The Poetical Works of George Herbert: With Life, Critical Dessertation, and Explanatory Notes

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J. Nichol, 1853 - 328 pages

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Page xiii - SWEET Day, so cool, so calm, so bright, The bridal of the earth and sky, The dew shall weep thy fall to-night ; For thou must die. Sweet Rose, whose hue angry and brave Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye, Thy root is ever in its grave, And thou must die. Sweet Spring, full of sweet days and roses, A box where sweets compacted lie, My Music shows ye have your closes, And all must die. Only a sweet and virtuous soul, Like season'd...
Page 159 - I STRUCK the board, and cry'd, No more. I will abroad. What ? shall I ever sigh and pine ? My lines and life are free; free as the road, Loose as the winde, as large as store.
Page xxviii - THOU, whose sweet youth and early hopes enhance Thy rate and price, and mark thee for a treasure, Hearken unto a Verser, who may chance Rhyme thee to good, and make a bait of pleasure : A verse may find him, who a Sermon flies, And turn delight into a Sacrifice.
Page 200 - I, the unkind, ungrateful ? Ah, my dear, I cannot look on thee. Love took my hand, and smiling did reply, Who made the eyes but I ? Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them : let my shame Go where it doth deserve. And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame ? My dear, then I will serve. You must sit down, says Love and taste my meat : So I did sit and eat.
Page xxiv - More servants wait on man Than he'll take notice of : in every path He treads down that which doth befriend him When sickness makes him pale and wan. O mighty love ! Man is one world, and hath Another to attend him.
Page 184 - How sweetly doth My Master sound ! My Master ! As ambergris leaves a rich scent Unto the taster : So do these words a sweet content, An Oriental fragrancy, My Master. With these all day I do perfume my mind, My mind...
Page 167 - Let us (said he) pour on him all we can: Let the world's riches, which dispersed lie, Contract into a span. So strength first made a way; Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure: When almost all was out, God made a stay, Perceiving that alone of all his treasure Rest in the bottom lay. For if I should...
Page 18 - Sum up at night what thou hast done by day ; And in the morning, what thou hast to do. Dress and undress thy soul ; mark the decay And growth of it. If, with thy watch, that too Be down, then wind up both. Since we shall be Most surely judged, make thy accounts agree.
Page 195 - A servant with this clause Makes drudgery divine; Who sweeps a room, as for Thy laws, Makes that and the action fine.
Page 59 - Or star, or rainbow, or a part Of all these things, or all of them in one? My God, what is a heart, That thou shouldst it so eye, and woo, Pouring upon it all thy art, As if that thou hadst nothing else to do?

About the author (1853)

George Herbert, remembered as one of the greatest of the Metaphysical poets, was born on April 3, 1593 in Montgomery, Wales. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge. Herbert was a Fellow of Trinity, a public orator, the canon of Lincoln Cathedral and a rector in Bemerton. Herbert died on March 1, 1633. On his deathbed, he gave a manuscript of verses called The Temple to his friend, Nicolas Ferrar. Although Herbert wanted the manuscript burned, Ferrar had it published. The poems contained in the manuscript exalt God, but Herbert believed he was committing a sin of pride by creating an artistic work.

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