EN228: The Seventeenth Century George Herbert EN228: The Seventeenth Century

On Profane and Holy Poetry ‘Certain Authors have been so irreverendly bold, as to dash Scriptures, and the sacred Relatives of God with their impious conceits; And (which I cannot speak without grief of heart) some of those desperate adventurers may (I think) be reckoned amongst the principal or most learned Writers of English verse […]The first, that with any effectual success attempted a diversion of this foul and overflowing stream, was the blessed man, Mr. George Herbert, whose holy life and verse gained many pious Converts, (of whom I am the least) and gave the first check to a most flourishing and admired wit of his time […] he that desires to excel in this kinde of…holy writing, must strive (by all means) for perfection and true holyness, that a door may be opened to him in heaven, Rev 4. 1. and then he will be able to write (with Hierotheus and holy Herbert) A true Hymn.’ Henry Vaughan, from the preface to Silex Scintillans (1650) Henry Vaughan (1621-95)

A True Hymn My joy, my life, my crown! My heart was meaning all the day, Somewhat it fain would say: And still it runneth mutt’ring up and down With only this, My joy, my life, my crown. Yet slight not these few words: If truly said, they may take part Among the best in art. The fineness which a hymn or psalm affords, Is, when the soul unto the lines accords. He who craves all the mind, And all the soul, and strength, and time, If the words only rhyme, Justly complains, that somewhat is behind To make his verse, or write a hymn in kind. Whereas if th’ heart be moved, Although the verse be somewhat scant, God doth supply the want. As when th’ heart says (sighing to be approved) O, could I love! And stops: God writeth, Loved.

Calvinism versus Arminianism

George Herbert, ‘The Watercourse’ from The Temple (1633), p. 164.

‘Redemption’ Having been tenant long to a rich Lord, Not thriving, I resolved to be bold, And make a suit unto him, to afford A new small-rented lease, and cancel th’ old. In heaven at his manor I him sought: They told me there, that he was lately gone About some land, which he had dearly bought Long since on earth, to take possession. I straight returned, and knowing his great birth, Sought him accordingly in great resorts; In cities, theatres, gardens, parks, and courts: At length I heard a ragged noise and mirth Of thieves and murderers: there I him espied, Who straight, Your suit is granted, said, and died.

Mortification ‘In dissuading us from wickedness [the prophets] demand the entire destruction of the flesh, which is full of perverseness and malice. It is a most difficult and arduous achievement to renounce ourselves, and lay aside our natural disposition. For the flesh must not be thought to be destroyed unless every thing that we have of our own is abolished. But seeing that all the desires of the flesh are enmity against God (Rom. 8:7), the first step to the obedience of his law is the renouncement of our own nature.’ John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 3

‘Faith’ I did believe that I did nothing owe, I owed thousands and much more: I did believe that I did nothing owe, And lived accordingly; my creditor Believes so too, and lets me go. Faith makes me anything, or all That I believe is in the sacred story: And where sin placeth me in Adam’s fall, Faith sets me higher in his glory. […] A peasant may believe as much As a great clerk, and reach the highest stature. Thus dost thou make proud knowledge bend and crouch While grace fills up uneven nature. (ll. 13-20; 29-32)

‘imagined Democracie’: James VI, Basilikon Doron (1599) But the reformation of Religion in Scotland, being extraordinarily wrought by God, wherin many things were inordinately done by a popular tumult and rebellion …. not proceeding from the Princes order, as it did in our neighbour countrey of England, some fierie spirited men in the ministerie, got such a guiding of the people at that time of confusion, as finding the gust of gouernment sweete, they begouth to fantasie to themselues a Democraticke forme of gouernment:  and hauing (by the iniquitie of time) beene ouerwell baited vpon the wracke, first of my Grandmother, and next of mine owne mother, and after vsurping the libertie of the time in my long minoritie, setled themselues so fast vpon that imagined Democracie, as they fed themselues with the hope to become Tribuni plebis:  and so in a popular gouernment by leading the people by the nose, to beare the sway of all the rule. James VI, Basilikon Doron (Edinburgh, 1599)

A 1579 edition of Cicero’s De Inventione Rhetoric A 1579 edition of Cicero’s De Inventione The 5 Parts of Rhetoric Invention Disposition Elocution Delivery Memory

Astrophil and Stella, Sonnet 1 Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show, That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,— Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know, Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,— I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe; Studying inventions fine her wits to entertain, Oft turning others' leaves, to see if thence would flow Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sunburn'd brain. But words came halting forth, wanting invention's stay; Invention, Nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows; And others' feet still seem'd but strangers in my way. Thus great with child to speak and helpless in my throes, Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite, "Fool," said my Muse to me, "look in thy heart, and write”.

‘Jordan (ii)’ or Herbert rewrites Sidney When first my lines of heav'nly joyes made mention, Such was their lustre, they did so excell, That I sought out quaint words, and trim invention; My thoughts began to burnish, sprout, and swell, Curling with metaphors a plain intention, Decking the sense, as if it were to sell. Thousands of notions in my brain did runne, Off'ring their service, if I were not sped: I often blotted what I had begunne; This was not quick enough, and that was dead. Nothing could seem too rich to clothe the sunne, Much lesse those joyes which trample on his head. As flames do work and winde, when they ascend, So did I weave my self into the sense. But while I bustled, I might heare a friend Whisper, How wide is all this long pretence? There is in love a sweetnesse readie penn'd: Copie out onely that, and save expense.

Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations ‘ejaculation, n.’ OED 3b. ‘The putting up of short, earnest prayers in moments of emergency; the hasty utterance of words expressing emotion.’ OED 4b. ‘A short prayer ‘darted up to God’ (Fuller) in an emergency. In a wider sense: A short, hasty emotional utterance.’

Some opening ejaculations… ‘It cannot be. Where is that mightie joy?’ ‘The Temper’ (ii) ‘Who sayes that fictions only and false hair | Become a verse?’ ‘Jordan’ (i) ‘Lord how can man preach thy eternal word? | He is a brittle crazie glasse.’ ‘The Window’ ‘My heart did heave, and there came forth, O God! | By that I knew that thou wast in the grief.’ ‘Affliction’ (iii)

Holy Poetry and the Heart Whereas if th’ heart be moved, Although the verse be somewhat scant, God doth supply the want. As when th’ heart says (sighing to be approved) O, could I love! And stops: God writeth, Loved.