How Happy Are They

Representative Text

1 How happy are they, born or taught,
who do not serve another’s will;
whose armor is their honest thought,
and simple truth their highest skill;

2 Whose passions not their rulers are;
whose souls are still, and free from fear,
not tied unto the world with care
of public fame of private ear;

3 Who have their lives from rumors freed,
whose conscience is their strong retreat,
whose state no flattery can feed,
nor ruin make oppressors great.

4 All such are freed from servile bands
of hope to rise, or fear to fall;
they rule themselves, but rule not lands,
and, having nothing, yet have all.

Source: Singing the Living Tradition #135

Author: Sir Henry Wotton

Wotton, Sir Henry, M.A., born in Kent in 1568, and educated at New and at Queen's Colleges, Oxford. After spending nine years on the Continent, on his return he became secretary to Robert, Earl of Essex, with whom he continued until Essex was committed for high treason, when he retired to Florence. There he became known to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and was sent by him, in the name of "Octavio Baldi," with letters to James VI., King of Scotland, in which the king was informed of a design against his life. On succeeding to the English throne James knighted Wotton and sent him as ambassador to the Republic of Venice. In 1623 he was made Provost of Eton (having previously taken Deacon's Orders). He died in 1639. His works include The Elements… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: How happy is he born or taught
Title: How Happy Are They
Author: Sir Henry Wotton
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

How happy is he born and taught. H. Wotton. [ Secret of Happiness.] From Izaak Walton's edition of Wotton's Poems, &c, published as Reliquae Wottonianae in 1651, p. 522, (p. 926, i.), into a few collections, and sometimes dated 1614.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Tune

WAREHAM (Knapp)

William Knapp (b. Wareham, Dorsetshire, England, 1698; d. Poole, Dorsetshire, 1768) composed WAREHAM, so named for his birthplace. A glover by trade, Knapp served as the parish clerk at St. James's Church in Poole (1729-1768) and was organist in both Wareham and Poole. Known in his time as the "coun…

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ERNAN (Mason)


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Instances

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A Book of Hymns and Tunes #101

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A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) #279

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A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion. (10th ed.) #279

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A Collection of Hymns, for the Christian Church and Home #300

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A Collection of Hymns #289

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #289

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #289

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #289

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #289

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #289

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Social and Private Worship #CCXVIII

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Sanctuary #323

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Use of Universalist Societies and Families 16ed. #410

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #210

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A Selection of Hymns and Psalms for Social and Private Worship (2nd ed. Enl. and Imp.) #359

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A Selection of Hymns and Psalms for Social and Private Worship (6th ed.) #372

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Christian Hymns for Public and Private Worship #876

Christian Psalms and Hymns to Aid in Public and Private Devotion #d374

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Church Choral-Book #41

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Hymnal Amore Dei #183

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Hymnal for Christian Science Church and Sunday School Services #126

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Hymnal, Amore Dei #183

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Hymnal, Amore Dei. Rev. ed. #a183

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Hymns and Anthems adapted for Jewish Worship #61

Hymns and Tunes for the Sunday School, the Congregation and the Home #d75

Hymns for Children and Young Persons #d195

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Hymns for Christian Devotion #403

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Hymns for Schools and Colleges #192

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Hymns of the Spirit for Use in the Free Churches of America #294a

Hymns of the Spirit for Use in the Free Churches of America #294b

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Isles of Shoals Hymn Book and Candle Light Service #178

Jubilate Deo #100

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Melodies and Hymns for Divine Service in Appleton Chapel #a267

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National Hymn and Tune Book #9

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Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #d201

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Sacred Songs For Public Worship #23

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Sacred Songs For Public Worship #23

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Services for Congregational Worship. The New Hymn and Tune Book #351

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Singing the Living Tradition #135

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Social Hymns of Brotherhood and Aspiration #69

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Song-Hymnal of Praise and Joy #109

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Songs of Praise #263

Songs of Praise #524

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Songs of the Unity #d97

The American Hymnal #d219

The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #d147

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The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #325

The Cambridge Hymnal #45

The Chapel Hymn Book (4th ed.) #d162

The Chapel Hymn Book. 5th ed. #d158

The Christian Psalter #d228

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The Pilgrim Hymnal #307

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The Pilgrim Hymnal #398

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