William Jerdan, from His Introduction to ‘the Works of the Rev. George Herbert' 1853

Of three major editions of Herbert’s poetry published halfway through the nineteenth century, none deviated from a Waltonesque emphasis on Herbert’s didactic aspects. The first of these editions, prepared by the journalist William Jerdan, proclaims the common thrust in its opening sentence. But Herbert’s literary merit, it will be observed, is being increasingly commended too. See also above, p. 24.

Source: Jerdan, from the Introduction to ‘The Works of the Rev. George Herbert’ (1853), pp. iii–iv and ix–xxx.