Additional Seventeenth-Century Allusions to George Herbert

Abstract

Additional Seventeenth-Century Allusions to George Herbert by Allan Pritchard The great modern growth in the apprecietion of the poetry of George Herbert hes been accompanied by interest in the history of his reputation. Our knowledge of his early reputation has been much increased by such recent publications as CA. Patrides' George Herbert: The Critical Heritage end Robert H. Roy's The Herbert Allusion Book: Allusions to George Herbert in the Seventeenth Century.'1 Yet a number of allusions in the period 1640-75 appear to have remoined unnoticed by ell those who have studied the poet's reputation. These neglected references, which ere set out here in chronological order, are cumulatively interesting as additional evidence of the extent and nature of Herbert's popularity in the middle years of the seventeenth century, and they include et leost one tribute thot is emong the most striking offered to eny poet of the century. The eorliest of these neglected allusions adds e poet, the popular and prolific George Wither, to the list of those who rendered praise of Herbert. In the preface "To the Reader" of his volume of hymns, Haleluiah or, Britans Second Remembrancer (1641), Wither aligns himself with Herbert and others in the attempt to divert poetry from profane to sacred subjects. He deplores the profanation of poetry, through which it had long been made "the Baud to Lust; and abused to other improper ends" (sig. A10v), and comments: To prevent these Errors and Offences, Mr. Sandys, Mr. Harbert, Mr. Queries, and some others, have lately, to their great commendations, seriously endeavoured, by tuning their Muses to divine Strains, and by employing them in their proper work. For the like prevention, I havealso laboured according to my Talent .... (sig. A11V 38Allan Pritchard The most remarkoble of the unrecorded allusions, however, is one that comes eight years later, in a funeral sermon occesioned by the deeth of on aristocratic lady, who had found comfort in the poetry of Herbert during the Afflictions of the Civil War: Edward Rainbowe's A Sermon Preached at Waiden in Essex, May 29,h. At the Interring of the Corps of the right Honorable Susanna, Countesse of Suffolke (1649). Rainbowe was Master of Magdolene College, Cambridge, later to become Bishop of Carlisle after the Restoration. His sermon is filled with references to the "tragicall times" in which he writes, for the family of his subject hed been much involved in the conflicts of the Civil War. Susanna (born c. 1627) was the deughterof Henry Rich, first Earl of Holland, and thegrand-daughter of Sir Philip Sidney's beloved Penelope Devereux. While her father's elder brother, the Earl of Werwick, wos the commonder of the Porliamentary navy, her father himself after chenging sides several times wos found guilty of treeson by e Perliomentery court end beheeded in Merch 1649. Her husbond, Jomes Howard, third Earl of Suffolk, had for a time sided with Parliament but was later impeached for treason by the House of Commons, although the sentence was not carried out. Susanna's other afflictions included the death of her only son in infancy, and her short life ended with her death in childbirth at the age of twenty-two on May 19, 1649.3 In the sermon, which is eloquent ond moving enough to sustain his contemporary reputation as a great preacher, Rainbowe emphasizes the religious patience with which Susonne bore ell her afflictions, and describes both the spirituel comfort she brought to her loved fether before his execution end the exemplory neture of her own death-bed scene.4 He praises both her loyalty to the Church of England and her charity toward those with whose political and religious views she disagreed, in "these boysterous times" when difference of opinion had produced so much bloodshed (p. 18). Hegivesan impressive picture of her saintly character, with much detail about her devotional practices, especially her study of the Bible, and in the following passage describes her love of Herbert: Her Phancy was most Divine, and although she fed it very much with HumaneAuthors, delighting in Wit, that was Pure, end filled with ingenious ALLUSIONS TO HERBERT39 end artificiali conceit, Poetry especially, in the epprehension...