George Wither in Durham, 1628–32

Gates talks about George Wither. In his satirical poem, John Taylor, the Water Poet, attacks George Wither, accusing him of having defrauded Dr John Howson, bishop of Durham 1628-32, of £500 when he was the bishop's steward. Taylor's poem was printed in the fourth yeare of the Great Rebellion, some twelve or thirteen years after the death of the bishop in Feb 1632. Taylor, a staunch Royalist, makes it clear that it was Wither's support for the Parliamentary cause which provoked his attack. Given the explicit nature and severity of Taylor's accusation, it is perhaps surprising that none of George Wither's biographers have found any evidence to substantiate the charge.