deliver us from all, or in all.

-Dear Madam, pardon

my boldness, and accept the good meaning of, Your most obedient Son,

GEORGE HERBERT.

Trin. Col. May 29, 1622.

A few years after this, he was exercifed with affliction, for putting himself under a particular regimen to remove a Quotidian Ague, he fell into a fuppofed confumption, which was attended with great pains; but he bore with Chriftian patience the yoke of difcipline, and under his acuteft fufferings would often say, “Lord abate my great affliction, or increase my patience; but I repine not, I am dumb Lord before thee because thou doft it."

But removing to Damfey, in Wiltshire, then inhabited by his friend the Earl of Danby, and declining all perplexing ftudies, the falubrity of the air, ftrict attention to diet, moderate exercise, and a cheerful converfation, foon reftored him to his ufual health; upon which he refolved to marry, and alfo to enter into Prieft's Orders; for he had given up his Fellowship and his Orator's place at Cambridge, which he had held only at his mother's requeft, declining them at her decease.

The way to wedlock was foon opened, but not fooner than the object was both pursued and obtained by Mr. HERBERT; and as the detail is given with no fmall apparent fatisfaction by his biographer, we recite it in his words.

"I fhall now proceed to his marriage; in order to which, it will be convenient, that I first give the reader a fhort view of his perion, and then, an account of his wife, and of fome circumftances concerning bothHe was for his perfon of a ftature inclining towards tallness; his body was very straight, and fo far from being cumbered

with too much flesh, that he was lean to an extremity. His afpect was cheerful, and his speech and motion did both declare him a Gentleman, for they were all fo meek and obliging, that they purchafed love and refpect from all that knew him.

Thefe, and his other visible virtues, begot him fo much love from a gentleman of a noble fortune, and a near kinfman to his friend the Earl of Danby; namely, from Charles Danvers of Bainton, in the county of Wilts, Efq. that Mr. Danvers having known him long and familiarly, did fo much affect him, that he often and publicly declared a defire that Mr. Herbert would marry any of his nine daughters (for he had fo many) but rather his daughter Jane than any other, becaufe Jane was his beloved daughter: and he had often faid the fame to Mr. Herbert himself; and that if he could like her for a wife, and the him for a husband, Jane fhould have a double blefling; and Mr. Danvers had fo often faid the like to Jane, and fo much commended Mr. Herbert to her, that Jane became fo much a Platonic, as to fall in love with Mr. Herbert unfeen.

This was a fair preparation for a marriage; but alás her father died before Mr. Herbert's retirement to Dantfel; yet fome friends to both parties procured their meeting; at which time a mutual affection entered into both their hearts, as a conqueror enters into a furprised city; and love having got fuch poffeffion, governed and made there fuch laws and refolutions, as neither party was able to refift; infomuch that fhe changed her name into Herbert, the third day after this firft interview.

This hafte might in others be thought a love-frenzy, or worse: but it was not; for they had woed to like Princes as to have felect proxies; fuch as were true friends to both parties; fuch as well understood Mr. Herbert's and her temper of mind; and alfo their eftates fo well before this interview, that the fuddennefs was justifiable by the stricteft rules of prudence:

and the more, because it proved fo happy to both parties; for the eternal lover of mankind made them happy in each other's mutual and equal affections and compliance; indeed fo happy, that there was never any oppofition betwixt them, unless it were a contest which fhould most incline to a compliance with the other's defires. And though this begot and continued in them fuch a mutual love and joy, and content, as was no way defective; yet this mutual content and love, and joy, did receive a daily augmentation, by fuch daily obliging. nefs to each other, as ftill added fach new affluences to the former fulness of thefe divine fouls, as was only improveable in heaven, where they now enjoy it.

About three months after his marriage, Dr. Curle, who was then Rector of Bemerton in Wiltshire, was made Bishop of Bath and Wells, and not long after tranflated to Winchester, and by that means the prefentation of a Clerk to Bemerton did not fall to the Earl of Pem broke (who was the undoubted patron of it) but to the King, by reafon of Dr. Curle's advancement; but Philip then Earl of Pembroke (for William was lately dead requefted the King to bestow it upon his kinfman George Herbert, and the King faid, "Moft willingly to Mr. Herbert, if it be worth his acceptance:" And the Earl as willingly and suddenly sent it him, without feeking; but though Mr. Herbert had formerly put on a refolu tion for the Clergy; yet, at receiving this Prefentation, the apprehenfion of the laft great account that he was to make for the cure of fo many fouls, made him fast and pray often, and confider for not less than a month: in which time he had fome refolutions to decline both the Priesthood, and that living. And in this time of confidering," He endured (as he would often say) fuch fpiritual conflicts, as none can think, but only thofe that have endured them."

In the midst of those conflicts, his old and dear friend Mr. Arthur Woodnot took a journey to falute him

be an eye-witnefs of And after they had they took a journey Earls of Pembroke; at

at Bainton (where he then was with his wife's friends and relations) and was joyful to his health, and happy marriage. rejoiced together fome few days, to Wilton, the famous feat of the which time the King, the Earl, and the whole Court were there, or at Salisbury, which is near to it. And at

this time Mr. Herbert prefented his thanks to the Earl for his Presentation to Bemerton, but had not yet refolved to accept it, and told him the reafon why; but that night the Earl acquainted Dr. Laud, the Archbishop of Cantebury, with his kinfman's irrefolution.

And the Bishop did the next day fo convince Mr. Herbert, "That the refufal of it was a fin," that a tailor was fent for to come fpeedily from Salisbury to Wilton, to take measure and make him canonical cloaths against next day; which the tailor did, and Mr. Herbert being fo habited, went with his Presentation to the learned Dr. Davenant, who was then Bishop of Salisbury, and he gave him inftitution immediately, (for Mr. Herbert had been made Deacon fome years before) and he was alfo the fame day (which was April 26, 1630) inducted into the good, and more pleasant than healthful Parfonage of Bemerton, which is a mile from Salisbury.

I have now brought him to the Parfonage of Bemerton, and to the 36th year of his age, and must stop here, and befpeak the reader to prepare for an almoft in'credible ftory, of the great fanctity of the fhort re'mainder of his holy life; a life fo full of charity, humility, and all Chriftian virtues, that it deferves the "eloquence of St. Chrysoftom to commend and declare it! A life! that if it were related by a pen like his, there would then be no need for this age to look back into times past for the examples of primitive piety; 'for they might be all found in the life of George HerBut now, alas! who is fit to undertake it? I confefs I am not and am not pleased with myself

•bert.

that I muft; and profefs myfelf amazed, when I con'fider how few of the Clergy lived like him then, and ' how many live fo unlike him now: But it becomes not me to cenfure; my defign is rather to affure the reader, that I have ufed very great diligence to in'form myself, that I might inform him of the truth of 'what follows; and though I cannot adorn it with elo'quence, yet I will do it with fincerity.'

When at his induction he was fhut into Bemerton Church, being left there alone to toll the bell, as the law requires him: he said so much longer than an ordinary time, before he returned to his friends that ftaid expecting him at the church-door, that his friend, Mr. Woodnot, looked in at the church-window, and saw him lie proftrate on the ground before the altar: at which time and place (as he after told Mr. Woodnot) he fet fome rules to himself, for the future management of his life, and then and there made a vow to labour to keep them.

And the fame night that he had his induction, he faid to Mr. Woodnot, I now look back upon my afpir ing thoughts, and think myself more happy than if I had attained what I fo ambitiously thirfted for: and I can now behold the Court with an impartial eye, and fee plainly, that it is made up of fraud, and titles, and flattery, and many other fuch empty imaginary painted pleasures: pleasures that are fo empty, as not to fatisfy when they are enjoyed; but in God, and his fervice, is a fulness of all joy and pleasure, and no fatiety and I will now ufe all my endeavours to bring my relations and dependants to a love and reliance on him, who never fails thofe that truft him. But above all, I will be fure to live well, because the virtuous life of a Clergyman is the most powerful eloquence to perfuade all that fee it to reverence and love, and at least to defire to live like him. And this I will do, because I know we

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