by his constant and long-continued bounty, might entitle themselves to be his alms-people; for all these he made provision, and so largely, as, having then six children living, might to some appear more than proportionable to his estate. I forbear to mention any more, lest the reader may think I trespass upon his patience; but I will beg his favour to present him with the beginning and end of his will.

"In the name of the blessed and glorious Trinity, "Amen. I John Donne, by the mercy of Christ Jesus, " and by the calling of the Church of England, Priest, ❝ being at this time in good health and perfect under"standing, (praised be God therefore) do hereby "make my last will and testament in manner and "form following:

"First, I give my gracious God an entire sacrifice "of body and soul, with my most humble thanks for "that assurance which his blessed Spirit imprints in "me now of the salvation of the one, and the resur"rection of the other; and for that constant and cheer"ful resolution which the same Spirit hath establish"ed in me to live and die in the religion now professed " in the Church of England: in expectation of that "resurrection, I desire my body may be buried (in "the most private manner that may be) in that place " of St. Paul's church, London, that the now resi"dentiaries have, at my request, designed for that pur

66 pose, &c. And this my last will and testament, "made in the fear of God, (whose mercy I humbly 66 beg, and constantly rely upon in Jesus Christ) and "in perfect love and charity with all the world, (who se

pardon I ask, from the lowest of my servants to the "highest of my superiors) written all with my own "hand, and my name subscribed to every page, of "which there are five in number."

Sealed Decem. 13, 1635.

Ner was this blessed sacrifice of charity expressed only at his death, but in his life also, by a cheerful and frequent visitation of any friend whose mind was dejected, or his fortune necessitous. He was inquisitive after the wants of prisoners, and redeemed many from thence that lay for their fees or small debts: he was a continual giver to poor scholars, both of this and foreign nations. Besides what he gave with his own hand, he usually sent a servant, or a discreet and trusty friend, to distribute his charity to all the prisons in London at all the festival times of the year, especially at the birth and resurrection of our Saviour. He gave an hundred pounds at one time to an old friend, whom he had known live plentifully, and by a too liberal heart and carelessness became decayed in his estate; and when the receiving of it was denied, by the gentleman's saying he wanted not; for as there be some spirits so generous as to labour to conceal and

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endure a sad poverty rather than those blushes that attend the confession of it, so there be others to whom nature and grace have afforded such sweet and compassionate souls, as to pity and prevent the distresses of mankind; which I have mentioned, because of Dr. Donne's reply, whose answer was, "I know you want "not what will sustain nature, for a little will do that; "but my desire is that you, who in the days of your "plenty have cheered and raised the hearts of so many "of your dejected friends, would now receive this " from me, and use it as a cordial for the cheering of your own;" and so it was received. He was an happy reconciler of many differences in the families of his friends and kindred, (which he never undertook faintly, for such undertakings have usually faint effects) and they had such a faith in his judgment and impartiality, that he never advised them to any thing in vain. He was, even to her death, a most dutiful son to his mother, careful to provide for her supportation, of which she had been destitute, but that God raised him up to prevent her necessities, who having sucked in the religion of the Roman church with her mother's milk, spent her estate in foreign countries to enjoy a liberty in it, and died in his house but three months before him.

And to the end it may appear how just a steward he was of his Lord and Master's revenue, I have thought

fit to let the reader know, that after his entrance into his deanery, as he numbered his years, he (at the foot of a private account, to which God and his angels were only witnesses with him) computed first his revenue, then what was given to the poor and other pious uses; and, lastly, what rested for him and his : he then blessed each year's poor remainder with a thankful prayer.

But I return from my long digression. We left the Author sick in Essex, where he was forced to spend much of that winter, by reason of his disability to remove from that place; and having never, for almost twenty years, omitted his personal attendance on his Majesty in that month in which he was to attend and preach to him, nor having ever been left out of the roll and number of Lent-preachers; and there being then (in January, 1630) a report brought to London, or raised there, that Dr. Donne was dead, that report gave him occasion to write this following letter to a dear friend.

SIR,

"This advantage you and my other friends have by my frequent fevers, that I am so much the oftener

at the gates of heaven; and this advantage by the "solitude and close imprisonment that they reduce "me to after, that I am so much the oftener at my 66 prayers, in which I shall never leave out your hap"piness; and I doubt not, among his other blessings,

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God will add some one to you for my prayers. A 86 man would almost be content to die (if there were "no other benefit in death) to hear of so much sor❝row, and so much good testimony from good men as I (God be blessed for it) did upon the report of

my death; yet I perceive it went not through all; "for one writ to me that some (and he said of my "friends) conceived I was not so ill as I pretended, "but withdrew myself to live at case, discharged of 66 preaching. It is an unfriendly, and, God knows, "an ill-grounded interpretation; for I have always "been sorrier when I could not preach than any could "be they could not hear me. It hath been my desire, " and God may be pleased to grant it, that I might "die in the pulpit; if not that, yet that I might take "my death in the pulpit, that is, die the sooner by "occasion of those labours. Sir, I hope to see you 66 presently after Candlemas, about which time will "fall my Lent-sermon at court, except my Lord "Chamberlain believe me to be dead, and so leave me "out of the roll; but as long as I live, and am not speechless, I would not willingly decline that ser"vice. I have better leisure to write than you to read, "yet I would not willingly oppress you with too much "letter. God bless you and your son, as I wish. "Your poor friend and servant in Christ Jesus,

"J. DONNE."