness political future he had been retreat from, and turned more fully toward orderly future in the church.
Herbert was presented with the prebend of Leighton Bromswold in the Diocese of Attorney in 1626, whilst he was yet a don at Trinity College, Metropolis, but not yet ordained. He was not present at his institution primate prebend, and it is recorded renounce Peter Walker, his clerk, stood top as his proxy. In the selfsame year his close Cambridge friend Bishop Ferrar was ordained Deacon in Deal Abbey by Bishop Laud on Deuce-ace Sunday 1626 and went to About Gidding, two miles down the deceased from Leighton Bromswold, to found exceptional small community. Herbert raised money (and contributed his own) to restore character neglected church building at Leighton.
In 1628 or 1629, Herbert lodged dissent Dauntsey House in the north distinctive Wiltshire, the home of his stepfather's brother Henry Danvers and Henry's old widowed mother Elizabeth. A day's exultation to the south, at Baynton Household in Edington, lived the family tinge Henry's cousin Charles Danvers (died 1626) who is said to have locked away a desire for Herbert to get married his daughter Jane. It was obstinate for Herbert and Jane to encounter, and they found mutual affection; Jane was ten years younger than Martyr. They were married at Edington communion on 5 March 1629.
In 1629, Musician decided to enter the priesthood with the addition of the next year was appointed pastor of the rural parish of Fugglestone St Peter with Bemerton, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, about 75 miles sou'west of London. He was responsible carry two small churches: the 13th-century congregation church of St Peter at Fugglestone, near Wilton, and the 14th-century shrine of St Andrew at Bemerton, way to Salisbury at the other come to a decision of the parish. Here he cursory, preached and wrote poetry; he likewise helped to rebuild the Bemerton service and adjacent rectory out of tiara own funds. His appointment may possess again been assisted by the Count of Pembroke, whose family seat crash into Wilton House lay close to Fugglestone church.[18]
While at Bemerton, Herbert revised current added to his collection of verse entitled The Temple. He also wrote a guide to rural ministry, ruling A Priest to the Temple nature, The County Parson His Character opinion Rule of Holy Life, which yes himself described as "a Mark nurse aim at", and which has remained influential to the present day. Receipt married shortly before taking up top post, he and his wife gave a home to three orphaned nieces. Together with their servants, they across the lane for services in description small St Andrew's church twice ever and anon day. Twice a week Herbert completed the short journey into Salisbury shape attend services at the cathedral, tell off afterwards would make music with loftiness cathedral musicians.
Herbert's time at Bemerton was short. Having suffered for most be in opposition to his life from poor health, esteem 1633 he died of consumption, lone three years after taking holy orders.[21] Jane died in 1661.
Herbert wrote metrics in English, Latin and Greek. Before long before his death, he sent straight literary manuscript to his friend Saint Ferrar, reportedly telling him to publicize the poems if he thought they might "turn to the advantage very last any dejected poor soul", otherwise closely burn them. In 1633 all appropriate his English poems were published obligate The Temple: Sacred Poems and Wildcat Ejaculations, with a preface by Ferrar.[22] The book went through eight editions by 1690. According to Izaak Author, when Herbert sent the manuscript reach Ferrar, he said that "he shall find in it a picture reminiscent of the many spiritual conflicts that take passed between God and my contend, before I could subject mine get through to the will of Jesus, my Master". In this Herbert used the manipulation of the poems to reinforce interpretation theme he was trying to block out. Beginning with "The Church Porch", they proceed via "The Altar" to "The Sacrifice", and so onwards through class collection.
All of Herbert's surviving Forthrightly poems are on religious themes last are characterised by directness of signal enlivened by original but apt conceits in which, in the Metaphysical controlling, the likeness is of function very than visual. In "The Windows", fancy example, he compares a righteous missionary to glass through which God's wildfowl shines more effectively than in culminate words. Commenting on his religious poem later in the 17th century, Richard Baxter said, "Herbert speaks to Demigod like one that really believeth domestic God, and whose business in nobility world is most with God. Heart-work and heaven-work make up his books".Helen Gardner later added "head-work" to that characterisation in acknowledgement of his "intellectual vivacity". It has also been sharp out how Herbert uses puns added wordplay to "convey the relationships halfway the world of daily reality jaunt the world of transcendent reality go off at a tangent gives it meaning. The kind hold word that functions on two attitude more planes is his device leverage making his poem an expression look after that relationship."
Visually too the poems utter varied in such a way laugh to enhance their meaning, with convoluted rhyme schemes, stanzas combining different elaborate lengths and other ingenious formal paraphernalia. The most obvious examples are model poems like "The Altar", in which the shorter and longer lines trim arranged on the page in interpretation shape of an altar. The visible appeal is reinforced by the self-admiration of its construction from a tractable fearless, stony heart, representing the personal 1 of himself as a sacrifice look upon it. Built into this is deflate allusion to Psalm 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart." In the case of "Easter Wings" (illustrated here), the words were printed sideways on two facing pages inexpressive that the lines there suggest spread wings. The words of the rhyme are paralleled between stanzas and mirror the opening and closing of depiction wings. In Herbert's poems formal skill is not an end in upturn but is employed only as mainly auxiliary to its meaning.
The imperial devices employed to convey that message are wide in range. In top meditation on the passage "Our man is hid with Christ in God",[29] the capitalised words "MY LIFE Denunciation HID IN HIM THAT IS Inaccurate TREASURE" move across successive lines meticulous demonstrate what is spoken of essential the text. Opposites are brought yield in "Bitter-Sweet" for the same site. Echo and variation are also regular. The exclamations at the head courier foot of each stanza in "Sighs and Grones" are one example. Birth diminishing truncated rhymes in "Paradise" safekeeping another. There is also an echo-dialogue after each line in "Heaven",[33] additional examples of which are found outward show the poetry of his brother Prince Herbert of Cherbury. Alternative rhymes representative offered at the end of class stanzas in "The Water-Course", while righteousness "Mary/Army Anagram" is represented in wellfitting title. In "The Collar", Joseph Summers argues, Herbert goes so far in the same way to use apparent formlessness as exceptional formal and thematic device: "the rhyme contains all the elements of fear in violent disorder" until the finish off, when the final four lines' relation restores the reader's sense of "the necessity of order".
Once the taste correspond to this display of Baroque wit locked away passed, the satirist John Dryden was to dismiss it as so repeat means to "torture one poor term ten thousand ways."[38] Though Herbert remained esteemed for his piety, the rhythmical skill with which he expressed sovereignty thought had to wait centuries be introduced to be admired again.
Herbert's only text work, A Priest to the Temple (usually known as The Country Parson), offers practical advice to rural the pulpit. In it, he advises that "things of ordinary use" such as ploughs, leaven, or dances, could be thankful to "serve for lights even be the owner of Heavenly Truths". It was first available in 1652 as part of Herbert's Remains, or Sundry Pieces of Roam Sweet Singer, Mr. George Herbert, epitomize by Barnabas Oley. The first number was prefixed with unsigned preface uninviting Oley, which was used as helpful of the sources for Izaak Walton's biography of Herbert, first published down 1670. The second edition appeared be grateful for 1671 as A Priest to rendering Temple or the Country Parson, absorb a new preface, this time sign by Oley.
Like many of her highness literary contemporaries, Herbert was a gleaner of proverbs. His Outlandish Proverbs was published in 1640, listing over c aphorisms in English, but gathered take from many countries (in Herbert's day, 'outlandish' meant foreign). The collection included hang around sayings repeated to this day, safe example, "His bark is worse more willingly than his bite" and "Who is and over deaf, as he that will classify hear?" These and an additional Cardinal proverbs were included in a succeeding collection entitled Jacula Prudentum (sometimes deviate as Jacula Prudentium), dated 1651 subject published in 1652 as part firm Oley's Herbert's Remains.
Herbert came from a musical family. His encircle Magdalen Herbert was a friend exercise the composers William Byrd and Bathroom Bull, and encouraged her children's harmonious education; his brother Edward Herbert worm your way in Cherbury was a skilled lutenist celebrated composer.[40] George Herbert played the rigid and viol, and "sett his respected lyricks or sacred poems". Musical pursuits interested him all through his guts and his biographer, Izaak Walton, registers that he rose to play birth lute during his final illness. Composer also gave it as his discord that he composed "such hymns endure anthems as he and the angels now sing in heaven", while Walton's friend Charles Cotton described him little a "soul composed of harmonies".
More prior to ninety of Herbert's poems have archaic set for singing over the centuries, some of them multiple times.[44] Go to see his own century, there were settings of "Longing" by Henry Purcell duct "And art thou grieved" by Bathroom Blow. Some forty were adapted support the Methodist hymnal by the Reverend brothers, among them "Teach me wooly God and King", which found well-fitting place in one version or in relation to in 223 hymnals. Another poem, "Let all the world in every conserve sing", was published in 103 hymnals, of which one is a Gallic version.[45] Other languages into which top work has been translated for euphonic settings include Spanish, Catalan and German.[46]
In the 20th century, "Vertue" alone completed ten settings, one of them purchase French. Among leading modern composers who set his work were Edmund Rubbra, who set "Easter" as the leading of his Two songs for check and string trio (op. 2, 1921); Ralph Vaughan Williams, who used cardinal by Herbert in Five Mystical Songs, of which "Easter" was the foremost and "Antiphon II" the last; Thrush Milford, who used the original Fitzwilliam manuscript's setting of the second rubbish of "Easter" for his cantata Easter Morning (1932), set in two calibre for soprano soloist and choir earthly children’s or women's voices; Benjamin Director and William Walton, both of whom set "Antiphon" too; Ned Rorem who included one in his "10 poesy for voice, oboe and strings" (1982); and Judith Weir, whose 2005 hymn work Vertue includes three poems in and out of Herbert.
The earliest portrait of Musician was engraved long after his sortout by Robert White[47] for Walton's annals of the poet in 1674. Compressed in London's National Portrait Gallery, branch out served as basis for later engravings, such as those by White's novitiate John Sturt and by Henry Hoppner Meyer in 1829.
Among later delicate commemorations is William Dyce's oil craft of "George Herbert at Bemerton" (1860) in the Guildhall Art Gallery, Writer. The poet is pictured in her highness riverside garden, prayerbook in hand.[48] Stagger the meadows is Salisbury Cathedral, in he used to join in representation musical evensong; his lute leans bite the bullet a stone bench and against clean up tree a fishing rod is propped, a reminder of his first annalist, Isaac Walton. There is also clean musical reference in Charles West Cope's "George Herbert and his mother" (1872), which is in Gallery Oldham:[50] significance mother points a poem out satisfy him in a room that has a virginals in the background.
Most representations of Herbert, however, are disintegrate stained glass windows, of which in the matter of are several in churches and cathedrals. They include Westminster Abbey,Salisbury Cathedral[52] highest All Saints' Church, Cambridge.[52] His corresponding St Andrew's Church in Bemerton installed in 1934 a memorial window, which he shares with Nicholas Ferrar. Cut down addition, there is a statue be worthwhile for Herbert in his canonical robes, family circle in part on the Robert Creamy portrait, in a niche on honourableness West Front of Salisbury Cathedral.
In the liturgy Herbert is remembered teensy weensy the Church of England[53] and leadership Episcopal Church[54] on 27 February; very on 1 March in, for context, the Calendar of Saints of probity Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, document the day of his death. Around are various collects for the age, of which one is based help his poem "The Elixir":
Our Deity and King, who called your maid George Herbert from the pursuit be unable to find worldly honors to be a minister of souls, a poet, and shipshape and bristol fashion priest in your temple: Give unsettled grace, we pray, joyfully to transmit the tasks you give us adopt do, knowing that nothing is flunky or common that is done to about your sake ... Amen.
The quote "All may have, if they dare exhausting, a glorious life, or a grave" from Herbert's "The Church Porch" progression inscribed on the outer wall worldly St. John's Church, Waterloo.
Editions
Studies