Lenox, and his brother Sir Henry Herbert, ought to be remembered; as also, the bounty of Mr. Nicholas Farrer, and Mr. Arthur Woodnot; the one a gentleman in the neighbourhood of Layton, and the other a goldfmith, in Fofter-lane, London, ought not to be forgotten: for the memory of fuch men ought to outlive their lives. Of Mr. Farrer I fhall hereafter give an account in a more feafonable place; but before I proceed farther I will give this fhort account of Mr. Arthur Woodnot: He was a man that had confidered overgrown eftates do often require more care and watchfulness to preserve than get them; and confidered that there be many difcontents that riches cure not; and did therefore fet limits to himself as to defire of wealth: and having attained fo much as to be able to fhew fome mercy to the poor, and preferve a competence for himself, he dedicated the remaining part of his life to the service of God; and to be useful for his friends: and he proved to be fo to Mr. Herbert; for, befide his own bounty, he collected and returned moft of the money that was paid for the re-building of that church; he kept all the account of the charges, and would often go down to ftate them, and fee all the workmen paid. When I have faid, that this good man was an useful friend to Mr. Herbert's father, and to his mother, and continued to be so to him, till he clofed his eyes on his death-bed; I will forbear to fay more, till I have the next fair occafion to mention the holy friendship that was betwixt z He was the fon of Efme Stuart, Duke of Richmond, and brother to Lodowick the last Duke, who was the particular friend of Mr. Herbert. This great and excellent man, as Echard calls him, who had never once deviated from his honour and loyalty, and had feen three of his brothers die in the royal caufe, died in the beginning of 1675, having never had his health nor yet his spirits, fince the deplorable murder of his beloved master; for the saving of whofe life he had the honour to offer his own. See "Echard's Hift. of England," Vol. II. p. 782. a Or rather Ferrar, from the Latin word ferrarius. The arms of this family have three horse shoes on a bend, as appears from a brass-plate in the chapel of Little Gidding, affixed to the tomb-ftone of John Ferrar, Efq. "late lord of this mannour, who departed this life the "28th of September, 1657.” b According to an old obfervation, "Non minor eft virtus, quam quærere, parta tueri.” 349 betwixt him and Mr. Herbert. From whom Mr. Woodnot carried to his mother this following letter, and delivered it to her in a ficknefs, which was not long before that which proved to be her last, A LETTER OF MR. GEORGE HERBERT TO HIS MOTHER, IN HER SICKNESS. ແ MADAM, "AT my last parting from you, I was the better content because I was in hope I should myself carry all ficknefs out of your family; but fince I "know I did not, and that your fhare continues, or rather increafeth, I "wish earnestly that I were again with you; and, would quickly make "good my wifh, but that my employment does fix me here, it being now "but a month to our commencement: wherein my abfence by how much "it naturally augmenteth fufpicion, by fo much fhall it make my prayers "the more conftant and the more earneft for you to the God of all confo"lation. In the mean time, I befeech you to be cheerful, and comfort "yourself in the God of all comfort, who is not willing to behold any "forrow but for fin. What hath affliction grievous in it more than for a "moment? or why fhould our afflictions here have fo much power or "boldness as to oppose the hope of our joys hereafter?-Madam, as the "earth is but a point in respect of the heavens, fo are earthly troubles com"pared to heavenly joys: therefore, if either age or fickness lead you to "those joys, confider what advantage you have over youth and health, who are now so near those true comforts. Your laft letter gave me earthly “preferment, and, I hope, kept heavenly for yourself. But would you di"vide and choose too? our college cuftoms allow not that; and I fhould account myself moft happy if I might change with you: for I have always obferved the thread of life to be like other threads or fkenes of filk, "full of fnarles and incumbrances: Happy is he, whofe bottom is wound up and laid ready for work in the new Jerufalem. For myself, dear mother, I "always feared fickness more than death; becaufe ficknefs hath made me "unable to perform thofe offices for which I came into the world, and must yet be kept in it; but you are freed from that fear, who have already "abundantly abundanty discharged that part, having both ordered your family, and fo "brought up your children that they have attained to the years of difcre"tion, and competent maintenance. So that now if they do not well, the "fault cannot be charged on you, whofe example and care of them will justify you both to the world and your own confcience: infomuch, that "whether you turn your thoughts on the life paft, or on the joys that are to come, you have ftrong preservatives against all difquiet. And for temporal afflictions, I beseech you confider, all that can happen to you are "either afflictions of eftate, or body, or mind. For thofe of eftate, of what 66 66 poor regard ought they to be, fince if we had riches we are commanded "to give them away? fo that the best use of them is, having, not to have "them. But, perhaps, being above the common people, our credit and "eftimation calls on us to live in a more splendid fashion: But, Q God! "how eafily is that anfwered, when we confider that the bleffings in "the holy Scripture are never given to the rich, but to the poor. I never "find Bleffed be the rich,' or' Bleffed be the noble;' but Blessed be the meek, "and Bleffed be the poor, and Blessed be the mourners, for they shall be com"forted. And yet, O God! moft carry themselves fo, as if they not only not desired, but even feared to be blessed. And for afflictions of the body, "dear Madam, remember the holy martyrs of God, how they have been "burnt by thoufands, and have endured fuch other tortures, as the very " mention of them might beget amazement; but their fiery trials have had "an end and yours (which praised be God, are lefs) are not like to con"tinue long. I befeech you let fuch thoughts as thefe moderate your pre"fent fear and forrow; and know that if any of yours fhould prove a Go"liah-like trouble, yet you may fay with David, That God, who delivered me "out of the paws of the lion and bear, will alfo deliver me out of the hands of "this uncircumcifed Philifline. Laftly, for thofe afflictions of the foul: con"fider that God intends that to be as a facred temple for himself to dwell in, "and will not allow any room there for fuch an inmate as grief, or allow "that any fadnefs fhall be his competitor. And, above all, if any care "of future things moleft you, remember thofe admirable words of the "Pfalmift: Caft thy care on the Lord, and he shall nourish thee, Pfal. lv. "To which join that of St. Peter, Cafting all your care on the Lord, for "be "be careth for you, I Pet. v. 7. What an admirable thing is this, that God puts his fhoulder to our burden, and entertains our care for us that we may the more quietly intend his fervice. To conclude, let me commend "only one place more to you (Philip. iv. 4.); St. Paul faith there, Rejoice in "the Lord always: And again I fay, rejoice. He doubles it to take away the "fcruple of those that might say, what, fhall we rejoice in afflictions? yes, "I fay again, rejoice; fo that it is not left to us to rejoice or not rejoice; "but whatsoever befals us we must always, at all times, rejoice in the Lord, "who taketh care for us. And it follows in the next verfe: Let your mo"deration appear to all men: The Lord is at hand: Be careful for nothing.— "What can be faid more comfortably? trouble not yourselves, God is at "hand to deliver us from all, or in all. Dear Madam, pardon my boldness, "and accept the good meaning of "TRIN. COL. MAY 25, 1622. "Your moft obedient fon, "GEORGE HERBERT." About the year 1629, and the 34th of his age,. Mr. Herbert was feized with a fharp quotidian ague, and thought to remove it by the change of air; to which end, he went to Woodford in Effex, but thither more chiefly to enjoy the company of his beloved brother Sir Henry Herbert, and other friends then of that family. In his house he remained about twelve months, and there became his own physician, and cured himself of his ague, The following lines are taken from a poem of Mr. Herbert's, entitled " Affliction." "At first thou gav'ft me milk and sweetnesses; "I had my with and way: "My days were ftrew'd with flow'rs and happiness; "There was no month but May. "But with my years forrow did twist and grow, "And made a party unawares for woe: "My flesh began unto my foul in pain, "Confuming agues dwell in every vein, "And tune my breath to groans. by by forbearing drink, and not eating any meat, no not mutton, nor a hen, or pigeon, unless they were falted; and by fuch a constant diet he removed his ague, but with inconveniences that were worfe; for he brought upon himself a difpofition to rheumes and other weakneffes, and a fuppofed confumption And it is to be noted, that in the fharpeft of his extreme fits he would often fay, "Lord abate my great affliction, or increase my pa"tience; but, Lord, I repine not; I am dumb, Lord, before thee, because "thou doeft it." By which, and a fanctified fubmiffion to the will of God, he fhewed he was inclinable to bear the sweet yoke of Christian difcipline, both then and in the latter part of his life, of which there will be many true teftimonies. d And now his care was to recover from his confumption by a change from Woodford into fuch an air as was moft proper to that end: And his remove was to Dauntfey in Wiltshire, a noble houfe, which stands in a choice air; the owner of it then was the Lord Danvers Earl of Danby, who loved Mr. Herbert fo very much, that he allowed him fuch an apartment in it as might best suit with his accommodation and liking. And in this place, by a spare diet, declining all perplexing ftudies, moderate exercife, and a cheerful converfation, his health was apparently improved to a good degree of ftrength and cheerfulness: And then he declared his refolution both to marry, and to enter into the facred orders of priesthood. These had long been the defires of his mother and his other relations; but she lived d Henry Danvers, created Baron of Dauntfey by King James, and Earl of Danby by Charles I. He was Knight of the Bath, and died unmarried, Jan. 20, 1673. ON LORD DANVERS. "Sacred marble, fafely keep "His duft, who under thee must sleep, "Until the years again restore "Their dead, and time fhall be no more. "Mean while, if he (which all things wears) "Does ruin thee, or if thy tears "Are fhed for him; diffolve thy frame, "Thou art requited: for his fame, "His virtue, and his worth fhall be G. HERBERT." |