Aurelian Townshend Poems, Born around 1583 in the town of Dereham Abbey in the heart of Norfolk, Aurelian Townshend was noted for his plays and poetry and was a later influence on 20th Century writers such as T S Eliot. Not much is known for certain of his early life, including his exact date of birth, but Townshend was thought to be one of two children born to John Townshend.
Aurelian Townshend Bio
He was from a reasonably well-off family as one of his cousins was Sir Roger Townshend who was noted for fighting during the Armada in 1588 where he received his knighthood. Another relative was the historian Heyward Townshend who was also a Member of Parliament in Shropshire for some time.
Although it is not certain how, Townshend managed to accrue a number of debts and the next we hear of him, he is appearing before Parliament asking help to ward off his creditors. He was also struck down by a disease though few details are known beyond that he was ‘suffering from the pox’.
By the time that the English Civil War began in 1642, Townshend was already in his sixties and plagued with ill health. Townshend died a few short months after the king, Charles I, was beheaded in 1649.
Aurelian Townshend Poems
Kind and True
Nor yet how beautiful she be,
But how much kind and true to me.
Freedom and wit none can confine
And beauty like the sun doth shine,
But kind and true are only mine.
Let others with attention sit
To listen, and admire her wit,
That is a rock where I’ll not split.
Let others dote upon her eyes
And burn their hearts for sacrifice,
Beauty’s a calm where danger lies.
But kind and true have been long tried
A harbour where we may confide,
And safely there at anchor ride.
From change of winds there we are free
And need not fear storms’ tyranny,
Nor pirate though a prince he be.
