Now, Now, The Mirth Comes - The Hymns and Carols of Christmas

“Now, Now The Mirth Comes”
Keeps the sleeping child from harms.
It has been written that many of his poems reflect a Carpe Diem (“Seize The Day!”)
philosophy. One poem that would represent this would be “To Be Merry:”
Lets now take our time;
While w'are in our Prime;
And old, old Age is a farre off:
For the evill evill dayes
Will come on apace;
Before we can be aware of.
But as would be the case of many, the English Civil War took its toll on Herrick, a
Royalist. In Hesperides, we find many poems dedicated to Charles the King and Charles the
Prince:
T O T H E K I N G,
Upon his taking of Leicester.
This Day is Yours, Great CHARLES! and in this War
Your Fate, and Ours, alike Victorious are.
In her white Stole; now Victory do's rest
Enspher'd with Palm on Your Triumphant Crest.
Fortune is now Your Captive; other Kings
Hold but her hands; You hold both hands and wings.
It is said that he refused to signed the pledge to the Solemn League and Covenant, and
as a result, he was removed from his post as vicar in 1648.
On leaving Dean Prior — deeply regretted by his parishioners, who styled him their
"ancient and famous poet" — Herrick moved to London, where he settled down at his
"beloved Westminster." This removal, however, was clearly a troubling event in the life of the
57-year-old vicar, as evidence by poems found in the Appendix under the heading, “On his
expulsion from Dean Prior.”
He considered that his reputation rested on his Hesperides, a collection of lyric poetry,
and the much shorter His Noble Numbers, spiritual works, published together in 1648. He
wrote:
Live by thy Muse thou shalt; when others die
Leaving no Fame to long Posterity:
When Monarchies trans-shifted are, and gone;
Here shall endure thy vast Dominion.
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