Hesperides of ROBERT HERRICK

Aug 21, 2026

Robert Herrick’s Hesperides presents a collection of lyric poetry shaped by both earthly feeling and sacred inspiration. The introduction traces Herrick’s family background, his baptism in 1591, the circumstances of his father’s death, and the posthumous inheritance that formed his early life. It also follows his education and training as a goldsmith, his later study at St John’s College and Trinity Hall, his connections within the poetic circle around Ben Jonson, and the shift toward taking orders after Cambridge.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages328

Reading Time8 h 25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Robert Herrick’s family background

Education and early training

Relationship with Ben Jonson and poetic circle

Taking orders and later path

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MORLEY'S UNIVERSAL LIBRARY.

I.SHERIDAN'S PLAYS.

2.PLAYS FROM MOLIERE.By English Dramatists.

3.MARLOWE’S FAUSTUS AND GOETHE'S FAUST.

4.CHRONICLE OF THE CID.

5.RABELAIS'GARGANTUA,AND THE HEROIC DEEDSOF PANTAGRUEL.

6.THE PRINCE.By Machiavelli.

7.BACON'S ESSAYS.

8.DE FOE’S JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR.

9.LOCKE ON TOLERATION AND ON CIVIL GOVERN-MENT;WITH SIR ROBERT FILMER'S PATRIARCHA.1o.BUTLER'S ANALOGY OF RELIGION.II.DRYDEN’S VIRGIL.

【2.SIR WALTER SCOTT’S DEMONOLOGY ANDWITCHCRAFT.

13.HERRICK'S HESPERIDES.

I4.COLERIDGE'S TABLE TALK:WITH THE ANCIENTMARINER AND CHRISTABEL.

15.BOCCACCIO'S DECAMERON.

I6.STERNE'S TRISTRAM SHANDY.

17.HOMER’S ILIAD,Translated by George Chapman.

18.MEDIEVAL TALES.

I9.JOHNSON'S RASSELAS;AND VOLTAIRE'S CANDIDE.

20.PLAYS AND POEMS BY BEN JONSON.2I.HOBBES'S LEVIATHAN.

22.BUTLER’S HUDIBRAS.

MORLEY'S UNIVERSAL LIBRARY.

23.IDEAL COMMONWEALTHS:MORE’S UTOPIA;BACON'S NEW ATLANTIS;AND CAMPANELLA'SCITY OF THE SUN.

24.CAVENDISH'S LIFE OF WOLSEY.

25 and 26.DON QUIXOTE(Two Volumes).

27.BURLESQUE PLAYS AND POEMS.

28.DANTE'S DIVINE COMEDY.Longfellow's Translation.

29.GOLDSMITH'S.VICAR OF WAKEFIELD,PLAYS,AND POEMS.

30.FABLES AND PROVERBS FROM THE SANSKRIT.

31.CHARLES LAMB'S ESSAYS OF ELIA.

32.THE HISTORY OF THOMAS ELLWOOD,Written byHimself.

33.EMERSON’S ESSAYS,REPRESENTATIVE MEN,ANDSOCIETY AND SOLITUDE.

34.SOUTHEY’S LIFE OF NELSON.

35.DE QUINCEY'S OPIUM EATER,SHAKSPEARE,GOETHE.

36.STORIES OF IRELAND.By Maria Edgeworth.

37.THE PLAYS OF ARISTOPHANES,Translated by Frere.

38.SPEECHES AND LETTERS.By Edmund Burke.

39.THOMAS A KEMPIS'IMITATION OF CHRIST.

40.POPULAR SONGS 0F IRELAND,Collected by

Thomas Crofton Croker.

41.THE PLAYS OF ESCHYLUS,Translated by R.Potter.

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HESPERIDES

Works both Human and Divine

ROBERT HERRICK

IVI7II AN INTRODUCTION BY IENRY MORLEY

L1..D.,PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH L1TERATURE ATtsIVERSITY cOLLEGE,LOsDON

SECOND EDITION

———

LONDON

GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS

BROADWAY,LUDGAIE HILLNEW yORK:9 LAFAYETTE PLACE

| MORLEY'S UNIVERSAL LIBRARY.
一：
VOLUMES ALREADY PUDLISHED.
SIIERIDAN'S PLAYS.
PLAYS FRO.11 MOLIERE.By English Dramatists.
A/.ARLOWES FAUSTUS sGOETHE'S FAUST.
CHRO.NTCLE UF THE CID.
AABEL1/S"G1RG11rU4 .lh HERQ/C
DEEDS OF PAVTAGRUEL.
THE PRINCE.By MACItAVELLI.
B.ACO.V'S ESSAYS.
DEFOE's yOURNAL.OF THE PLAGUE YEAR.
L.OCKE OV CIVILGOI'ERN:1/EVTFILAER'S
"PATRIARCHA."
sCOTT'S DE.1/ONOLOG】'and 1V7TCHCRAFT.
DRTDE¹”S 17RGIL.
BUTLER'S ANALOGI OF RELIGION:
HERRICK”S IES7ERIDES.
COL.ERIDGES TABLE-TALK.
LOCCAC℃IO'S DEC4.1/ERON.
STER.NE:"S TRISTR1/SILANDY.
CIPHA”S stoER⁹1LLAD.
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INTRODUCTION.

-1 1-一

ROBERT HERRICK—whose nanc was written also Hcarickc,Heyricke,Eyrick,and Erick—belonged to a Leicestershirefamily,out of which came in aftcr ycars thc Abigail Erick,whowas mother to Jonathan Swift.The poct's father,NicholasHerrick,was a goldsmith in Cheapsidc,who in 1582 married aJulian Stone and had sevcn children,of whon Robert,theyoungest,was baptized on the 24th of August,1591.

In November,1592,Nicholas Herrick,being sick in body,made lis will,and within a day afterwards fcll or threw himsclffrom a window of his housc in Cheapside and was killed.Dr.Fletcher,Bishop of Iristol,fatlicr of John Flctcher the poet,claimed,as High Almoncr,the goodls lcft by the dead nnan.He claimed them i s goods and chattels of a suicide,butaccepted upon arbitration an award of [220.In the followingyear a posthumous child was born to Mrs.Herrick.He wasnamcd William,after the uncle who acted as guardian to thechildren.The father's possessions realizcd for t

FAQs

What was Robert Herrick's family background and what happened to his father?

Herrick hailed from a Leicestershire family. His father, Nicholas Herrick, married Julian Stone in 1582 and later died in 1592 after accidentally falling from a window. The text also notes that relevant parties arbitrated and issued a ruling regarding disputes over the deceased's estate.

What were the main stages of Herrick's education and early experiences?

At around age 16, he was sent to apprentice as a goldsmith under his uncle William, but he later abandoned commercial pursuits to continue his studies at St John's College, Cambridge. He subsequently graduated from Trinity Hall and earned his degree in 1620.

How is Herrick's relationship with Ben Jonson presented in the text?

The text emphasizes that Herrick was regarded as a natural lyric poet associated with the young wits gathered around Ben Jonson. Driven by genuine reverence, he created 'miniature shrines' for Ben Jonson in his poetry, reflecting his long-standing admiration.

Aug 21, 2026

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