Birth date: 
1605
Death date: 
1654
Birth town: 
Country: 
England

William Habington was born at Hindlip, Worcestershire in 1605, and educated at Saint-Omer and Paris. He married Lucy, daughter of William Herbert, Baron Powis, and a year or two after his marriage, in 1634, issued his well-known "Castara" (see Arber's English Reprints, 1870), a series of poems addressed mainly to his wife.

In 1635 and 1640 second and third enlarged editions of the book appeared respectively. The poems are mostly short, many of them sonnets, and interspersed are several of the prose characters fashionable at the time. A few verses are addressed to friends, including Ben Jonson. The poetry of "Castara" has been said to show a peculiarly refined and pure imagination; skilful, melodious and containing many beautiful passages. It displays some of the so-called "metaphysical" qualities which pervaded most 'Caroline' verse.

In 1640, he published a romantic tragedy, the "Queen of Arragon", which attracted interest because of passages illustrating an independence of mind upon certain social and political questions. It was acted at Court, and after the revival of the Restoration. In the same year, Thomas a prose "History of Edward IV", reprinted in Kennet's "Complete History of England" (London, 1706) and stated to have been written and published at the desire of King Charles I.

In 1641 followed "Observations upon History", a series of prose pieces depicting great events in Europe, "such as" (he says) "impressed me in the reading and make the imagination stand amazed at the vicissitude of time and fortune". Professor Saintsbury remarks of Habington that "he is creditably distinguished from his contemporaries by a very strict and remarkable decency of thought and language".

Poems by this Poet

Displaying 31 - 40 of 156
Poemsort descending Post date Rating Comments
Laudate Dominum De Caelis 19 May 2014
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)
0
Loves Aniversarie To the Sunne 19 May 2014
4
Average: 4 (1 vote)
0
Militia Est Vita Hominis 19 May 2014
4
Average: 4 (1 vote)
0
Non Nobis Domine 19 May 2014
4
Average: 4 (1 vote)
0
Nox Nocti Indicat Scientiam 31 July 2013
0
No votes yet
0
Nox Nocti Indicat Scientiam 29 November 2013
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)
0
On Castaraes Sittinge on Primrose Banks 5 September 2014
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)
0
On Master John Fletchers Dramaticall Poems 5 September 2014
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)
0
On the Death of the Right Honourable, George Earle of S 19 May 2014
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)
0
Paucitatem Dierum Meorum Nuncia Mihi 19 May 2014
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)
0

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