Courtier, Scholar, and Man of the Sword : Lord Herbert of Cherbury and His World

Lord Herbert of Cherbury was a flamboyant Stuart courtier, soldier, and diplomat who acquired a reputation for duelling and extravagance but also numbered among the leading intellectuals of his generation. He travelled widely in Britain and Europe, enjoyed the patronage of princely rulers and their consorts, acquired celebrity as the embodiment of chivalric values, and defended European Protestantism on the battlefield and in diplomatic exchanges. As a scholar and author of De veritate and The Life and Raigne of King Henry the Eighth , he commanded respect in the European Republic of Letters and accumulated a much-admired library. As a courtier, he penned poetry and exchanged verses with John Donne and Ben Jonson, compiled a famous lute-book, wrote a widely-read autobiography, commissioned exquisite portraits by leading court artists, and built an impressive country house. Herbert was an enigmatic Janus figure who cherished the masculine values and martial lifestyle of his ancestors but embraced the Renaissance scholarship and civility of the early modern court and anticipated the intellectual and theological liberalism of the Enlightenment. His life and writings provide a unique window into the aristocratic world and cultural mindset of the early seventeenth century and the outbreak and impact of the Thirty Years War and British Civil Wars. This volume examines his career, life-style, political allegiances, religious beliefs, and scholarship within their British and European contexts, challenges the reputation he has acquired as a dilettante scholar, boastful auto-biographer, royalist turncoat and early deist, and offers a new assessment of his life and achievement. Lord Herbert of Cherbury (1582–1648) was a flamboyant Stuart courtier, county governor, soldier, and diplomat who acquired a reputation for duelling and extravagant display but also numbered among the leading intellectuals of his generation. He travelled widely in the British Isles and Europe, enjoyed the patronage of princely rulers and their consorts, acquired celebrity as the embodiment of chivalric values, and defended European Protestantism on the battlefield and in diplomatic exchanges. As a scholar and author of De veritate and The Life and Raigne of King Henry the Eighth, he commanded respect in the European Republic of Letters and accumulated a substantial library. As a courtier, he penned poetry and exchanged verses with John Donne and Ben Jonson, compiled a famous lute-book, wrote an autobiography, commissioned portraits, and built a new country house. Herbert was a Janus figure who cherished the masculine values and martial lifestyle of his ancestors but embraced the Renaissance scholarship and civility of the early modern court and anticipated the intellectual and theological liberalism of the Enlightenment. His life and writings provide a unique window into the aristocratic world and cultural mindset of the early seventeenth century and into the outbreak and impact of the Thirty Years War and British Civil Wars. This book examines his career, lifestyle, political allegiances, religious beliefs, and scholarship within their contemporary European context, challenges the reputation he has acquired as a dilettante scholar, boastful autobiographer, royalist turncoat, and early deist, and offers a new assessment of his life and achievement. Cover 1 Title_Pages 2 Dedication 6 Preface 8 Contents 10 List of Figures 12 List of Genealogical Tables 14 List of Abbreviations 16 Note on the Text 18 Introduction 20 GREAT EXP ECTATIONS 36 1. A Promising Youth 38 2. Chafing at the Bit 53 COURTLY ADVENTURE S 74 3. French Leave 76 4. Courtier and Swordsman 92 5. Citizen of the World 119 DIPLOMATIC INTE RVENTIONS 140 6. Changing Times 142 7. My Lord, the Ambassador 160 8. The Fickleness of Princes 189 INTELLECTUAL OCCUPATIONS 214 9. Intellectual Ambitions and Interests 216 10. Philosopher and Theologian 238 11. Royal Historian 261 12. Musician and Poet 282 COURT AND COUNTRY 302 13. Noble Preoccupations 304 14. ‘Treacherous Herbert’ or Man of Honour? 330 Epilogue: Herbert’s Legacy 357 Bibliography 366 Index 386 Lord Herbert of Cherbury was a flamboyant Stuart courtier, soldier, and diplomat, known for his duelling and extravagance but also for his great intellect. His life and writings offer a unique window into the aristocratic world and culture of the early seventeenth century and the outbreak and impact of the Thirty Years War and British Civil Wars.