In one of his walks to Salisbury, he overtook a gentleman that is ftill living in that city, and in their walk together Mr. Herbert took a fair occafion to talk with him, and humbly begged to be excufed if he asked him fome account of his faith; and faid, “I do this, the rather because though you are not of my "parifh, yet I receive tithe from you by the hand of your te

nant; and, Sir, I am the bolder to do it, because I know "there be fome fermon-hearers that be like thofe fishes that "always live in falt water, and yet are always fresh." After which exprefsion Mr. Herbert asked him fome needful questions, and having received his anfwer, gave him fuch rules for the trial of his fincerity, and for a practical piety, and in fo loving and meek a manner, that the gentleman did fo fall in love with him and his discourse, that he would often contrive to meet him in his walk to Salisbury, or to attend him back to Bemerton, and still mentions the name of Mr. George Herbert with veneration, and ftill praifeth God for the occafion of knowing him.

In another of his Salisbury walks, he met with a neighbour Minifter, and after fome friendly difcourfe betwixt them, and fome condolement for the decay of piety, and too general contempt of the Clergy, Mr. Herbert took occafion to fay, "One

cure for thefe diftempers would be for the Clergy themselves to "keep the Ember-weeks ftrictly, and beg of their parishioners "to join with them in fafting and prayers for a more religious "Clergy."

"And another cure would be for themselves to reftore the great and neglected duty of catechifing, on which the falva"tion of fo many of the poor and ignorant lay-people does depend; but principally that the Clergy themfelves would be "fure to live unblamably; and that the dignified Clergy efpecially, which preach temperance, would avoid furfeiting, "and take all occafions to exprefs a vifible humility and charity "in their lives: For this would force a love and an imitation, "and an unfeigned reverence from all that knew them to be "fuch." (And for proof of this, we need no other teftimony than the life and death of Dr. Lakef, late Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells). "This," faid Mr. Herbert, "would be a cure for

e In that enumeration of the feveral virtues, which the elegant Philofopher of Rome has introduced in his much-admired "Treatife on the Duties of Life," no mention is made of humility. It is indeed of too heavenly a nature to have a place in a fyftem of Pagan fuperftition. But our divine Lawgiver has profefsedly made it the foundation of his religion, "Learn of "me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." In the fchools of this world, elaborate lectures are delivered on natural philosophy, on law, on medicine; but, in the fchool of Chrift, the great lefson which is inculcated is the lefson of humility. Where this quality is wanting, where pride possesses the heart, a man may be deemed learned, ingenious, eloquent; but he has no title to the denomination of a Christian.

f Dr. ARTHUR LAKE, Bishop of Bath and Wells, died in 1626. He obtained his preferment, "not fo much," fays Fuller," by the power of his "brother, Sir Thomas Lake, Secretary to King James, as by his own defert,

"' as one

the wickedness and growing atheifm of our age. And my dear brother, till this be done by us, and done in earnest, let "no man expect a reformation of the manners of the laity; for "it is not learning, but this, this only, that must do it; and till "then the fault muft lie at our doors."

In another walk to Salisbury, he faw a poor man with a poorer horse, that was fallen under his load; they were both in diftrefs, and needed present help, which Mr. Herbert perceiving, put off his canonical coat, and helped the poor man to unload, and after, to load his horfe: The poor man blessed him for it, and he blefsed the poor man; and was fo like the good Samaritan, that he gave him money to refresh both himself and his horse; and told him, "that if he loved himself, he should be merciful to "his beaft." Thus he left the poor man, and at his coming to his musical friends at Salisbury, they began to wonder that Mr. George Herbert, who ufed to be fo trim and clean, came into that company fo foiled and difcompofed; but he told them the occafion: And when one of the company told him "he had difparaged himself by fo dirty an employ"ment;" his anfwer was, "that the thought of what he "had done, would prove mufic to him at midnight; and that "the omifsion of it would have upbraided and made difcord in "his confcience, whenfoever he should pafs by that place: For "if I be bound to pray for all that be in diftrefs, I am fure that "I am bound, fo far as it is in my power, to practise what I pray for. And though I do not wifh for the like occafion every day, yet let me tell you, I would not willingly pafs "one day of my life, without comforting a fad foul, or thewing mercy; and I praife God for this occafion. And now let "us tune our inftruments."

Thus as our blefsed Saviour, after his refurrection, did take occafion to interpret the Scripture to Cleopas and that other difciple which he met with, and accompanied, in their journey to Emmaus; fo Mr. Herbert, in his path toward heaven, did daily take any fair occafion to inftruct the ignorant, or comfort any that were in affliction; and did always confirm his precepts, by fhewing humility and mercy, and miniftering grace to the hearers.

And he was moft happy in his wife's unforced compliance with his acts of charity, whom he made his almoner, and paid constantly into her hand a tenth penny of what money he received for tithe, and gave her power to difpofe that to the poor

"as one whofe piety may be juftly exemplary to all of his order. In all the "places of honour and employment which he enjoyed, he carried himself the "fame in mind and perfon, fhewing by his conftancy, that his virtues were "virtues indeed; in all kinds of which, whether national, moral, theological, "perfonal, or paternal, he was eminent, and indeed one of the examples of his time. He always lived as a single man, exemplary in his life and con"versation, and very hospitable. He was alfo well read in the fathers and "schoolmen, and had a command of the Scripture, which made him one of the beft preachers, that few went beyond him in his time." (Wood's Ath. Ox. Vol. I. p. 501.)

of his parish, and with it a power to difpofe a tenth part of the corn that came yearly into his barn: which truft fhe did most faithfully perform, and would often offer to him an account of her stewardship, and as often beg an enlargement of his bounty; for the rejoiced in the employment: And this was usually laid out by her in blankets and fhoes for fome fuch poor people, as the knew to ftand in most need of them. This as to her charity. And for his own, he fet no limits to it; nor did ever turn his face from any that he faw in want, but would relieve them, especially his poor neighbours: to the meaneft of whofe houfes he would go and inform himself of their wants, and relieve them cheerfully if they were in diftrefs; and would always praise God, as much for being willing, as for being able to do it. And when he was advised by a friend to be more frugal, because he might have children, his answer was, "he "would not fee the danger of want fo far off; but being the Scripture does fo commend charity, as to tell us, that charity is the top of Chriftian virtues, the covering of fins, the fulfilling of the law, the life of faith: and that charity hath a pro"mife of the blessings of this life, and of a reward in that life "which is to come; being these and more excellent things are "in Scripture spoken of thee, O Charity! and that being all " my tithes and church-dues are a deodate from thee, O my God, "make me, O my God, fo far to trust thy promise, as to re"turn them back to thee! and by thy grace I will do fo, in "diftributing them to any of thy poor members that are in dif"trefs, or do but bear the image of Jefus my mafter. Sir," faid he to his friend, " my wife hath a competent maintenance "fecured her after my death, and therefore as this is my prayer, "fo this my refolution fhall, by God's grace, be unalterable."

This may be fome account of the excellencies of the active part of his life; and thus he continued, till a confumption fo weakened him, as to confine him to his houfe, or to the chapel, which does almoft join to it; in which he continued to read prayers conftantly twice every day, though he were very weak: in one of which times of his reading his wife obferved him to read in pain, and told him so, and that it wafted his fpirits, and weakened him; and he confefsed it did, but faid, "his life could "not be better spent, than in the fervice of his Mafter Jefus, "who had done and fuffered fo much for him: But," said he, "I will not be wilful; for though my fpirit be willing, yet I "find my flesh is weak; and therefore Mr. Boftock fhall be "appointed to read prayers for me to-morrow, and I will "now be only a hearer of them, till this mortal fhall put on "immortality." And Mr. Bostock did the next day undertake and continue this happy employment, till Mr. Herbert's death. This Mr. Boftock was a learned and virtuous man, an old friend of Mr. Herbert's, and then his Curate to the Church of Fuliton, which is a mile from Bemerton, to which Church Bemerton is but a Chapel of cafe. And this Mr. Bostock did also conftantly fupply the Church fervice for Mr. Herbert in that Chapel, when the mufic meeting at Salisbury caused his abfence from it.

About one month before his death, his friend Mr. Ferrar (for an account of whom I am by promise indebted to the reader, and intend to make him fudden payment) hearing of Mr. Herbert's fickness, fent Mr. Edmund Duncon (who is now rector of Fryer Barnet, in the county of Middlefex) from his houfe of Gidden Hall, which is near to Huntingdon, to fee Mr. Herbert, and to assure him, he wanted not his daily prayers for his recovery; and Mr. Duncon was to return back to Gidden, with an account of Mr. Herbert's condition. Mr. Duncon found him weak, and at that time lying on his bed, or on a pallet; but at his feeing Mr. Duncon, he raifed himfelf vigorously, faluted him, and with fome earneftnefs inquired the health of his brother Ferrar; of which Mr. Duncon fatisfied him; and after some discourse of Mr. Ferrar's holy life, and the manner of his conftant ferving God, he said to Mr. Duncon, "Sir, I fee by your habit that you are a Prieft, and I defire you "to pray with me;" which being granted, Mr. Duncon asked. him "What prayers?" to which Mr. Herbert's answer was, "O, Sir, the prayers of my mother the Church of England; no other prayers are equal to them! but at this time I beg of "you to pray only the Litany, for I am weak and faint;" and Mr. Duncon did fo. After which, and some other discourse of Mr. Ferrar, Mrs. Herbert provided Mr. Duneon a plain fupper and a clean lodging, and he betook himself to reft.-This Mr. Duncon tells me; and tells me that at his first view of Mr. Herbert he saw majesty and humility fo reconciled in his looks and behaviour, as begot in him an awful reverence for his person;

"The friendship of good men may be maintained in vigour and height, "without the ceremonies of vifits and compliments, yea, without any "trade of fecular courtefies, merely in order to fpiritual edification of "one another in love, Mr. Ferrar and Mr. George Herbert loved "each other molt intimately, and drove a large stock of Chriftian cha"rity long before their deaths, and yet they faw not each other in many years; I think, fcarce ever, but as Members of one University in "their whole lives." (Barnabas Oley's Life of Mr. George Herbert.)

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-Mr. George Herbert was very defirous of refigning his Prebend in the Church of Lincoln to this his dear friend, who declined the acceptance of it, and diverted or directed the charity of Mr. Herbert to the re-edifying of the ruined church of Leighton, where the corpfe of the Prebend lay.

Of Mr. Nicholas Ferrar, a reclufe almost to monachism, yet a rational and devout Chriftian, Bishop Turner fays very properly, that fome things in his life were rather to be admired than imitated: yet furely he and his fociety are not deferving of that cenfure with which they have been treated by the author of " British Topography."

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h He was brother to Dr. Eleazer Duncon, Prebendary of Durham, and to Mr. John Duncon, "two very worthy and learned perfons, and great "fufferers, who died before the miracle of our happy reftauration, and were happy in that they lived not to fee fuch oftentation of fin and in"gratitude, as fome fince have made, as if they had been delivered from "flaverie under the tyrant, that they might with more libertie yield them"lelves fervants to fin under the tyrannie of Satan." (Barnabas Oley's Preface, &e.)

and fays, "his difcourfe was fo pious, and his motion fo gen"teel and meek, that after almoft forty years yet they remain "ftill fresh in his memory."

The next morning, Mr. Duncon left him, and betook himself to a journey to Bath, but with a promife to return back to him within five days, and he did fo; but before I fhall fay any thing of what difcourfe then fell betwixt them two, I will pay my promifed account of Mr. Ferrar.

Mr. Nicholas Ferrar (who got the reputation of being called "St. Nicholas" at the age of fix years) was born in London, and doubtlefs had good education in his youth; but certainly was at an early age made Fellow of Clare Hall in Cambridge; where he continued to be eminent for his piety, temperance, and learning. About the 26th year of his age he betook himself to travel; in which he added to his Latin and Greek, a perfect knowledge of all the languages spoken in the western parts of our Chriftian world, and understood well the principles of their religion and of their manner, and the reafons of their worship. In this his travel he met with many perfuafions to come into a communion with that Church which calls itself Catholic; but he returned from his travels as he went, eminent for his obedience to his mother the Church of England. In his abfence from England, Mr. Ferrar's father (who was a merchant) allowed him a liberal maintenance; and not long after his return into England, Mr. Ferrar had, by the death of his father, or an elder brother, or both, an eftate left him, that enabled him to purchase land to the value of four or five hundred pounds ayear, the greatest part of which land was at Little Gidden, four or fix miles from Huntingdon, and about eighteen from Cambridge; which place he chofe for the privacy of it, and for the hall, which had the parifh-church or chapel belonging and adjoining near to it; for Mr. Ferrar having feen the manners and vanities of the world, and found them to be, as Mr. Herbert fays, "a nothing between two difhes," did fo contemn it, that he refolved to spend the remainder of his life in mortifications, and in devotion, and charity, and to be always prepared for death And his life was spent thus:

He and his family, which were like a little college, and about thirty in number, did most of them keep Lent and all Emberweeks ftrictly, both in fasting and ufing all thofe mortifications and prayers that the Church hath appointed to be then used: and he and they did the like conftantly on Fridays, and on the

i Rather in the 21st year of his age, Mr. Ferrar was born Nov. 22, 1592, and went abroad in the retinue of the Princess Elizabeth in 1613, He as ufually called the Proteftant Saint Nicholas, and the pious Mr. "Herbert's brother." By the advice of Dr. Butler, an eminent Physician at Cambridge, his fellow collegian, he travelled for his health; his conftitution, naturally delicate, having been much impaired by his incefsant application to study.