Author:George Wither

George Wither
(1588–1667)

George Wither

Works

• Prince Henries Obsequies or Mournefull Elegies upon his Death: with a supposed Interlocution betweene the Ghost of prince Henrie and Great Brittaine (1612)
• Epithalamia: or Nuptiall Poems (1613)
• Abuses stript and whipt. Or Satiricall Essayes by George Wyther. Divided into two Bookes (1613)
• A Satyre: Dedicated to His Most Excellent Maiestie (1615)
• The Shepherd's Hunting (1615)
• Fidelia (1617)
• The Workes of Master George Wither, of Lincolns-Inne, Gentleman, Containing Satyrs, Epigrammes, Eclogues, Sonnets and Poems. Whereunto is annexed a Paraphrase on the Creed, and the Lords Prayer (1620).
• Wither's Motto. Nec habeo, nec careo, nec curo (1621)
• Jvvenilia. A collection of those Poemes which were heretofore imprinted, and written by George Wither (1622)
• Faire-Virtve, the Mistresse of Phil'Arete. Written by himself, Geo. Wither (1622)
• A Preparation to the Psalter (1619)
• Exercises Vpon the first Psalme. Both in Prose and Verse (1620)
• The Songs of the Old Testament. Translated into English Measures: preserving the Naturall Phrase and genuine sense of the Holy Text: and with as little circumlocution as in most prose Translations. To every song is added a new and easie Tune, and a short Prologue also (1621)
• The Hymnes and Songs of the Church (1623)
• The Schollers Purgatory, discouered In the Stationers Commonwealth. … Imprinted for the Honest Stationers (c.1624)
• The Historie of the Pestilence or the proceedings of Justice and Mercy manifested an [sic] the Great Assizes holden about London in the yeare 1625
• Britains Remembrancer: Containing a Narrative of the Plague lately past; a Declaration of the Mischiefs present; and a Prediction of Judgments to come (if Repentance prevent not) (1628)
• The Psalms of David, translated into Lyrick verse according to the Scope of the Original, and illustrated with a short Argument and a briefe Prayer or Meditation before and after every Psalme (1632)
• A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne; quickened with Metrical Illustrations, both Morall and Divine (1635)
• 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 (1636)
• 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 (1641)
• A Prophesie written long since for this year 1641 (n.d.)
• 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 (1643)
• 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 (1643)
• 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 (1643)
• Justiciarius Justificatus (1644)
• Letters of Advice to the Electors (1644)
• Some Advertisements for the New Election of Burgesses (1644)
• Speech without Doors, 9 July 1644 (1644)
• Vox Pacifica (1645)
• Speech without Doors Defended (1646)
• Opobalsamum Anglicanum (1646)
• Major Wither's Disclaimer: being a Disavowment of a late Paper, entituled ‘The Doubtfull Almanack’ [prose], lately published in the name of the said Major Wither (1646)
• What Peace to the Wicked? (1646)
• Prosopopœia Britanica: Britain's Genius, or Good-Angel, Personated; reasoning and avissing, touching the Games now playing, and the Adventures now at hazard in these Islands; and presaging also some future things not unlikely to come to passe (1648)
• Carmen Expostulatorium: or a timely Expostulation with those, both of the City of London and the present Armie, who have either endeavoured to engage these Kingdomes in a Second Warre, or neglected the prevention thereof (1647)
• Amygdala Britannica: Almonds for Parrets; a dish of stone fruit: partly shel'd and partly unshel'd (1647)
• A Single Siquis, And a quadruple Quere (1648)
• The Tired Petitioner (1648)
• Verses presented to several Members of the House of Commons, repairing thither the 23rd of December 1648 … with an imprinted petitioner therto annexed (1648)
• The true state of the case betwixt the King and Parliament (1648)
• The Prophetical Trumpeter Sounding an Allarum to Britaine (n.d.)
• Carmen Eucharisticon (1649)
• Vaticinium Votivum, Or Palæmons Prophetick Prayer. Lately Presented Privately to His now Majestie in a Latin Poem; and here Published in English; Trajecti. Anno Caroli Martyris primo [1649]
• Respublica Anglicana (1650)
• A Timelie Cavtion, comprehended in thirty-seven Double Trimeters, occasioned by a late rumour of an intention suddenly to adjourn this Parliament, and superscribed to those whome it most concernes. September 10, 1652
• Three Grains of Spiritual Frankincense (1651)
• The British Appeals, with Gods Mercifull Replies (1651)
• Westrow Reviv'd (1653)
• The Modern States-man (1653)
• The Protector. A poem (1655)
• Vaticinium Causuale: a rapture occasioned by the late miraculous Deliverance of his Highnesse the Lord Protector from a desperate danger, a poem (1656)
• Boni Ominis Votum (1656)
• A Cause allegorically stated (1657)
• A Sudden Flash … by Britains Remembrancer (1657)
• A private Address to the said Oliver (1657–8)
• A Thankful Retribution (1649)
• Petition and Narrative of George Wither, Esq. (1658?)
• Epistolicum-Vagum-Prosa-Metricum (1659).
• A Cordial of Confection (1659)
• Salt upon Salt, a poem on Cromwell's death (1659)
• Fides Anglicana (1660)
• Furor Poeticus (1660)
• Speculum Speculativum (1660)
• Vox Vulgi. Being a welcome home from the Counties, Citties, and Burroughs, to their prevaricating Members: saving the honour of the House of Commons, and of every faithfull and discreet individual Member thereof (1880)
• An Improvement … evidenced in Crums and Scraps (1661)
• A Proclamation, in the name of the King of Kings, to all the Inhabitants of the Isles of Great Britain. … Whereto are added some Fragments of the same Author's omitted in the first impression of the booke intitled “Scraps and Crums” (1662)
• Paralellogrammaton: an Epistle to the three Nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Whereby their sins being parallel'd with those of Judah and Israel, they are forewarned and exhorted to a timely repentance (1662)
• Verses intended to the King's Majesty. By Major George Wither, whist [sic] he was prisoner in Newgate (1662)
• Tuba Pacifica: Seasonable Præcautions, whereby is sounded forth a Retreat from the War intended between England and the United Provinces of Lower Germany. … Imprinted for the Author, and are to be disposed of rather for Love than Money (1664)
• Memorandum to London occasioned by the Pestilence,’ 1665, with a ‘Warning piece to London (1665)
• Meditations upon the Lord's Prayer, with a Preparatory Preamble to the Right Understanding and True Use of this Pattern (1665)
• Three Private Meditations, for the most part of Publick Concernment (1666)
• Sighs for the Pitchers: Breathed out in a Personal Contribution to the National Humiliation, the last day of May 1666, in the Cities of London and Westminster, upon the near approaching engagement then expected between the English and Dutch Navies (1666)
• Fragmenta Poetica (1666)

Individual poems

• Prelude.
• A Poet's Home
• Her Beauty
• Rhomboidal Dirge
• Song: "Lordly gallants!"
• Song: "Shall I, wasting in despair."
• "Amarillis I Did Woo"
• Sonnet: On a Stolen Kiss
• A Christmas Carol
• A Rocking Hymn
• The Marigold
• Sonnet: On the Death of Prince Henry
• From a Satire written to King James I

Anthologized:

• In Poems and Extracts by William Wordsworth (1905):

  On his Muse

  From "The Mistress of Philarete"

Works about Wither

• "Wither, George," in A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature, by John William Cousin, London: J. M. Dent & Sons (1910)
• "Wither, George," in Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, London: Smith, Elder, & Co. (1885–1900) in 63 vols.
• "Wither, George," in Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed., 1911)