Transcription of George Herbert's biography from the edition by Oliver Lawson Dick of Aubrey's Brief Lives; first published by Martin Secker & Warburg 1949; reprinted 1950, 2nd edn 1950, 3rd edn 1958 reprinted 1960, 1968; in Penguin Classics, 1987.
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In Brecknockshire, about 3 miles from Brecknock, is a village called Penkelly, where is a little Castle. It is an ancient Seate of the Herberts. Mr Herbert, of this place, came, by the mother's side, of Wgan. The Lord Cherbery's ancestor came by the secont venter, who was a Miller's daughter. The greatest part of the estate was settled on the issue by the 2d venter, viz. Montgomery castle, and Aberystwith. Upon this Match with the Miller's daughter are to this day recited, or sung, by the Welsh, verses to this sence: O God! Woe is me miserable, my father was a Miller, and my mother a Milleresse, and I am now a Ladie.
In a Buriall-place in the Church at Montgomery (belonging to the Castle) is a great freestone monument of Richard Herbert, Esq (father to the learned Lord Herbert of Cherbery, and Mr George Herbert, who wrote the Sacrëd Poems) where are the effigies of him and Magdalene his wife, who afterwards was maried to Sir John Danvers of Wilts, and lies interred at Chelsey church but without any monument. Dr Donne, Dean of St Paul's, preached her funerall sermon, to which are annexed severall verses, Latin and Greeke, by Mr George Herbert, in Memorie of Her. She was buryed, as appeares by the sermon, July 1, 1627.
Mr George Herbert was kinsman (remote) and Chapelaine to Philip, Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, and Lord Chamberlayn. His Lordship gave him a Benefice at Bemmarton (between Wilton and Salisbury) a pittifull little chappell of Ease to Foughelston. The old house was very ruinous. Here he built a very handsome howse for the Minister, of Brick, and made a good garden and walkes. He lyes in the Chancell, under no large, nor yet very good, marble grave-stone, without any Inscription.
In the Chancell are many apt sentences of the Scripture. At his Wive's Seate, My life is hid with Christ in God (he hath verses on this Text in his Poëms). Above, in a little windowe-blinded, with a Veile (ill painted) Thou art my hideing place.
He maried Jane, the third daughter of Charles Danvers, of Bayntun, in com. Wilts, Esq, but had no issue by her. He was a very fine complexion and consumptive. His mariage, I suppose, hastened his death. My kinswoman was a handsome bona roba and ingeniose.
When he was first maried he lived a yeare or better at Dantesey house. H. Allen, of Dantesey, was well acquainted with him, who has told me that he had a very good hand on the Lute, and that he sett his own Lyricks or sacred poems.
Scripsit:-- Sacred Poems, called The Church, printed, Cambridge, 1633; a Booke entituled The Country Parson, not printed till about 1650, 8vo. He also writt a folio in Latin, which because the parson of Hineham could not read, his widowe (then wife to Sir Robert Cooke) condemned to the uses of good houswifry. (This account I had from Mr Arnold Cooke, one of Sir Robert Cooke's sonnes, whom I desired to aske his mother-in-lawe for Mr G. Herbert's MSS.)
He was buryed (according to his owne desire) with the singing service for the buriall of the dead, by the singing men of Sarum. Francis Sambroke (attorney) then assisted as a Chorister boy; my uncle, Thomas Danvers, was at the Funerall.
'Tis an honour to the place, to have had the heavenly and ingeniose contemplation of this good man, who was pious even to prophesie; e.g.
- Religion now on tip-toe stands,
- Ready to goe to the American strands.
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