SOURCE: Freeman, Rosemary. Introduction to A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne (1635) by George Wither, pp.vii-xiv. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1975.

In the following introduction, Freeman maintains that Wither found rich meanings in the engravings in his collection and composed verses to accompany and explain them that were well-suited to the emblem form.

George Wither's A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne, was first published in 1635. Evidently the book was a long time a-making. The engravings which Wither expounds were made for and first printed in Nucleus emblematum selectissimorum by Gabriel Rollenhagen (Utrecht, 1611? and 1613).¹ According to Wither's statement (A1^v), a copy of this book came to his hands not long after publication, “almost twentie yeares past.” Then, “for mine owne pleasure,” he wrote “Illustrations” upon a few of them and showed these poems to his friends. The latter “were so much delighted in the Gravers...