George Herbert

George Herbert
From Wikipedia
Short Name: George Herbert
Full Name: Herbert, George, 1593-1633
Birth Year: 1593
Death Year: 1633

Herbert, George, M.A., the fifth son of Richard Herbert and Magdalen, the daughter of Sir Richard Newport, was born at his father's seat, Montgomery Castle, April 3, 1593. He was educated at Westminster School, and at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. in 1611. On March 15, 1615, he became Major Fellow of the College, M.A. the same year, and in 1619 Orator for the University. Favoured by James I., intimate with Lord Bacon, Bishop Andrewes, and other men of influence, and encouraged in other ways, his hopes of Court preferment were somewhat bright until they were dispelled by the deaths of the Duke of Richmond, the Marquis of Hamilton, and then of King James himself. Retiring into Kent, he formed the resolution of taking Holy Orders. He was appointed by the Bishop of Lincoln to the Prebend of Lcighton Ecclesia and to the living of Leighton Bromswold, Hunts, July 15, 1626. He remained until 1629, when an attack of ague obliged him to remove to his brother's, house at Woodford, Essex. Not improving in health at Woodford, he removed to Dantsey, in Wiltshire, and then as Rector to Bemerton, to which he was inducted, April 26, 1630, where he died Feb. 1632. The entry in the register of Bemerton is "Mr. George Herbert, Esq., Parson of Foughleston and Bemerton, was buried 3 day of March 1632."

His life, by Izaak Walton, is well known; another Memoir, by Barnabas Oley, is forgotten. Herbert's prose work, Priest to the Temple, appeared several years after his death: but The Temple, by which he is best known, he delivered to Nicholas Ferrar (q.v.), about three weeks before his death, and authorized him to publish it if he thought fit. This was done iu 1633. The work became popular, and the 13th edition was issued in 1709. It is meditative rather than hymnic in character, and was never intended for use in public worship. In 1697 a selection from The Temple appeared under the title Select Hymns Taken out of Mr. Herbert's Temple & turned into the Common Metre To Be Sung In The Tunes Ordinarily us'd in Churches. London, Parkhurst, 1697. In 1739, J. & C. Wesley made a much more successful attempt to introduce his hymns into public worship by inserting over 40 in a much-altered form in their Hymns & Sacred Poems. As some few of these came into their collection of Psalms & Hymns, 1741, revised 1743, they were long sung by the Methodists, but do not now form part of the Wesleyan Hymn Book. No further attempt seems to have been made to use the Temple poems as hymns until 1853, when some altered and revised by G. Rawson were given in the Leeds Hymn Book of that year. From that time onward more attention was paid to Herbert alike by Churchmen and Nonconformists, and some of his hymns are now widely accepted. Many editions of his works have been published, the most popular being that of the Rev. Robert Aris Wilmott, Lond., Geo. Routledge & Son, 1857; but Dr. Grosart's privately printed edition issued in his Fuller Worthies Library in 1874, in three volumes, is not only the most complete and correct, but included also his psalms not before reprinted, and several poems from a ms. in the Williams Library, and not before published. The Temple has also been pub¬lished in facsimile by Elliott Stock, 1876, with preface by Dr. Grosart; and in ordinary type, 1882, by Wells Gardner, with preface by J. A. Shorthouse.

The quaintness of Herbert's lyrics and the peculiarity of several of their metres have been against their adoption for congregational purposes. The best known are: "Let all the world in every corner sing"; "My stock lies dead, and no increase"; "Throw away Thy rod"; "Sweet day, so cool, so calm"; and "Teach me, my God, and King." [William T. Brooke]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)


Texts by George Herbert (96)sort descendingAsAuthority LanguagesInstances
Alas poor death where is thy gloryGeorge Herbert (Author)2
All nature is to God a glorious garment rareGeorge Herbert (Author)2
And art thou grieved, sweet and sacred DoveGeorge Herbert (Author)2
As he that sees a dark and shady groveGeorge Herbert (Author)2
As men, for fear the stars should sleep and nodGeorge Herbert (Author)English2
Awake sad heart, whom sorrow ever drownsGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Awake sad heart whom sorrows drownGeorge Herbert (Author)1
Away despair; my gracious Lord doth hearGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Blest be the God of loveGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Blest day of God! most calm, most brightGeo. Herbert (Author)English1
But by way of nourishment and strengthGeorge Herbert (Author)2
But that thou art my wisdom's LordGeorge Herbert (Author)1
Canst be idle? canst thou playGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Come bring thy gifts, if blessings were as slowGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Come, Lord, my head doth burn, my heart is sickGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Come, my Way, my Truth, my LifeGeorge Herbert (Author)English61
Come to judgment, come awayGeorge Herbert, 1593-1622 (Author)English2
Come ye hither, all who tasteGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Death, thou wast once an uncouth hideous thingGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Enrich, Lord, heart, mouth, hands in meGeorge Herbert (Author)7
Faint is my head and sick my heartGeorge Herbert (Author)English2
Give me my captive soul or takeGeorge Herbert (Author)2
God is ascended up on highGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Hast not heard, that my Lord Jesus dyedGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Holiness on the headGeorge Herbert (Author)English2
How should I praise Thee, Lord, how should my rhymesGeorge Herbert (Author)English3
How swiftly wafted in a sighGeorge Herbert (Author)1
I cannot ope my [mine] eyesGeorge Herbert (Author)English2
I got me flowers to strew thy wayGeorge Herbert (Author)2
I know it is my sinne which locks thine earesGeorge Herbert (Author)English2
I sent a sigh to seek thee outGeorge Herbert (Author)2
I struck the board, and cried, No moreGeorge Herbert (Author)English2
If as a flower doth spread and dieGeorge Herbert (Author)English2
Immortal heart, O let thy greater flameGeorge Herbert (Author)2
In way of nourishment and strengthGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Kill me not every dayGeorge Herbert (Author)2
King of glory, King of peaceGeorge Herbert (1593-1633) (Author)English45
Listen, sweet dove, unto my songGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Look hither ye whose tasteGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Lord, how in silence I despiseGeorge Herbert (Author)1
Lord, I confess my sin is greatGeorge Herbert (Author)1
Lord, in my silence how do I despiseGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Lord, Thou art mine, and I am ThineGeorge Herbert (Author)English3
Lord, who createdst man in wealth and storeGeorge Herbert (Author)3
Lord, who hast formed me out of mudGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Lord, with what bounty and rare clemencyGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Lord, with what care hast Thou begirt us roundGeorge Herbert (Author)English4
My heart lies dead, and no increaseHerbert (Author)English16
My joy, my life, my crownGeorge Herbert (Author)2
My Lord, what have I brought thee homeGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Not in rich furniture, or fine arrayGeorge Herbert (Author)2
O all ye who pass by, whose eyes and mindGeorge Herbert (Author)2
O book, infinite sweetness, let my heartGeorge Herbert (Author)3
O day most calm, most brightGeorge Herbert (Author)English6
O King of Grief! how strange and trueGeorge Herbert, 1593-1632 (Author)English2
O my chief goodGeorge Herbert (Author)2
O sacred Providence, Who from end to endGeorge Herbert (Author)English2
O throw away thy rodGeorge Herbert (Author)English13
O ye who pass me by, whose eyes and mindGeorge Herbert (Author)1
Of all the lessons we standGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Of what an easy, quick accessGeorge Herbert (Author)3
O do not use meGeorge Herbert (Author)English2
Peace, muttering thoughtsGeorge Herbert, 1593-1635 (Author)2
Philosophers have measured mountainsGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Poore heart, lamentGeorge Herbert (Author)English3
Prayer, the church's banquetGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Que a Pátria inteira canta em teu louvorGeorge Herbert (Author)Portuguese2
Que todo el mundo cante al Señor, Mi Dios y ReyGeorge Herbert, 1593-1632 (Author)Spanish4
Rise, heart, thy Lord is risenGeorge Herbert (Author)4
Rivers run, and springs each oneGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Savior, if thy precious loveGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so brightHerbert (Author)English41
Sweet peace, where dost thou dwellGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Teach me, my God and King, In all things Thee to seeG. Herbert (Author)English214
Teach me on thee to wait, till I can all things doGeorge Herbert (Author)2
The constant Christian still doth good pursueGeorge Herbert (Author)2
The God of love my Shepherd is And He that doth me feedGeorge Herbert, 1593-1632 (Author)English30
Let all the world in every corner singGeorge Herbert (Author)English138
The man that looks on glass"holy George Herbert", 1593- (Author)English3
The several Sundays of man's lifeGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Thou Lord my power and wisdom artGeorge Herbert (Author)1
Thou that hast given so much to meGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Thou the dear sinners friend, to theeGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Tout l'univers proclame les exploitsGeorge Herbert (1593-1632) (Author)French2
Vain man has measured land and seaGeorge Herbert, 1593-1632 (Author)English2
Welcome, dear feast of Lent: who loves not theeGeorge Herbert (Author)English2
Welcome sweet and sacred cheerGeorge Herbert (Author)2
What helps it to kill me each dayGeorge Herbert (Author)2
When blessed Marie wiped her Savior's feetGeorge Herbert (Author)2
When God at first made manGeorge Herbert (Author)3
When Mary wib'd her Savior's feetGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Whither, O whither art thou fledGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Who is the honest manGeorge Herbert (Author)2
Who would know sin, let him repairGeorge Herbert (Author)2
With bended knees and aching eyesGeorge Herbert (Author)1
With me, in me, live and dwellGeorge Herbert (Author)2

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