George Herbert

George Herbert, an esteemed English poet, orator, and clergyman of the Church of England, remains closely tied to the metaphysical poets, acknowledged as a preeminent figure in British devotional verse. Born into affluence in Wales and predominantly raised in England within an artistic family, he received a comprehensive education that secured his enrollment at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1609. Initially aspiring to become a priest, Herbert's trajectory shifted when he assumed the role of the University's Public Orator and garnered recognition from King James I. His involvement in the Parliament of England spanned brief terms in 1624 and 1625.

Following King James's passing, Herbert reignited his pursuit of ordination. Transitioning from his secular aspirations in his mid-thirties, he embraced holy orders within the Church of England, dedicating the remainder of his life to serving as the rector of the rural parish of Fugglestone St Peter near Salisbury. Renowned for his unwavering devotion to his parishioners, Herbert extended constant care, administering sacraments to the ill and offering sustenance and clothing to the needy. Revered by Henry Vaughan as "a most glorious saint and seer," Herbert, despite a fragile constitution, succumbed to consumption at the age of 39.

Early Life and Education

George Herbert, born on April 3, 1593, in Montgomery, Montgomeryshire, Wales, hailed from the esteemed Herbert family, renowned for their affluence, influence in national and local governance, and lineage tied to the Earls of Pembroke. His father, Richard Herbert, a parliamentarian and custos rotulorum of Montgomeryshire, passed away when George was merely three years old, leaving him and his siblings under the care of his mother, Magdalen, a respected patron of literary figures like John Donne.

Under the guidance of his dedicated mother, George and his siblings received a strong emphasis on education. His elder brother, Edward, achieved prominence as a multifaceted figure in soldiering, diplomacy, literature, and philosophy, earning the moniker "father of English deism." Another sibling, Sir Henry Herbert, held influential positions in the courts of Kings Charles I and II.

George Herbert commenced his education at Westminster School, later transitioning to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he attained Bachelor's and Master's degrees by age 23. His academic prowess earned him a fellowship at the college and the position of Reader in Rhetoric. By 1620, fluent in Greek and Latin, he assumed the esteemed role of the University's Public Orator, a post he held until 1627.

Although his trajectory initially hinted at a courtly career, Herbert's aspirations shifted due to the deaths of key patrons and the passing of King James I in 1625. While briefly engaging in parliamentary pursuits, his focus gradually veered towards the Church.

In 1626, Herbert was appointed the prebend of Leighton Bromswold in the Diocese of Lincoln. Despite not being ordained yet, he contributed to the restoration of the Church at Leighton and supported the endeavors of his close friend Nicholas Ferrar in establishing a religious community at Little Gidding, near Leighton Bromswold.

Marriage

In 1628 or 1629, George Herbert stayed at Dauntsey House in Wiltshire, the residence of his stepfather's relative, Henry Danvers. Nearby, at Baynton in Edington, lived Charles Danvers' family, who reportedly wished for Herbert to wed his daughter Jane. An encounter was arranged, and George and Jane discovered a mutual affection. Despite being ten years younger, they married at Edington church on March 5, 1629.

Priesthood

Following this, Herbert embraced the decision to join the priesthood. By the subsequent year, he was appointed rector of Fugglestone St Peter with Bemerton, a rural parish close to Salisbury in Wiltshire, nearly 75 miles southwest of London. He tended to two modest churches: the ancient parish church of St Peter at Fugglestone and the chapel of St Andrew at Bemerton, which he helped rebuild using his finances. The Earl of Pembroke, whose estate was nearby, likely facilitated Herbert's appointment.

At Bemerton, Herbert lived, preached, and cultivated his poetic craft. He revised and expanded his poetry collection, known as The Temple. Additionally, he authored a guide on rural ministry called A Priest to the Temple or The County Parson His Character and Rule of Holy Life, a work that remains influential. Having married just before assuming his role, George and Jane welcomed three orphaned nieces into their home. They diligently attended services at the small St Andrew's Church twice daily with their household. Herbert regularly journeyed to Salisbury for cathedral services, engaging in musical activities with the cathedral's musicians afterward.

Poetry

Herbert was a versatile poet, fluent in English, Latin, and Greek. Just before his passing, he entrusted a literary manuscript to his friend Nicholas Ferrar, instructing him to publish the poems if they might benefit any downtrodden soul or else destroy them. In 1633, all his English poems were compiled in "The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations," prefaced by Ferrar. The book underwent eight editions by 1690. Herbert expressed that the manuscript portrayed the spiritual conflicts he faced before submitting his soul to the will of Jesus, using the poem format to reinforce these themes. Starting with "The Church Porch," the poems progressed through "The Altar" and "The Sacrifice," creating a thematic sequence throughout the collection.

His surviving English poems revolve around religious themes, characterized by directness of expression accompanied by original and fitting conceits. Herbert employed the Metaphysical style where likeness is based on function rather than visual resemblance. For instance, in "The Windows," he likens a righteous preacher to glass, transmitting God's light more effectively than in words. Richard Baxter, reflecting on his religious poetry, praised Herbert's profound faith in God and emphasized his dedication to spiritual matters. Later, Helen Gardner acknowledged his "intellectual vivacity," adding "head-work" to the characterization.

Herbert's poems not only boasted rich content but also diverse visual appeal, featuring intricate rhyme schemes, varied stanza lengths, and other creative formal devices. Some poems were designed in specific shapes to enhance their meaning. For instance, "The Altar" took the form of an altar constructed from a broken, stony heart, symbolizing the sacrifice of self. Similarly, "Easter Wings" was printed sideways on facing pages to depict outspread wings. Herbert's poetic inventiveness aimed to convey deeper meanings through form without making formal ingenuity an end in itself.

The devices Herbert used were wide-ranging. In his meditation on the passage "Our life is hidden with Christ in God," he creatively utilized capitalized words to showcase the essence of the text. Contrasting elements were brought together in "Bitter-Sweet" for a similar purpose, demonstrating his skillful use of echo, variation, and echo dialogue in different poems. While some, like John Dryden, dismissed Herbert's Baroque wit as excessive, Herbert's poetic acumen, intertwined with his piety, stood the test of time, gaining admiration after centuries.

Prose

Herbert's sole piece of prose known as A Priest to the Temple (commonly titled The Country Parson), presents practical guidance for rural clergy. He advocates that ordinary items like plows, leaven, or dances can illuminate heavenly truths. Initially published in 1652 as part of Herbert's Remains, or Sundry Pieces of That Sweet Singer, Mr George Herbert, the first edition contained an unsigned preface by Barnabas Oley. This preface served as a source for Izaak Walton's biography of Herbert, first released in 1670. The second edition, titled A Priest to the Temple or the Country Parson, emerged in 1671, featuring a new preface, this time signed by Oley.

Similar to his literary peers, Herbert collected proverbs. His Outlandish Proverbs, published in 1640, compiled over 1000 aphorisms in English sourced from various countries (in Herbert's era, 'outlandish' meant foreign). This collection included enduring sayings still echoed today, such as "His bark is worse than his bite" and "Who is so deaf, as he that will not hear?" Later, around 1651, an additional 150 proverbs, including those from Outlandish Proverbs, were added to a subsequent collection called JaculaPrudentum (or JaculaPrudentium). This expanded collection was published in 1652 as part of Oley's Herbert's Remains.

Musical Setting

Herbert hailed from a family deeply rooted in music. His mother, Magdalen Herbert, maintained friendships with composers William Byrd and John Bull, nurturing her children's musical inclinations. Edward Herbert of Cherbury, his brother, was a proficient lutenist and composer. George Herbert himself played the lute and viol, even composing his lyrics and sacred poems. His fascination with music persisted throughout his life, with accounts by his biographer, Izaak Walton, noting that Herbert played the lute even during his final illness. Walton also suggested that Herbert composed hymns and anthems now sung by him and angels in heaven, while Charles Cotton described him as a "soul composed of harmonies."

Over ninety of Herbert's poems have been adapted for singing across the ages, some receiving multiple musical renditions. In his era, Henry Purcell set "Longing" to music, and John Blow did the same for "And art thou grieved." The Wesley brothers adapted around forty for the Methodist hymnal, including "Teach Me My God and King," present in 223 hymnals in various versions. Another piece, "Let All the world in every corner sing," appeared in 103 hymnals, including a French version. His work has been translated into several languages for musical settings, including Spanish, Catalan, and German.

In the 20th century, "Vertue" alone inspired ten different musical settings, including one in French. Renowned modern composers such as Edmund Rubbra, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Robin Milford, Benjamin Britten, William Walton, Ned Rorem, and Judith Weir have all set Herbert's poems to music. Vaughan Williams used four of Herbert's works in Five Mystical Songs, with "Easter" as the first and "Antiphon II" as the last. Milford drew from the original Fitzwilliam manuscript to compose the second part of "Easter" for his cantata Easter Morning. Britten and Walton both set "Antiphon," while Rorem included one in his "10 poems for voice, oboe, and strings". Weir's choral piece Vertue incorporated three of Herbert's poems, showcasing the enduring allure of his verses in musical expression.

Death

Herbert's tenure in Bemerton was brief. Struggling with chronic health issues throughout his life, he passed away in 1633 due to consumption, a mere three years after entering the priesthood. His wife Jane passed away in 1661.

Legacy

The earliest known depiction of George Herbert was created posthumously by Robert White for Walton's biography of the poet in 1674. This portrait, now housed in London's National Portrait Gallery, became the basis for later engravings, including those by White's apprentice John Sturt and by Henry Hoppner Meyer in 1829.

One notable artistic tribute is William Dyce's oil painting "George Herbert at Bemerton" (1860) displayed in the Guildhall Art Gallery, London. The painting portrays the poet in his riverside garden, holding a prayer book, with Salisbury Cathedral visible in the background. Here, he is depicted as part of the scenery he loved, his lute resting nearby, and a fishing rod, nodding to his biographer Isaac Walton, leaned against a tree. Another artistic representation is found in Charles West Cope's "George Herbert and his mother" (1872), displayed at Gallery Oldham: the mother points out a poem to him in a room featuring a virginal in the background.

Most depictions of Herbert exist in stained glass windows, several adorning churches, and cathedrals. These include installations at Westminster Abbey, Salisbury Cathedral, and All Saints' Church, Cambridge. St. Andrew's Church in Bemerton commemorated him and Nicholas Ferrar in a memorial window in 1934. Additionally, Salisbury Cathedral features a statue of Herbert dressed in his clerical robes, based partly on the Robert White portrait, placed in a niche on the West Front.

Veneration

Saint George Herbert is venerated in the Anglican Communion, and Lutheranism is commemorated on February 27 in the Church of England and the Episcopal Church. In the Calendar of Saints of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, his remembrance falls on March 1, the day of his passing. Special prayers and collections for the occasion often reference his poetic work, such as the one derived from his poem "The Elixir."

Works

• 1623: Oratio Qua auspicatissimumSerenissimi Principis Caroli.
• 1627: MemoriaeMatris Sacrum, printed with A Sermon of commemorations of the Lady Danvers by John Donne... with other Commemoracions of her by George Herbert (London: Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith).
• 1633: The Temple, Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations. (Cambridge: Printed by Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel).
• 1652: Herbert's Remains, Or, Sundry Pieces Of that sweet Singer of the Temple, consisting of his collected writings from A Priest to the Temple, JaculaPrudentum, Sentences, c., as well as a letter, several prayers, and three Latin poems. (London: Printed for Timothy Garthwait)

Conclusion

George Herbert, a significant figure in literature and religious thought, left a lasting legacy through his poetry and pastoral works. Venerated in both the Anglican Communion and Lutheranism , he's remembered on different dates across various denominations. His poignant lines, drawn from poems like "The Elixir," continue to be a source of inspiration and reflection in religious observances. Herbert's literary works, including "The Temple" and "A Priest to the Temple," alongside his musical contributions, have resonated through the centuries, evidenced by their adaptations and settings in hymnals and musical compositions. The visual representations and commemorations in art, stained glass, and sculptures further attest to his enduring influence on artistic expressions and spirituality. Herbert's profound impact on poetry, spirituality, and music continues to reverberate, making him an enduring figure in religious and literary spheres.