George Herbert's prose and poetry is united in this combined volume, illustrating in detail the inner conflict the author felt regarding the principles of his faith and belief in God.
Coming of age during the early 17th century, Herbert demonstrated a great appetite for intellectual endeavors while still a boy. While still in his twenties, he mastered Greek and Latin and was elected to the post of Public Orator at Trinity College, Cambridge. His theological knowledge and scholarly ability distinguished him from many of his peers.
Throughout his life, Herbert suffered with physical infirmity and was never blessed with a strong constitution. Herbert perished of tuberculosis at the age of only thirty-nine, a mere three years after becoming ordained as a priest. As a person, he was reported to be of a gentle and caring demeanor, often going to great lengths to make his parishioners and guests comfortable. Most significantly, George Herbert left behind a substantial body of unpublished written work. Crucially, he requested that his friend Nicholas Ferrar see that his most famous poem - The Temple - was printed.
All of Herbert's poems are concerned with religious and spiritual topics, upon which the author reflects with uncommon sincerity and depth. Many allude to the Bible, overtly or subtly, with references made to Biblical figures and to individual passages. For his time, Herbert demonstrates an impressive command of poetic devices; while later critics such as John Dryden found his verse strained, Herbert's reputation has improved with time.
With regards to his prose, Herbert's translated from Italian The Treatise on Temperance and Sobriety, by Luigi Cornaro. This was one of the first books to advocate for modesty in eating and drinking in service of a long and joyous life.
His personal letters to his brother and other associates reveal in detail his life at the university; in them, he is revealed to be an able administrator, and a man possessed of refined manners in correspondence. His Latin letters (also taken from the university public orations) demonstrate a fluent command of the language which, by the 17th century, was scarcely spoken except in intellectual or religious contexts.
