WITHER, with'er, or WITHERS, George, English poet and pamphleteer: b. Bentworth, near Alton, Hampshire, 11 June 1588; d. Lon don, 2 May 1667. He studied at Magdalen Col lege, Oxford (1604-06), but did not obtain a degree, and a few years later he went to Lon don to study law. He devoted much atten tion to literature, and proved his skill in satiric verse by being thrown into the Marshalsea for his 'Abuses Stript and Whipt' (1613). While there imprisoned he wrote busily, and is said to have composed there several of his best poems, among them 'The Shepherd's Hunting' (1615), a continuation of 'The Shepherd's Pipe' (1614) of William Browne (q.v.). After his release he entered Lincoln's Inn, in 1615. About this same time he wrote the love 'Fiddia.' In 1621 some official' persons thought reflections against the state and leading poli ticians were to be detected in 'Wither's Nec Habeo, Nec Careo, Nec Curo' (1621), and again the author was ordered to the Marshal sea, though soon liberated. After 1622 he wrote uothing, save 'Hallelujah' (1641), a collection of religious verse, that in critical estimation attained the rank of earlier work. He became a Puritan, and wrote largely for the furtherance of the political and religious cause with which he was identified. At the revolution, he re cruited (1642) a troop of horse for Parliament, and was made captain and the commander of Farnham Castle. When taken by Royalists and in danger of capital punishment, he was re leased through the interference of Sir John Denham (q.v.), who protested that •so long as
\Vither used be (Denham) would not be ac counted the worst poet in England" He was promoted may.r, made a commissioner for the sale of the kng's goods, and (1655) became a clerk in the statute-office oi the court of chan cery. For his ' Vox Vulgt.' a poem dissuading from the restoration which remained in manu script until printed by Macray in 'Artecdota Bodleiana' (1880), he was committed to New gate in 160) and imprisoned there until re leased in 1663 under bond for good behavior 'Fragmenta Poetica' (1666; reprinted as 'Frag menta 1669) was his last work. For some time subsequent to his death he was considered a rimer of no merit, was omitted from collections of English poetry, and in cluded in the 'Dunciad' as •wretched Withers* But Ellis praised him in 'Specimens of the Early English Poets' (1790), and others, in cluding Sir S. E.. Brydges by various reprints and Lamb by the essay 'The Poetical Works of George Wither' (Lamb's 'Works,' 1818, new ed., New York 1903) obtained for him suitable recognition. His reputation is based chiefly on his earlier work. The greater part of his writings was printed by the Spenser Society (20 vols., 1870-83). Consult besides the books already mentioned Ward's 'Eng lish Poets' (Vol. II, 1880); and Sidgwick, F. (ed.), 'The Poetry of George Wither' (Lon don 1902).