George Herbert (April 3, 1593 – March 1, 1633) was an English preacher, poet, and priest whose ministry and writings shaped Anglican devotional life in the 17th century. Born in Montgomery, Wales, to Richard Herbert, a wealthy landowner and member of Parliament, and Magdalen Newport, a cultured patron of poets like John Donne, he was the fifth of ten children in an artistic, noble family. Educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge—where he earned a B.A. in 1613 and an M.A. in 1616—he excelled in Latin, Greek, and music, becoming Public Orator at Cambridge in 1620, a role that brought him favor with King James I and a brief stint in Parliament (1624–1625). Herbert’s preaching career emerged after a shift from secular ambition following King James’s death in 1625. Ordained a deacon in 1626 and a priest in 1630, he served as rector of Fugglestone St Peter and Bemerton, near Salisbury, until his death. His sermons, delivered with heartfelt conviction, reflected his care for parishioners—visiting the sick, aiding the poor, and rebuilding the church with his own funds—earning him the title "Holy Mr. Herbert." His poetry, collected in The Temple (published posthumously in 1633), doubled as sermons in verse, exploring spiritual conflicts and divine love, while his prose work A Priest to the Temple (1652) offered practical guidance for rural clergy. Married to Jane Danvers in 1629, with no children of their own, they adopted three orphaned nieces. Herbert died at age 39 in Bemerton from tuberculosis.