IZAAK WALTON AND HIS FRIENDS 97 



(c) GEORGE HERBERT 



(1593-1632) 



" The man I held as half-divine." 



In Memoriam. 



" Friend of my friend ! I love thee, though unknown, 

 And boldly call thee, being his, my own." 



W. COWPER. 



" Content dwells not at Court." 



Thealma and Clearchus. 



George Herbert was born in 1593, near the 

 town of Montgomery. He was the fifth son of 

 Eichard Herbert, a descendant of the famous 

 William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, who lived 

 in the reign of Edward IV. He was educated 

 at Westminster School, and at Trinity College, 

 Cambridge, of which he became a Fellow. He 

 was B.A. in 1612, M.A. 1616. In October 1619 

 he became Public Orator. In 1615, while at 

 Cambridge, in a letter to his mother, he remarked, 

 that so many poems were written and consecrated 

 to Venus that, for his own part, he had determined 

 that his "poor abilities in poetry should be all and 

 ever consecrated to God's glory." His mother was 

 one of the most talented women of the day, and 

 Donne wrote in her praise. Over her children 

 she had great influence. Walton tells us he never 

 knew Herbert, "I have only seen him." He says 

 he '• had heard he loved angling." Herbert 



G 



