If you meet George Herbert..........

"If you meet George Herbert on the Road, kill him": 

 Here follows a reaction to Justin Lewis-Anthony's excellent book.

    No! Say, "I am going fishing!"                                                                           There's much to learn.

Across the years, there’s you and I, 

Simon, Andrew and the Sons of Thunder  

With George comes John Donne, Izaak,  

the Ferrar boy, young Thomas and his sister.* 

This is, “The contemplative man’s recreation.”

Well said Izaak! What do you think George?

      "Me? A failed courtier? Failed academic?                                          

                           With failing health?

God’s a fisherman. Listen:

When God at first made man,

Having a glass of blessings standing by,

“Let us,” said he, “pour on him all we can.

Let the world’s riches, which dispersèd lie,

Contract into a span.”

So strength first made a way;

Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure.

When almost all was out, God made a stay,

Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,

Rest in the bottom lay.

“For if I should,” said he,

“Bestow this jewel also on my creature,

He would adore my gifts instead of me,

And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;

So both should losers be.

“Yet let him keep the rest,

But keep them with repining restlessness;

Let him be rich and weary, that at least,

If goodness lead him not, yet weariness

May toss him to my breast.”

                      

* Izaak Walton, author of the Complete Angler was a fishing chum of Nicholas Ferrar, John Donne and George Herbert. Izaak was Herbert's biographer, husband to Thomas Ken's elder half sister, Anne (Kenna in the Angler's Wish) Walton was guardian to the younger Thomas Ken. They along, with the fishermen Peter, James, John and Andrew and you (?) and I are invited to be friends with Jesus of Nazareth.