pt and Whipt_, one of the general and rather
artificial satires not unfashionable at the time. For this, although the
book has no direct personal reference that can be discovered, he was
imprisoned in the Marshalsea; and there wrote the charming poem of _The
Shepherd's Hunting_, 1615, and probably also _Fidelia_, an address from a
faithful nymph to an inconstant swain, which, though inferior to _The
Shepherd's Hunting_ and to _Philarete_ in the highest poetical worth, is a
signal example of Wither's copious and brightly-coloured style. Three years
later came the curious personal poem of the _Motto_, and in 1622
_Philarete_ itself, which was followed in the very next year by the _Hymns
and Songs of the Church_. Although Wither lived until 2d May 1667, and was
constantly active with his pen, his _Hallelujah_, 1641, another book of
sacred verse, is the only production of his that has received or that
deserves much praise. The last thirty years of his long life were eventful
and unfortunate. After being a somewhat fervent Royalist, he suddenly
changed his creed at the outbreak of the great rebellion, sold his estate
to raise men for the Parliament, and was active in its cause with pen as
well as with sword. Naturally he got into trouble at the Restoration (as he
had previously done with Cromwell), and was imprisoned again, though after
a time he was released. At an earlier period he had been in difficulties
with the Stationers' Company on the subject of a royal patent which he had
received from James, and which was afterwards (though still fruitlessly)
confirmed by Charles, for his _Hymns_. Indeed, Wither, though a man of very
high character, seems to have had all his life what men of high character
not unfrequently have, a certain facility for getting into what is vulgarly
called hot-water.

The defect in his work, which has been referred to above, and which is
somewhat passed over in the criticisms of Lamb and others, is its amazing
inequality. This is the more remarkable in that evidence exists of not
infrequent retouching on his part with the rather unusual result of
improvement--a fact which would seem to show that he possessed some
critical faculty. Such possession, however, seems on the other hand to be
quite incompatible with the production of the hopeless doggerel which he
not infrequently signs. The felicity of language and the command of
rhythmical effect which he constantly displays, are extraordinary, as for
ins