Vitamque et illis et tibi das pofthumam, JACOB DUPORT, S.T.P. THE INTRODUCTION. IN a late retreat from the bufinefs of this world, and thofe many little cares with which I have too often cumbered myself, I fell into a contemplation of some of those historical passages that are recorded in facred story, and more particularly of what had past betwixt our blessed Saviour, and that wonder of women, and finners, and mourners, Saint Mary Magdalen. I call her Saint, because I did not then, nor do now confider her, as when she was possest with seven devils; not as when her wanton eyes, and difhevelled hair, were defigned and managed to charm and infnare amorous beholders: But, I did then, and do now confider her, as after she had expressed a visible and facred forrow for her fenfualities; as after thofe eyes had wept such a flood of penitential tears as did wash, and that hair had wip't, and fhe most passionately kist the feet of hers, and our blefsed Jefus. And I do now confider, that becaufe fhe loved much, not only much was forgiven her; but that, befide that blefsed blefsing of having her fins pardoned, and the joy of knowing her happy condition, she also had from him a teftimony, that her alabafter box of precious ointment poured on his head and feet, and that spikenard, and thofe fpices that were by her dedicated to embalm and preserve his facred body from putrefaction, should so far preserve her own memory, that these demonftrations of her fanctified love, and of her officious and generous gratitude, should be recorded and mentioned wherefoever his gospel should be read; intending thereby, that as his, so her name fhould alfo live to fucceeding generations, even till time itself fhall be no more *. Upon occafion of which fair example, I did lately look back, and not without fome content (at least to myself) that I have endeavoured to deferve the love, and preferve the memory of my two deceased friends, Dr. Donne and Sir Henry Wotton, by declaring the feveral employments and various accidents of their lives: And though Mr. George Herbert (whofe Life I a If fome very learned and able commentators have entertained an opinion, that Mary Magdalen was the afflicted and penitent finner mentioned in the feventh chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, it is not furprising that Mr. Walton should fall into the fame error. now intend to write) were to me a ftranger as to his perfon, for I have only feen him; yet fince he was, and was worthy to be, their friend, and very many of his have been mine, I judge it may not be unacceptable to those that knew any of them in their lives, or do now know them by mine, or their own writings, to fee this conjunction of them after their deaths, without which, many things that concerned them, and fome things that concerned the age in which they lived, would be lefs perfect, and loft to pofterity. For these reafons I have undertaken it, and if I have prevented any abler person, I beg pardon of him and my reader. THE LIFE OF MR. GEORGE HERBERT. GEORGE HERBERT was born the third day of April, in the year of our redemption 1593. The place of his birth was near to the town of Montgomery, and in that castle that did then bear the name of that town and county; that caftle was then a place of ftate and ftrength, and had been fuccefsively happy in the family of the Herberts, who had long possessed it, and, with it, a plentiful eftate, and hearts as liberal to their poor neighbours. A family, that hath been blefsed with men of remarkable wisdom, and a willingness to ferve their country, and indeed, to do good to all mankind; for which they are eminent: But alas! this family did in the late rebellion fuffer extremely in their eftates; and the heirs of that caftle faw it laid level with that earth that was too good to bury those wretches that were the cause of it. The father of our George was Richard Herbert, the son of Edward Herbert, Knight, the son of Richard Herbert, Knight, b The cafile of Montgomery derived its name from Roger de Montgomery, a noble Norman, Earl of Shrewsbury, who, winning much land from the Welsh, first built this caftle to fecure his conqueft. It ftandeth not far from the banks of the river Severn, upon the rising of a rock, from whence it hath a very free profpect into a pleasant plain that lieth beneath it.-The family of the Herberts is very much diffused, and of great authority in this part of Wales. (Heylin's Help to English History.)- -An order was made by the Parliament, June 11, 1649, for demolishing Montgomery Cafile, which Anthony Wood calls " "pleasant and romancy place," and for an allowance to the Lord Herbert for his damage thereby. a EDWARD Lord HERBERT of Cherbury defcribes Richard Herbert his father to have been "black haired and bearded, as all his ancestors "of his fide are faid to have been, of a manly or fomewhat flera look, "but withall very handfome and well compact in his limbs, and of a great courage. As for his integrity in his places of Deputy Lieute"nant of the county, Juftice of the Peace, and Cuttos Rotulorum, which "he, as his father before him, held, it is fo memorable to this day that "it was faid his enemies appealed to him for juttice, which they always "found on all occafions. His learning was not vulgar, as understanding "weil the Latin tongue, and being well verfed in hiftory." (The Life of Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury, written by himself. Strawberry-Hill, 1764. p. 34.) the fon of the famous Sir Richard Herbert of Colebrook, in the county of Monmouth, Banneret, who was the youngest brother of that memorable William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, that lived in the reign of our King Edward IV. . His mother was Magdalen Newport, the youngest daughter of Sir Richard, and fifter to Sir Francis Newport, of High Arkall, in the county of Salop, Knight, and grandfather of Francis Lord Newport, now Comptroller of his Majefty's Household. A family that for their loyalty have fuffered d This gentleman was anceftor to the Lords Herbert of Cherbury, and to the prefent Earl of Powis. In the contefts between the houfes of York and Lancaster, this Sir Richard Herbert fignalized himself by his bravery on many occafions. He and his brother William, the first Earl of Pembroke, were taken prifoners after the battle of Danes-more, near Edgecote in Northamptonshire, on July 26, 1469, and were beheaded the next day after the battle. Hall, în his Chronicle, relates, "that "much lamentation, and no lefs intreaty, was made to fave the life of "Sir Richard Herbert, both for his goodly perfonage, which excelled "all men there, and alfo for the noble chivalry he had fhewed in the "field in the day of battle, infomuch that his brother the Earl, when "he laid down his head on the block to fuffer, faid to Sir John Conyers, "Let me die, for I am old, but save my brother, who is young, lusty, and "hardy, mete and apt to serve the greatest prince of Christendom." "Collins's Peerage," Vol. V. p. 181.- The title of Banneret was a very ancient title of military honour, never conferred but upon the achievement of fome great and noble action in the field. Knights Bannerets are termed by Matthew Paris, "Milites vexilliferi," and were diftinguished by having fquare fhield, and bearing their arms in a banner of the fame form. 66 See "My mother was Magdalen Newport, daughter of Sir Richard "Newport and Margaret his wife, daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Burnley, one of the Privy Councell, and executor to King Henry VIII. "who, furviving her husband, gave rare teftimonies of an incomparable "piety to God, and love to her children, as being most afsiduous and "devout in her daily, both private and public, prayers, and so careful "to provide for her pofterity, that though it were in her power to give "her efiate, which was very great, to whom he would, yet the con"tinued ftill unmarried, after he lived moft virtuously and lovingly "with her bufband. She after his death erected a fair monument for "him in Montgomery Church, brought up her children carefully, and "put them in good courses for making their fortunes; and briefly was "that woman Dr. Donne hath described her, in his funeral fermon of "her printed." (Life of Lord Herbert, p. 10, 11.) f Charles I. in 1642, advanced Sir Richard Newport to the dignity of a Baron of England, by the title of Lord Newport, of High Ercall in Shropshire. On this occafion that loyal gentleman prefented his Majefty with the fum of fix thousand pounds. (Echard's Hist. of England, Vol. II. p. 348.)Dying Feb. 8, 1650, at Moulins in France, he was fucceeded by Francis his fon, who after the Refloration was made Comptroller, and then Treasurer of the King's Household, Viscount Newport 27 Cha. II. and Earl of Bradford, in 1694. The laft title became extinct in 1762. 3 |