The Poems of the holy George Herbert, who, as as well known, was the brother of the celebrated Lord Herbert of Chirbury, were first published by his friend the pious Nicholas Fcrrar, to whom the manuscript was entrusted by Herbert for that purpose. They were the results of the ardent piety and devotional spirit which pervaded him when he was settled at his living at Bemerton near Salisbury, and are full of those excellent and religious feelings so naturally described by the quaint and simple pen of Isaac Walton in his Life of Herbert. The Poems are entirely destitute of imagination, and are, unfortunately, too much tinged with the conceits and affectation of the school of Donne, but when free from these faults and puerilities, are not without a certain degree of sweetness and polish, as witness the solemn Ode on Vertue quoted by Walton in his Complete Angler
Vertue

Sweet day so cool so calm so bright;
The bridull of the earth and skie
The dew shall weep thy full to night;
For thou must die

Sweet rose whose hue angrie and branc
Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye;
Thy root is ever in its grave
And thou must die

Sweet spring full of sweet dayes and roses;
A box where sweets compacted lie
Sly musick shows ye have your closes
And all must dle

source=bookclip">Remains, Historical and Literary, Connected with the Palatine Counties of Lancaster and Chester By Chetham Society

Title page missing. 3rd ed.? Shows collation of early Cambridge editions, with change to Wholly abstain (Church-porch, l.13) added by 2nd ed. (1633) and who for me (H. Communion, l.3) added by 3rd ed. (1634), but not the removal of the comma after canne (Church-porch, l. 47) found in 4th and later eds. (1635-). Also has the comma after pipe (Water-course, l.6) found only in the 2nd and 3rd eds. (1633-34). ( )