John Ruskin, from Two Letters, ‘Modern Painters', and ‘Praeterita' 1840 ff

Ruskin’s earliest remark on Herbert was ventured in a letter in 1840: ‘I admire George Herbert’, he wrote then, ‘above everything’ (see further above, p. 21). Thereafter to the end of his life he cited the poet repeatedly, even as he attempted several eloquent judgments of which these four may be regarded as representative.