Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 62.djvu/269

 a view to a reissue. Wither was employed by him to write illustrative verses in English. The volume appeared as ‘A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne; quickened with Metrical Illustrations, both Morall and Divine,’ London, printed by A. M. for Henry Taunton, 1635, fol. (the only perfect copy known is in the British Museum).

About 1636 Wither retired to what he calls ‘his rustic habitation,’ a cottage under the Beacon Hill at Farnham (Nature of Man, 1636), and there devoted himself to the congenial study of theology. In 1636 he issued ‘The Nature of Man. A learned and useful tract, written in Greek by Nemesius, surnamed the Philosopher … one of the most ancient Fathers of the Church.’ The translation was not made from the Greek of Nemesius, but from two Latin versions. It was inscribed by Wither to his ‘most learned and much honoured friend John Selden, esq.’

The political crisis of the following years drew Wither into public life. In 1639 he served as captain of horse in the expedition of Charles I against the Scottish covenanters. In 1641 he was sufficiently at leisure to produce his best work as a religious poet—the interesting collection of 273 ‘hymns,’ entitled ‘Halelujah: or Britans Second Remembrancer, bringing to remembrance (in praisefull and pœnitentiall Hymns, Spirituall Songs, and Morall Odes) Meditations advancing the Glory of God, in the practise of pietie and virtue’ (London, 1641, 12mo). ‘Halelujah’ is one of the scarcest of all Wither's publications; only four copies are known, of which one is in the British Museum, and a second belongs to Mr. Huth. At the same date Wither repeated his old warning of the nation's impending peril in ‘A Prophesie written long since for this year 1641,’ London, n.d., 8vo (a reprint of the eighth canto of ‘Britain's Remembrancer’ of 1628).

In 1642 he sold such estate as he possessed and raised a troop of horse for the parliament. He placed on his colours the motto ‘Pro rege, lege, grege’ (cf. Campo-Musæ, frontispiece). On 14 Oct. 1642 he was appointed, by a parliamentary committee, captain and commander of Farnham Castle, and of such foot as should be put into his hands by Sir Richard Onslow [q. v.] and Richard Stoughton, for the defence of the king, parliament, and kingdom. But his government was of short duration. Wither knew little of military procedure, and under the advice, he declared, of his superiors he soon quitted the castle and drew away his men. He was subsequently captured by a troop of royalists, and owed his life to the intercession of Sir John Denham, who pleaded that ‘so long as Wither lived he [Denham] would not be accounted the worst poet in England.’ Wither thenceforth regarded Denham with very bitter feelings. Farnham Castle was soon reoccupied (on 1 Dec.) by the parliamentary general, Sir William Waller. Wither retained his position in the parliamentary army, became a justice of the peace for Surrey, and was promoted to the rank of major, but it is doubtful if he saw further active service. His chief energies were thenceforth devoted to procuring a livelihood. On 9 Feb. 1642–3, 2,000l. was granted him on his petition towards the repair of his plundered estate. Other payments were subsequently ordered by the parliament, but were not made.

Meanwhile he was busier than ever with his pen. In 1643 he published three tracts, all of which attracted attention. The earliest was ‘Mercurius Rusticus: or a Countrey Messenger. Informing divers things worthy to be taken notice of, for the furtherance of those proceedings which concerne the publique peace and safety;’ this was in opposition to a royalist periodical, similarly named, by Bruno Ryves [q. v.] Wither's second literary labour of 1643 was the poetic ‘Campo-Musæ, or the Field-musings of Captain George Wither; touching his Military Ingagement for the King and Parliament, the Justnesse of the same, and the present distractions of these Islands’ (London, 1643, 8vo; 1644, two editions; 1661); this was dedicated to the parliamentary commander, the Earl of Essex; in it Wither claimed to reconcile the king and parliament, while he narrated his personal difficulties. In ‘Aqua Musæ’ Wither's old opponent, John Taylor the water-poet, denounced the ambiguity of his attitude, describing him as a ‘juggling rebell.’ Taylor affirmed that he had loved and respected Wither for thirty-five years, ‘because I thought him simply honest; but now his hypocrisy is by himself discovered, I am bold to take my leave of him.’ Further aspersions on his conduct drew from Wither (also in 1643) his prose tract ‘Se Defendendo: a Shield and a Shaft against Detraction. Opposed and drawn by Capt. Geo. Wither: by occasion of scandalous rumours, touching his desertion of Farnham-Castle; and some other malicious aspersions.’

Next year Wither experienced new embarrassments. He charged Sir Richard Onslow, whom he held responsible for his misfortunes at Farnham, with sending money privately to the king. Onslow retorted by depriving Wither of the nominal command