TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE

WILLIAM LORD CRAVEN,

MY LORD,

BARON OF HAMSTED MARSHAM.

MANY of these poems have, for several im pressions, wandered up and down, trusting (as well they might) upon the author's reputation: neither do they now complain of any injury, but what may proceed either from the kindness of the printer or the courtesy of the reader; the one, by adding something too much, lest any spark of this sacred fire might perish undiscerned; the other, by putting such an estimation upon the wit and fancy they find here, that they are content to use it as their own; as if a man should dig out the stones of a royal amphitheatre, to build a stage for a country show. Amongst all the monsters this unlucky age has teemed with, I find none so prodigious as the poets of these later times, wherein men, as if they would level understandings too, as well as estates, acknowledging no inequality of parts and judgments, pretend as indifferently to the chair of wit as to the pulpit, and conceive themselves no less inspired with the

persons, they now unite Selecone une pyramid to set

s salle upon; viere you may stand, polo, de leiender of the Muses,

Kung de poets now alive to celebrate your las v aftring your countenance to his

ba, vanted only so noble a subject.

My Zori

Your most humble servant,

JOHN DONNE.*

*The eldest son of the poet, and editor of several of his

SOME ACCOUNT

OF THE

LIFE OF DR. JOHN DONNE.*

DR. JOHN DONNE, the son of an eminent merchant, was born in London, in the year 1573; by his father descended from an ancient and worthy family in Wales, and by his mother from the famous and learned Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England.

The first part of his education was under a private tutor in his father's house; from whence, in the tenth year of his age, he was removed to Hart-Hall in Oxford, having already given many proofs of his great parts and abilities. Here he continued for the space of four years, with an unwearied application to the study of the several sciences. In his fourteenth year, he was by his friends transplanted to Trinity College (as I take it) in Cambridge, and thence after three years' stay to Lincoln's-Inn; in which honorable society he soon gained much esteem and reputation.

About this time his studies were somewhat in

* This is an abridgment of Walton's Life, and is taken from the edition of Donne's Poems published in 1719.

stay with Sir Francis, he made himself perfectly acquainted with the Body of Civil and Canon Laws.

Upon the loss of his worthy benefactor, he hired a house at Micham, in Surrey, for his wife and family, placing them near some friends whose bounty he had often experienced; but took lodg ings for himself in London, where his occasions often required him. The reader will be best able to judge of the necessitous state Mr. Donne was now in, from an extract of one of his letters to a friend, which whoever can read without being sensibly affected, must have retained but little of compassion or common humanity.

"The reason why I did not send an answer to your last week's letter was because it found me in too great a sadness; and, at present, 't is thus with me: there is not one person but myself 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 stupefies her; of one of which, in good faith, I have not much hope: and these meet with a fortune so ill provided for physic and such relief, that if God should ease us with burials, I know not how to perform even that. But I flatter myself with this hope, that I am dying too; for I cannot waste faster than by such griefs.

Aug. 10.

From my hospital at Micham,

JOHN DONNE."

The only alleviation of these his sorrows was his having recourse to books, particularly his studying with much pains and labor the controversy between the Reformed and the Roman Church, (which before he had been no stranger to, having but at the age of nineteen carefully examined the works of Bellarmine and other famous writers of that time,) especially the two points, then so remarkably controverted, of Supremacy and Allegiance.

And now, after this gloomy season of affliction, did the dawn of some better fortune begin to appear; for, upon the advice of some of his friends, he removed himself and his family from Micham to London; and there, by Sir Robert Drury, was placed rent-free in a handsome house, next his own, in Drury-lane. He had heretofore been well known to and much valued by many of the nobility, by some of whom he was now introduced and recommended to the king. His Majesty needed not much solicitation in his behalf, himself soon taking great delight in his company; insomuch that one day, having talked with him on the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance, he was much pleased with his discourse, and commanded him to draw up into some form the arguments and objections that had been brought upon those points, with his answers thereto. This he soon did, and delivered them to the king in the same order they are now printed in his Pseudo-Martyr.

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