Layton Church and his many Acts of mercy to which he made answer saying They be good works if they be sprinkled with the blood of Christ and not otherwise After this Discourse he became more restless and his Soul seem'd to be weary of her earthly Tabernacle and this uneasiness became so visible that his Wife his three Neeces and Mr. Woodnot stood constantly about his Bed beholding him with sorrow and an unwillingness to lose the sight of him whom they could not hope to see much longer As they stood thus beholding him his Wife observ'd him to breath faintly and with much trouble and observ'd him to fall into a sudden Agony which so surpriz'd her that she fell into a sudden passion and requir'd of him to know how he did to which his answer was That he had past a Conflict with his last Enemy and had overcome him by the merits of his Master Jesus After which answer he look'd up and saw his Wife and Neeces weeping to an extremity and charg'd them If they lov'd him to withdraw into the next Room and there pray every one alone for him for nothing but their lamentations could make his death uncomfortable To which request their sighs and tears would not suffer them to make any reply but they yielded him a sad obedience leaving only with him Mr. Woodnot and Mr. Bostock Immediately after they had left him he said to Mr. Bostock Pray Sir open that door then lock into that Cabinet in which you may easily find my last Will and give it into my hand which being done he deliver'd it into the hand of Mr. Woodnot and said My old Friend I here deliver you my last Will in which you will find that I have made you my sole Executor for the good of my Wife and Neeces and I desire you to shew kindness to them as they shall need it I do not desire you to be just for I know you will be so for your own sake but I charge you by the Religion of our friendship to be careful of them And having obtain'd Mr. Woodnots promise to be so he said I am now ready to dye after which words he said Lord grant me mercy for the merits of my Jesus and now Lord receive my Soul And with those words breath'd forth his Divine Soul without any apparent disturbance Mr. Woodnot and Mr. Bostock attending his last breath and closing his eyes Thus he liv'd and thus he dy'd like a Saint unspotted of the World full of Alms-deeds full of Humility and all the examples of vertuous life which I cannot conclude better than with this borrowed observation All must to the cold Graves But the religious actions of the just Smell sweet in death and blossom in the dust Mr. George Herberts have done so to this and will doubtless do so to succeeding Generations FINIS THere is a Debt justly due to the memory of Mr. Herberts vertuous Wife a part of which I will endeavour to pay by a very short account of the remainder of her life which shall follow She continued his disconsolate Widow five years bemoaning her self and complaining That she had lost the delight of her eyes but more that she had lost the spiritual guide for her poor soul and would often say O that I had like holy Mary the Mother of Jesus treasur'd up all his sayings in my heart but since I have not been able to do that I will labour to live like him that where he now is I may be also And she would often say as the Prophet David for his son Absolon O that I had dyed for him Thus she continued mourning till time and conversation had so moderated her sorrows that she became the happy life of Sir Robert Cook of Higham in the County of Gloucester Knight And though he put a high value on the excellent accomplishments of her mind and body and was so like Mr. Herbert as not to govern like a Master but as an affectionate Husband yet she would even to him often take occasion to mention the name of Mr. George Herbert and say That name must live in her memory till she put off mortality By Sir Robert she had only one Child a Daughter whose parts and plentiful estate make her happy in this world and her well using of them gives a fair testimony that she will be so in that which is to come Mrs. Herbert was the Wife of Sir Robert eight years and liv'd his Widow nine all which time she took a pleasure in mentioning and commending the excellencies of Mr. George Herbert She dyed in the year 1663. and lies buried at Higham Mr. Herbert in his own Church under the Altar and cover'd with a Grave-stone without any inscription This Lady Cook had preserv'd many of Mr. Herberts private Writings which she intended to make publick but they and Higham house were burnt together by the late Rebels and by them was also burnt or destroyed a choice Library which Mr. Herbert had fastned with Chains in a sit room in Mountgomery Castle being by him dedicated to the succeeding Herberts that should become the owners of it He dyed without an Enemy if Andrew Melvin dyed before him FINIS LETTERS WRITTEN BY Mr. GEORGE HERBERT At his being in Cambridge With others to his Mother the Lady MAGDALEN HERBERT WRITTEN BY John Donne AFTERWARDS Dean of St. PAULS LONDON Printed by Tho Newcomb for Richard Marriott Sold by most Booksellers M. DC LXX Mr. GEORGE HERBERT to N. F. the TRANSLATOUR of Valdesso MY dear and deserving Brother your Valdesso I now return with many thanks and some notes in which perhaps you will discover some care which I forbear not in the midst of my griefs First for your sake because I would do nothing negligently that you commit unto me Secondly for the Authors â—akâ— whom I conceive to have been a true servant of God and to such and all that is theirs I â—â— dâ—â— gence Thirdly for the Churches sake to â—â— by Printing it I would have you consecrate it You owe the Church a debt and God hath put this into your hands as he sent the Fish with money to St. Peter to discharge it happily also with this as his thoughts are fruitful intending the honour of his servant the Author who being obscured in his own Countrey he would have to flourish in this land of light and region of the Gospel among his chosen It is true there are some things which I like not in him as my fragments will express when you read them nevertheless I wish you by all means to publish it for these three eminent things observable therein First that God in the midst of Popery should open the eyes of one to understand and express so clearly and excellently the intent of the Gospel in the acceptation of Christs righteousness as he sheweth through all his Considerations a thing strangely buried and darkned by the Adversaries and their great stumbling block Secondly the great honour
from a Natural beauty He never failed the Sunday before every Ember-week to give notice of it to his Parishioners perswading them both to fast and then to double their devotions for a learned and pious Clergy but especially the last saying often That the life of a pious Clergy-man was visible Rhetorick and so Convincing that the most Godless men though they would not deny themselves the enjoyment of their present lusts did yet secretly wish themselves like those of the strictest lives And to what he perswaded others he added his own example of Fasting and Prayer and did usually every Ember-week take from the Parish-Clerk the Key of the Church-door into which place he retir'd every day and lockt himself up for many hours and did the like most Frydayes and other dayes of Fasting He would by no means omit the customary time of Procession perswading all both rich and poor if they desired the preservation of Love and their Parish Rights and Liberties to accompany him in his Perambulation and most did so in which Perambulation he would usually express more pleasant Discourse than at other times and would then alwayes drop some loving and facetious observations to be remembred against the next year especially by the boyes and young people still inclining them and all his present Parishioners to meekness and mutual kindnesses and love because Love thinks not evil but covers a multitude of Infirmities He was diligent to inquire who of his Parish were sick or any wayes distrest and would often visit them unsent for supposing that the fittest time to discover those Errors to which health and prosperity had blinded them and having by pious reasons and prayers moulded them into holy resolutions for the time to come he would incline them to confession and bewailing their sins with purpose to forsake them and then to receive the Communion both as a strengthning of those holy resolutions and as a seal betwixt God and them of his Mercies to their Souls in case that present sicknesse did put a period to their lives And as he was thus watchful and charitable to the sick so he was as diligent to prevent Law-sutes still urging his Parishioners and Neighbours to bear with each others infirmities and live in love because as St. John sayes he that lives in love lives in God for God is love And to maintain this holy fire of love constantly burning on the Altar of a pure heart his advice was to watch and pray and alwayes keep themselves fit to receive the Communion and then to receive it often for it was both a confirming and a strengthning of their graces this was his advice And at his entrance or departure out of any house he would usually speak to the whole Family and bless them by name insomuch that as he seem'd in his youth to be taught of God so he seem'd in this place to teach his precepts as Enoch did by walking with him in all holiness and humility making each day a step towards a blessed Eternity And though in this weak and declining Age of the World such Examples are become barren and almost incredible yet let his memory be blest with this true Recordation because he that praises Richard Hooker praises God who hath given such gifts to men and let this humble and affectionate Relation of him become such a pattern as may invite Posterity to imitate his vertues This was his constant behaviour at Borne so he walk't with God thus he did tread in the footsteps of primitive piety and yet as that great example of meekness and purity even our blessed Jesus was not free from false accusations no more was this Disciple of his this most humble most innocent holy man his was a slander parallel to that of chaste Susannah's by the wicked Elders or that against St. Athanasius as it is recorded in his life for that holy man had heretical enemies and which this Age calls Trepanning the particulars need not a repetition and that it was false needs no other Testimony than the publick punishment of his Accusers and their open confession of his Innocency 't was said that the accusation was contrived by a dissenting Brother one that endur'd not Church-Ceremonies hating him for his Books sake which he was not able to answer and his name hath been told me but I have not so much confidence in the relation as to make my Pen fix a scandal on him to posterity I shall rather leave it doubtful till the great day of Revelation But this is certain that he lay under the great charge and the anxiety of this accusation and kept it secret to himself for many months and being a helpless man had lain long under this heavy burthen but that the protector of the innocent gave such an accidental occasion as forced him to make it known to his two dearest friends Edwyn Sandys and George Cranmer who were so sensible of their Tutors sufferings that they gave themselves no rest till by their disquisitions and diligence they had found out the fraud and brought him the welcome News that his Accusers did confess they had wrong'd him and beg'd his pardon To which the good mans reply was to this purpose The Lord forgive them and the Lord bless you for this comfortable News Now I have a just occasion to say with Solomon Friends are born for the dayes of adversity and such you have prov'd to me and to my God I say as did the mother of St. John Baptist Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the day wherein he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men And oh my God neither my life nor my reputation are safe in mine own keeping but in thine who didst take care of me when I yet hanged upon my mothers breast blessed are they that put their trust in thee O Lord for when false Witnesses were risen up against me when shame was ready to cover my face when I was bowed down with an horrible dread and went mourning all the day long when my nights were restless and my sleeps broken with a fear worse than death when my Soul thirsted for a deliverance as the Hart panteth after the rivers of waters then thou Lord didst hear my complaints pity my condition and art now become my deliverer and as long as I live I will hold up my hands in this manner and magnifie thy mercies who didst not give me over as a prey to mine enemies Oh blessed are they that put their trust in thee and no prosperity shall make me forget those dayes of sorrows or to perform those vows that I have made to thee in the dayes of my affliction for with such Sacrifices thou O God art well pleased and I will pay them Thus did the joy and gratitude of this good mans heart break forth and 't is observable that as the invitation to this slander was his meek behaviour and Dove-like simplicity for which he was remarkable so his Christian
this years resolutions he therefore did set down his Rules in that order as the World now sees them printed in a little Book call'd The Countrey Parson in which some of his Rules are The Parsons Knowledge The Parson on Sundayes The Parson Praying The Parson Preaching The Parsons Charity The Parson comforting the Sick The Parson Arguing The Parson Condescending The Parson in his Journey The Parson in his Mirth The Parson with his Church-wardens The Parsons Blessing the People And his behavior toward God and man may be said to be a practical Comment on these and the other holy Rules set down in that useful Book A Book so full of plain prudent and useful Rules that that Countrey Parson that can spare 12 d. and yet wants is scarce excusable because it will both direct him what he is to do and convince him for not having done it At the Death of Mr. Herbert this Book fell into the hands of his friend Mr. Woodnot and he commended it into the trusty hands of Mr. Bar. Oly. who publish't it with a most conscientious and excellent Preface from which I have had some of those Truths that are related in this life of Mr. Herbert The Text for his first Sermon was taken out of Solomons Proverbs and the words were Keep thy heart with all diligence In which first Sermon he gave his Parishioners many necessary holy safe Rules for the discharge of a good Conscience both to God and man And deliver'd his Sermon after a most florid manner both with great learning and eloquence And at the close of his Sermon told them That should not be his constant way of Preaching and that he would not fill their heads with unnecessary Notionsâ— but that for their sakes his language and his expressions should be more plain and practical in his future Sermons And he then made it his humble request That they would be constant to the Afternoons Service and Catechising And shewed them convincing reasons why he desir'd it and his obliging example and perswasions brought them to a willing conformity to his desires The Texts for all his Sermons were constantly taken out of the Gospel for the day and he did as constantly declare why the Church did appoint that portion of Scripture to be that day read And in what manner the Collect for every Sunday does refer to the Gospel or to the Epistle then read to them and that they might pray with understanding he did usually take occasion to explain not only the Collect for every particular day but the reasons of all the other Collects and Responses in our Service and made it appear to them that the whole Service of the Church was a reasonable and therefore an acceptable Sacrifice to God as namely that we begin with Confession of our selves to be vile miserable sinners and that we begin so because till we have confessed our selves to be such we are not capable of that mercy which we acknowledge we need and pray for but having in the prayer of our Lord begg'd pardon for those sins which we have confest And hoping that as the Priest hath declar'd our Absolution so by our publick Confession and real Repentance we have obtain'd that pardon Then we dare proceed to beg of the Lord to open our lips that our mouths may shew forth his praise for till then we are neither able nor worthy to praise him But this being suppos'd we are then fit to say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost and fit to proceed to a further service of our God in the Collects and Psalms and Lands that follow in the Service And as to these Psalms and Lauds he proceeded to inform them why they were so often and some of them daily repeated in our Church-service namely the Psalms every Month because they be an Historical and thankful repetition of mercies past and such a composition of prayers and praises as ought to be repeated often and publickly for with such Sacrifices God is honour'd and well-pleased This for the Psalms And for the Hymns and Lauds appointed to be daily repeated or sung after the first and second Lessons were read to the Congregation he proceeded to inform them that it was most reasonable after they have heard the will and goodness of God declar'd or preach't by the Priest in his reading the two Chapters that it was then a seasonable Duty to rise up and express their gratitude to Almighty God for those his mercies to them and to all Mankind and say with the blessed Virgin That their Souls do magnifie the Lord and that their spirits do also rejoyce in God their Saviour And that it was their Duty also to rejoyce with Simeon in his Song and say with him That their eyes have also seen their salvation for they have seen that salvation which was but prophesied till his time and he then broke out in expressions of joy to see it but they live to see it daily in the History of it and therefore ought daily to rejoyce and daily to offer up their Sacrifices of praise to their God for that and all his mercies A service which is now the constant employment of that blessed Virgin and Simeon and all those blessed Saints that are possest of Heaven and where they are at this time interchangeably and constantly singing Holy Holy Holy Lord God Glory be to God on High and on Earth peace And he taught them that to do this was an acceptable service to God because the Prophet David sayes in his Psalms He that praiseth the Lord honoureth him He made them to understand how happy they be that are freed from the incumbrances of that Law which our Fore-fathers groan'd under namely from the Legal Sacrifices and from the many Ceremonies of the Levitical Law freed from Circumcision and from the strict observation of the Jewish Sabbath and the like And he made them know that having receiv'd so many and so great blessings by being born since the dayes of our Saviour it must be an acceptable Sacrifice to Almighty God for them to acknowledge those blessings and stand up and worship and say as Zacharias did Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath in our dayes visited and redeemed his people and he hath in our dayes remembred and shewed that mercy which by the mouth of the Prophets he promised to our Fore-fathers and this he hath done according to his holy Covenant made with them And we live to see and enjoy the benefit of it in his Birth in his Life his Passion his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven where he now sits sensible of all our temptations and infirmities and where he is at this present time making intercession for us to his and our Father and therefore they ought daily to express their publick gratulations and say daily with Zacharias Blessed be that Lord God of Israel that hath thus visited and thus redeemed his people These
judged to hold proportion with many who had made that study the employment of their whole life Sir Francis being dead and that happy family dissolved Mr. Donne took for himself an house in Micham near to Croydon in Surrey a place noted for good air and choice company there his wife and children remained and for himself he took lodgings in London near to White-Hall whither his friends and occasions drew him very often and where he was as often visited by many of the Nobility and others of this Nation who used him in their Counsels of greatest consideration Nor did our own Nobility onely value and favour him but his acquaintance and friendship was sought for by most Ambassadours of forraign Nations and by many other strangers whose learning or business occasioned their stay in this Nation He was much importuned by many friends to make his constant residence in London but he still denyed it having setled his dear wife and children at Micham and near some friends that were bountiful to them and him for they God knows needed it and that you may the better now judge of the then present Condition of his minde and fortune I shall present you with an extract collected out of some few of his many Letters And the reason why I did not send an answer to your last weeks letter was because it found me under too great a sadness and at present 't is thus with me There is not one person but my self well of my family I have already lost half a Child and with that mischance of hers my wife is fallen into such a discomposure as would afflict her too extremely but that the sickness of all her children stupifies her of one of which in good faith I have not much hope and these meet with a fortune so ill provided for Physick and such relief that if God should ease us with burtals I know not how to perfome even that but I flatter my self with this hope that I am dying too for I cannot waste faster then by such griefs As for Aug. 10. From my hospital at Micham JOHN DONNE Thus he did bemoan himself And thus in other letters For we hardly discover a sin when it is but an omission of some good and no accusing act with this or the former I have often suspected my self to be overtaken which is with an over earnest desire of the next life and though I know it is not mearly a weariness of this because I had the same desire when I went with the tide and injoyed fairer hopes then I now doe yet I doubt worldly troubles have increased it 't is now Spring and all the pleasures of it displease me every other tree blossoms and I wither I grow older and not better my strength deminisheth and my lode grows heavier and yet I would fain be or do something but that I cannot tell what is no wonder in this time of my sadness for to chuse is to do but to be no part of my body is as to be nothing and so I am and shall so judge my self unless I could be so incorporated into a part of the world as by business to contribute some sustentation to the whole This I made account I began early when I understood the study of our Laws but was diverted by leaving that and imbracing the worst voluptuousness an hydroptique immoderate desire of humane learning and languages Beautiful ornaments indeed to men of great fortunes but mine was grown so low as to need an occupation which I thought I entered well into it when I subjected my self to such a service as I thought might exercise my poor abilities and there I stumbled and fell too and now I am become so little or such a nothing that I am not a subject good enough for one of my own letters I fear my present discontent does not proceed from a good root that I am so well content to be nothing that is dead But Sir though my fortune hath made me such as that I am rather a Sickness or a Disease of the world than any part of it and therefore neither love it nor life yet I would gladly live to become some such thing as you should not repent loving me Sir your own Soul cannot be more zealous of your good then I am and God who loves that zeal in me will not suffer you to doubt it you would pity me now if you saw me write for my pain hath drawn my head so much awry and holds it so that my eye cannot follow my pen. I therefore receive you into my Prayers with mine own weary soul and Commend my self to yours I doubt not but next week will bring you good news for I have either mending or dying on my side but If I do continue longer thus I shall have Comfort in this That my blessed Saviour in exercising his Justice upon my two worldly parts my Fortune and my Body reserves all his Mercy for that which most needs it my Soul that is I doubt too like a Porter which is very often near the gate and yet goes not out Sir I profess to you truly that my lothness to give over writing now seems to my self a sign that I shall write no more Sept. 7. Your poor friend and Gods poor patient JOHN DONNE By this you have seen a part of the picture of his narrow fortune and the perplexities of his generous minde and thus it continued with him for about two years all which time his family remained constantly at Micham and to which place he often retir'd himself and destined some dayes to a constant study of some points of Controversy betwixt the English and Roman Church and especially those of Supremacy and Allegiance and to that place and such studies he could willingly have wedded himself during his life but the earnest perswasion of friends became at last to be so powerful as to cause the removal of himself and family to London where Sir Robert Drewry a Gentleman of very noble estate and a more liberal mind assigned him a very choice and useful house rent-free next to his own in Drewry-lane and was also a cherisher of his studies and such a friend as sympathized with him and his in all their joy and sorrows Many of the Nobility were watchful and solicitous to the King for some secular preferment for him His Majesty had formerly both known and put a value upon his company and had also given him some hopes of a State-employment being alwayes much pleased when Mr. Donne attended him especially at his meals where there were usually many deep discourses of general learning and very often friendly debates or disputes of Religion betwixt his Majesty and those Divines whose places required their attendance on him at those times particularly the Dean of the Chappel who then was Bishop Montague the publisher of the learned and eloquent Works of his Majesty and the most reverend Doctor Andrews the late learned Bishop of
known that it was he that sent it and he lived to see as lively a representation of his dead Friend as Marble can express a Statue indeed so like Dr. Donne that as his Friend Sir Henry Wotton hath expressed himself it seems to breath faintly and Posterity shall look upon it as a kind of artificial Miracle He was of Stature moderately tall of a strait and equally proportioned body to which all his words and actions gave an unexpressible addition of Comeliness The melancholy and pleasant humor were in him so contempered that each gave advantage to the other and made his Company one of the delights of Mankind His fancy was unimitably high equalled onely by his great wit both being made useful by a commanding judgement His aspect was chearful and such as gave a silent testimony of a clear knowing soul and of a Conscience at peace with it self His melting eye shewed that he had a soft heart full of noble compassion of too brave a soul to offer injuries and too much a Christian not to pardon them in others He did much contemplate especially after he entred into his Sacred Calling the mercies of Almighty God the immortality of the Soul and the joyes of Heaven and would often say Blessed be God that he is God divinely like himself He was by nature highly passionate but more apt to reluct at the excesses of it A great lover of the offices of humanity and of so merciful a spirit that he never beheld the miseries of Mankind without pity and relief He was earnest and unwearied in the search of knowledge with which his vigorous soul is now satisfied and employed in a continual praise of that God that first breathed it into his active body that body which once was a Temple of the Holy Ghost and is now become a small quantity of Christian dust But I shall see it reanimated J. W. An EPITAPH written by Dr. Corbet late Bishop of Oxford on his Friend Dr. Donne HE that wou'd write an Epitaph for thee And write it well must first begin to be Such as thou wert for none can truly know Thy life and worthâ— but he that hath liv'd so He must have wit to spare and to hurle down Enough to keep the Gallants of the Town He must have learning plenty both the Laws Civil and Common to judge any Cause Divinity great store above the rest Noâ— of the last Edition but the best He must have language travel all the Arts Judgement to use or else he wants thy parts He must have friends the highest able to do Such as Mecoenas and Augustus too He must have such a sickness such a death Or else his vain descriptions come beneath He that would write an Epitaph for thee Should first be dead let it alone for me To the Memory of my ever desired Dr. Donne An Elegy by H. King late Bishop of Chicester TO have liv'd eminent in a degree Beyond our loftiest thoughts that is like thee Or t' have had too much merit is not safe For such excesses find no Epitaph At common graves we have poetick eyes Can melt themselves in easie Elegies Each quill can drop his tributary verse And pin it like the hatchments to the herse But at thine Poem or Inscription Rich soul of wit and language we have none Indeed a silence does that Tomb bâ—fit Where is no Herauld left to blazon it Widow'd invention justly doth forbear To come abroad knowing thou art not there Late her great Patron whose prerogative Maintain'd and cloaâ—h'd her so as none alive Must now presume to keep her at thy rate Though he the Indies for her dower estate Or else that awful fire which once did burn In thy clear brain now fallen into thy Urn Lives there to fright rude Empericks from thence Which might profane thee by their Ignorance Whoever writes of thee and in a stile Unworthy such a theme does but revile Thy precious dust and wakes a learned spirit Which may revenge his rapes upon thy merit For all a low-pitch't fancy can devise Will prove at best but hallowed injuries Thou like the dying Swan did'st lately sing Thy mournful dirge in audience of the King When pale looks and faint accents of thy breath Presented so to life that piece of death That it was fear'd and prophesi'd by all Thou thither cam'st to preach thy Funerall Oh hadst thou in an Elegiack knell Rung out unto the World thine own farewell And in thy high victorious numbers beat The solemn measures of thy griev'd retreat Thou might'st the Poets service now have mist As well as then thou didst prevent the Priest And never to the World beholden be So much as for an Epitaph for thee I do not like the office nor is 't fit Thou who didst lend our age such sums of wit Should'st now re-borrow from her bankrupt mine That oare to bury thee which first was thine Rather still leave us in thy debt and know Exalted Soul more glory 't is to owe Thy memory what we can never pay Than with embased Coyn those Rites defray Commit we then thee to thy self nor blame Our drooping loves that thus to thine own fame Leave thee Executor since but thine own No pen could do thee Justice nor bayes Crown Thy vast deserts save that we nothing can Depute to be thy ashes guardian So Jewellers no Art or Metal trust To form the Diamond but the Diamonds dust H. K. An ELEGY on Dr. DONNE OUr Donne is dead and we may sighing say We had that man where language chose to stay And shew her utmost power I wou'd not praise That and his great Wit which in our vain dayes Makes others proud but as these serv'd to unlock That Cabinet his mind where such a stock Of knowledge was repos'd that I lament Our just and general cause of discontent And I rejoyce I am not so severe But as I write a Line to weep a tear For his decease such sad Extremities Can make such men as I write Elegies And wonder not for when so great a loss Falls on a Nation and they slight the Cross God hath rais'd Prophets to awaken them From their dull Lethargy witness my Pen Not us'd to upbraid the World though now it must Freely and boldly for the Cause is just Dull age oh I wou'd spare thee but thou' rt worse Thou art not only dull but hast a Curse Of black Ingratitude if not Couldst thou Part with this matchless man and make no vow For thee and thine successively to pay Some sad remembrance to his dying day Did his Youth scatter Poetry wherein Lay Loves Philosophy Was every sin Pictur'd in his sharp Satyrs made so foul That some have fear'd sins shapes kept their soul Safer by reading Verse Did he give dayes Past marble Monuments to those whose praise He wou'd perpetuate Did he I fear Envy will doubt these at his twentieth year But more matur'd did his rich soul conceive And in harmonious
possest with a high degree of spiritual wickedness I mean with an innate restless pride and malice I do not mean the visible carnal sins of Gluttony and Drunkenness and the like from which good Lord deliver us but sins of a higher nature because they are more unlike God who is the God of love and mercy and order and peace and more like the Devil who is not a Glutton nor can be drunk and yet is a Devil but I mean those spiritual wickednesses of malice and revenge and an opposition to Government Men that joyed to be the Authors of misery which is properly his work that is the enemy and disturber of Mankind and greater sins than Gluttony or Drunkenness though some will not believe it And of this party there were also many whom prejudice and a furious Zeal had so blinded as to make them neither to hear reason nor adhere to the wayes of peace Men that were the dregs of Mankind whom Pride and Self-conceit had made to overvalue their own pitiful crooked wisdom so much as not to be asham'd to hold foolish and unmannerly Disputes against those men whom they ought to reverence and those Laws which they ought to obey Men that labour'd and joyed to find out the faults and to speak evil of Government and then to be the Authors of Confusion Men whom Company and Conversation and Custom had at last so blinded and made so insensible that these were sins that like those that perisht in the gainsaying of Core so these dyed without repenting of these spiritual wickednesses of which the practises of Copinger and Hacket in their lives and the death of them and their adherents are God knows too sad examples and ought to be cautions to those men that are inclin'd to the like spiritual wickednesses And in these Times which tended thus to Confusion there were also many others that pretended a tenderness of Conscience refusing to take an Oath before a lawful Magistrate and yet these men in their secret Conventicles did covenant and swear to each other to be assiduous and faithful in using their best endeavours to set up the Presbyterian Doctrine and Discipline and both in such a manner as they themselves had not yet agreed on To which end there were many that wandred up and down and were active in sowing Discontents and Sedition by venemous and secret murmurings and a dispersion of scurrilous Pamphlets and Libels against the Church and State but especially against the Bishops by which means together with indiscreet Sermons the common people became so phanatick as to believe the Bishops to be Antichrist and the only obstructers of Gods Discipline and then given over to such a desperate delusion as to find out a Text in the Revelation of St. John that Antichrist was to be overcome by the Sword So that those very men that began with tender and meek Petitions proceeded to Admonitions then to Satyrical Remonstrances and at last having numbred who was not and who was for their Cause they got a supposed certainty of so great a Party that they durst threaten first the Bishops then the Queen and Parliament to all which they were secretly encouraged by the Earl of Leicester then in great favour with Her Majesty and the reputed Cherisher and Patron general of these pretenders to Tenderness of Conscience his design being by their means to bring such an odium upon the Bishops as to procure an Alienation of their Lands and a large proportion of them for himself which avaritious desire had so blinded his reason that his ambitious and greedy hopes had almost put him into a present possession of Lambeth-house And to these undertakings the Non-conformists of this Nation were much encouraged and heightned by a Correspondence and Confederacy with that Brotherhood in Scotland so that here they became so bold that one told the Queen openly in a Sermon She was like an untamed Heyfer that would not be ruled by Gods people but obstructed his Discipline And in Scotland they were more confident for there they declared Her an Atheist and grew to such an height as not to be accountable for any thing spoken against Her nor for Treason against their own King if spoken in the Pulpit shewing at last such a disobedience to Him that His Mother being in England and then in distress and in prison and in danger of death the Church denied the King their prayers for her and at another time when He had appointed a day of Feasting the Church declared for a general Fast in opposition to His Authority To this height they were grown in both Nations and by these means there was distill'd into the minds of the common people such other venemous and turbulent principles as were inconsistent with the safety of the Church and State and these vented so daringly that beside the loss of life and limbs they were forced to use such other severities as will not admit of an excuse if it had not been to prevent Confusion and the perillous consequences of it which without such prevention would have been Ruine and Misery to this numerous Nation These Errours and Animosities were so remarkable that they begot wonder in an ingenious Italian who being about this time come newly into this Nation writ scoffingly to a friend in his own Countrey to this purpose That the Common people of England were wiser than the wisest of his wiser Nation for here the very Women and Shop-keepers were able to judge of Predestination and determine what Laws were fit to be made concerning Church-government and then what were fit to be obeyed or abolisht That they were more able or at least thought so to raise and determine perplext Cases of Conscience than the wisest of the most learned Colledges in Italy That men of the slightest Learning and the most ignorant of the Common people were mad for a new or Super or Re-reformation of Religion and that in this they appeared like that man who would never cease to whet and whet his knife till there was no steel left to make it useful And he concluded his Letter with this observation That those very men that were most busie in Oppositions and Disputations and Controversies of finding out the faults of their Governors had usually the least of Humility and Mortification or of the power of Godliness And to heighten all these Discontents and Dangers there was also sprung up a generation of Godless men men that had so long given way to their own lust of delusion and so highly opposed the blessed motions of his Spirit and the inward light of their own Consciences that they had thereby sinned themselves into a belief which they would but could not believe into a belief which is repugnant even to humane Natuâ—e for the Heathens believe that there are many gods but these had sin'd themselves into a belief that there was no God so finding nothing in themselves but what was worse than nothing began
charity ought to be imitated for though the spirit of revenge is so pleasing to Mankind that it is never conquered but by a supernatural grace being indeed so deeply rooted in humane Nature that to prevent the excesses of it for men would not know Moderation Almighty God allows not any degree of it to any man but sayes Vengeance is mine And though this be said by God himself yet this revenge is so pleasing that man is hardly perswaded to submit the menage of it to the Time and Justice and Wisdom of his Creator but would hasten to be his own Executioner of it And yet nevertheless if any man ever did wholly decline and leave this pleasing passion to the time and measure of God alone it was this Richard Hooker of whom I write for when his Slanderers were to suffer he laboured to procure their pardon and when that was denied him his Reply was That however he would fast and pray that God would give them repentance and patience to undergo their punishment And his prayers were so far returned into his own bosom that the first was granted if we may believe a penitent behaviour and an open confession And 't is observable that after this time he would often say to Dr. Saravia Oh with what quietness did I enjoy my Soul after I was free from the fears of my Slander and how much more after a conflict and victory over my desires of Revenge About the Year 1600 and of his Age 46 he fell into a long and sharp sickness occasioned by a cold taken in his passage betwixt London and Gravesend from the malignity of which he was never recovered for till his death he was not free from thoughtful Dayes and restless Nights but a submission to his Will that makes the sick mans Bed easie by giving rest to his Soul made his very languishment comfortable and yet all this time he was sollicitous in his Study and said often to Dr. Saravia who saw him daily and was the chief comfort of his life That he did not beg a long life of God for any other reason but to live to finish his three remaining Books of POLITY and then Lord let thy servant depart in peace which was his usual expression And God heard his prayers though he denied the Church the benefit of them as compleated by himself and 't is thought he hastened his own death by hastening to give life to his Books But this is certain that the nearer he was to his death the more he grew in Humility in Holy Thoughts and Resolutions About a month before his death this good man that never knew or at least never consider'd the pleasures of the Palate became first to lose his appetite then to have an aversness to all food insomuch that he seem'd to live some intermitted weeks by the smell of meat only and yet still studied and writ And now his guardian Angel seem'd to foretell him that the day of his dissolution drew near for which his vigorous Soul appear'd to thirst In this time of his Sickness and not many dayes before his Death his House was rob'd of which he having notice his Question was Are my Books and written Papers safe And being answered That they were his Reply was then it matters not for no other loss can trouble me About one day before his Death Dr. Saravia who knew the very secrets of his Soul for they were supposed to be Confessors to each other came to him and after a Conference of the Benefit the Necessity and Safety of the Churches Absolution it was resolved the Doctor should give him both that and the Sacrament the day following To which end the Doctor came and after a short retirement and privacy they return'd to the company and then the Doctor gave him and some of those friends which were with him the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of our Jesus Which being performed the Doctor thought he saw a reverend gaity and joy in his face but it lasted not long for his bodily Infirmities did return suddenly and became more visible in so much that the Doctor apprehended Death ready to seize him yet after some amendment left him at Night with a promise to return early the day following which he did and then found him in better appearance deep in Contemplation and not inclinable to Discourse which gave the Doctor occasion to require his present Thoughts to which he replied That he was meditating the number and nature of Angels and their blessed obedience and order without which peace could not be in Heaven and oh that it might be so on Earth After which words he said I have lived to see this world is made up of perturbations and I have been long preparing to leave it and gathering comfort for the dreadful hour of making my account with God which I now apprehend to be near and though I have by his grace lov'd him in my youth and fear'd him in mine age and labour'd to have a conscience void of offence to him and to all men yet if thou O Lord be extreme to mark what I have done amiss who can abide it and therefore where I have failed Lord shew mercy to me for I plead not my righteousness but the forgiveness of my unrighteousness for his merits who dyed to purchase pardon for penitent sinners and since I owe thee a death Lord let it not be terrible and then take thine own time I submit to it let not mine O Lord but let thy Will be done with which expression he fell into a dangerous slumber dangerous as to his recovery yet recover he did but it was to speak only these few words Good Doctor God hath heard my daily petitions for I am at peace with all men and he is at peace with me and from that blessed assurance I feel that inward joy which this world can neither give nor take from meâ— More he would have spoken but his spirits failed him and after a short conflict betwixt Nature and Death a quiet Sigh put a period to his last breath and so he fell asleep And here I draw his Curtain till with the most glorious company of the Patriarchs and Apostles the most Noble Army of Martyrs and Confessors this most learned most humble holy man shall also awake to receive an eternal Tranquillity and with it a greater degree of Glory than common Christians shall be made partakers of In the mean time bless O Lord Lord bless his Brethren the Clergy of this Nation with effectual endeavours to attain if not to his great learning yet to his remarkable meekness his godly simplicity and his Christian moderation for these bring peace at the last And Lord let his most excellent Writings be blest with what he design'd when he undertook them which was Glory to Thee O God on High Peace in thy Church and Good Will to Mankind Amen Amen This following Epitaph was long since presented to the World
After which Sermon the Emperour declar'd openly That the Preacher had begot in him a resolution to lay down his Dignities to forsake the World and betake himself to a Monastical life And he pretended he had perswaded John Valdesso to do the like but this is most certain that after the Emperour had called his son Philip out of England and resign'd to him all his Kingdoms that then the Emperour and John Valdesso did perform their resolutions This account of John Valdesso I receiv'd from a Friend that had it from the mouth of Mr. Farrer And the Reader may note that in this retirement John Valdesso writ his 110 considerations and many other Treatises of worth which want a second Mr. Farrer to procure and Translate them After this account of Mr. Farrer and John Valdesso I proceed to my account of Mr. Herbert and Mr. Duncon who according to his promise return'd the fifth day and found Mr. Herbert much weaker than he left him and therefore their Discourse could not be long but at Mr. Duncons parting with him Mr. Herbert spoke to this purpose Sir I pray give my brother Farrer an account of my decaying condition and tell him I beg him to continue his prayers for me and let him know that I have consider'd That God only is what he would be and that I am by his grace become now so like him as to be pleas'd with what pleaseth him and do not repine at my want of health and tell him my heart is fixed on that place where true joy is only to be found and that I long to be there and will wait my appointed change with hope and patience -And having said this he did with such a humility as seem'd to exalt him bow down to Mr. Duncon and with a thoughtful and contented look say to him Sir I pray deliver this little Book to my dear brother Farrer and tell him he shall find in it a picture of the many spiritual Conflicts that have past betwixt God and my Soul before I could subject mine to the will of Jesus my Master in whose service I have now found perfect freedom desire him to read it and then if he can think it may turn to the advantage of any dejected poor Soul let it be made publick if not let him burn it for I and it are less than the least of Gods mercies Thus meanly did this humble man think of this excellent Book which now bears the name of The TEMPLE Or Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations of which Mr. Farrer would say There was the picture of a Divine Soul in every page and that the whole Book was such a harmony of holy passions as would enrich the World with pleasure and piety And it appears to have done so for there have been Ten thousand of them sold since the first Impression And this ought to be noted that when Mr. Farrer sent this Book to Cambridge to be Licensed for the Press the Vice-Chancellor would by no means allow the two so much noted Verses Religion stands a Tip-toe in our Land Ready to pass to the American Strand to be printed and Mr. Farrer would by no means allow the Book to be printed and want them But after some time and some arguments for and against their being made publick the Vice-Chancellor said I knew Mr. Herbert well and know that he had many heavenly Speculations and was a Divine Poet but I hope the World will not take him to be an inspired Prophet and therefore I License the whole Book So that it came to be printed without the diminution or addition of a syllable since it was deliver'd into the hands of Mr. Duncon save only that Mr. Farrer hath added that excellent Preface that is printed before it At the time of Mr. Duncons leaving Mr. Herbert which was about three Weeks before his death his old and dear friend Mr. Woodnot came from London to Bemerton and never left him till he had seen him draw his last breath and clos'd his Eyes on his Death-bed In this time of his decay he was often visited and pray'd for by all the Clergy that liv'd near to him especially by the Bishop and Prebends of the Cathedral Church in Salisbury but by none more devoutly than his Wife his three Neeces then a part of his Family and Mr. Woodnot who were the sad Witnesses of his daily decay to whom he would often speak to this purpose I now look back upon the pleasures of my life past and see the content I have taken in beauty in wit in musick and pleasant Conversation how they are now all past by me as a shadow that returns not and are all become dead to me or I to them that as my father and generation hath done before me so I shall now suddenly with Job make my Bed also in the dark and I praise God I am prepar'd for it and that I am not to learn patience now I stand in such need of it and that I have practised Mortification and endeavour'd to dye daily that I might not dye eternally and my hope is that I shall shortly leave this valley of tears and be free from all fevers and pain and which will be a more happy condition I shall be free from sin and all the temptations and anxieties that attend it and this being past I shall dwell in the new Jerusalem dwell there with men made perfect dwell where these eyes shall see my Master and Saviour Jesus and with him see my dear mother and relations and friends but I must dye or not come to that happy place And this is my content that I am going daily towards it and that every day that I have liv'd hath taken a part of my appointed time from me and that I shall live the less time for having liv'd this and the day past These and the like expressions which he utter'd often may be said to be his enjoyment of Heaven before he enjoy'd it The Sunday before his death he rose Suddenly from his Bed or Couch call'd for one of his Instruments took it into hand and said My God my God My Musick shall find thee And every string Shall have his attribute to sing And having tun'd it he play'd and sung The Sundayes of mans life Thredded together on times string Make Bracelets to adorn the Wife Of the eternal glorious King On Sundayes Heavens dore stands ope Blessings are plentiful and rife More plentiful than hope Thus he sung on earth such Hymns and Anthems as the Angels and he and Mr. Farrer now sing in Heaven Thus he continued meditating and praying and rejoycing till the day of his death and on that day said to Mr. Woodnot My dear Friend I am sorry I have nothing to present to my merciful God but sin and misery but the first is pardon'd and a few hours will put a period to the latter Upon which expression Mr. Woodnot took occasion to remember him of the Re-edifying