I have added a new post to the Copy Book, A Well-Tuned Heart.
It is an anecdote from a biography of George Herbert written by Izaak Walton, who is better known today for his Compleat Angler (1653), a classic of English literature. George Herbert (1593-1633) was a Welshman, well-connected and educated as a gentleman, who surprised many of his friends by taking orders, and in 1630 surprised them even more by accepting a post as a country clergyman in the obscure parish of Bemerton near Salisbury. He appears to have devoted himself selflessly to his parishioners and to have been much loved in return, but after barely three years Herbert died. He left behind a large body of poetry and prose of enduring popularity.
The title of this extract comes from Ye holy angels bright, a hymn written in 1681 by Richard Baxter (1615-1691).
My soul, bear thou thy part,
Triumph in God above,
And with a well-tuned heart
Sing thou the songs of love.