(like an echo to a trumpet) warble a faint audible harmony, in answer to the fame tune, yet many will not believe there is any fuch thing as a fympathy of fouls: and I am well pleased, that every reader do enjoy his own opinion; but if the unbelieving will not allow the believing reader of this story a liberty to believe that it may be true, then I wish him to confider, many wife men have believed, that the ghost of Julius Cæfar did appear to Brutus, and that both St. Auftin, and Monica his mother, had vifions in order to his converfion. And though thefe, and many others (too many to name) have but the authority of human ftory, yet the incredible reader may find in the facred ftory (1 Sam. xxviii.), that Samuel did appear to Saul even after his death (whether really or not, I undertake not to determine). And Bildad, in the book of Job (chap. iv.), fays these words; "A fpirit pafsed before my face, the hair "" of my head ftood up, fear and trembling came upon me, and "made all my bones to fhake." Upon which words I will make no comment, but leave them to be confidered by the incredulous reader, to whom I also commend this following confideration :-That there be many pious and learned men that believe our merciful God hath affigned to every man a particular guardian angel, to be his conftant monitor, and to attend him in all his dangers both of body and foul. And the opinion, that every man hath his particular angel, may gain fome authority by the relation of St. Peter's miraculous deliverance out of prison (Acts xii.); not by many, but by one Angel. And this belief may yet gain more credit, by the reader's confidering, that when Peter after his enlargement knocked at the door of Mary the mother of John, and Rode the maid-servant being furprifed with joy that Peter was there, did not let him in, but ran in hafte and told the difciples (who were then and there met together) that Peter was at the door, and they not believing it, faid he was mad; yet when the again affirmed it, though they believed it not, yet they concluded and faid-" It is his angel." More obfervations of this nature, and inferences from them, might be made to gain the relation a firmer belief; but I forbear, left I, that intended to be but a relator, may be thought to be an engaged perfon for the proving what was related to me;' and yet I think myself bound to declare, that though it was not told me by Mr. Donne himself, it was told me (now long fince) by a perfon of honour, and of fuch intimacy with him, that he knew more of the fecrets of his foul, than any perfon then living; and I think he told me the truth: for it was told with fuch circumftances and fuch afseveration, that (to fay nothing of my own thoughts) I verily believe he that told it me did himself believe it to be true. Of the very probable truth of this propofition, fo pleafing to all good men, fee Bishop Bull's Sermons, vol. II. 1. p. 498. I forbear the reader's farther trouble, as to the relation and what concerns it, and will conclude mine with commending to his view a copy of verfes given by Mr. Donne to his wife at the time that he then parted from her: and I beg leave to tell, that I have heard fome critics, learned both in languages and poetry, fay, that none of the Greek or Latin poets did ever equal them. . And though thine in the centre fit, And grows erect as mine comes home Such thou must be to me, who must, I return from my account of the vifion, to tell the reader, that both before Mr. Donne's going into France, at his being there, and after his return, many of the nobility and others, that were powerful at court, were watchful and folicitous to the King for fome fecular employment for him. The King had formerly both known and put a value upon his company; and had alfo given him fome hopes of a ftate-employment, being always much pleased when Mr. Donne attended him, efpecially at his meals, where there were ufually many deep difcourfes of general learning, and very often friendly disputes or debates of religion betwixt his majefty and those divines whofe places required their attendance on him at those times; particularly the Dean of the Chapel, who then was Bithop Montague (the publisher of the learned and eloquent P James I. took great pleafure in the converfation of thofe divines who attended his court. It was usual with him, particularly at his meals, to difcourfe with them, as well upon the controverfial points of religion, as upon various topics of literature. In the dedication of "An Answer to a Challenge made by a Jefuite in Ireland, 1624,” to the King, the celebrated author, having preferred him to the Emperor Theodofius the Younger, and to Alexius, thus addrefses his Majefty. It is acknowledged, even by fuch as differ from you "in the point of religion, as a matter that hath added more than ordinary luftre to your royal eftate, that you doe not forbear so "much as at the time of your bodily repast to have, for the then like feeding of your intellectua! part, your Highnesse's table surrounded "with the attendance and conference of your grave and learned divines. "What inward joy my heart conceived as oft as I have had the happinefs to be prefent at fuch feasons, I forbeare to utter, onely I will fay with Job, the eare which heard you blessed you, and the eye which saw you gave witnesse to you." Dr. Jofeph Hall in his Holy Panegyric hath drawn a parallel between the Roman Emperor Conftantine and King James. Confiantine fate in the midft of bifhops, as if he was one of them. King James, befides his folemn conferences, "vouchfafes not feldom to spend his meals in difcourfe with his bishops "and other worthy divines." See Bishop Hall's Works, p. 444. 66 The fifth fon to Sir Edward Montague, and brother to Edward the firft Lord Montague of Broughton, eminent for his learning and liberality, and ufually called "King James's ecclefiaftical Favourite." He publifhed his Majefly's works under this title: "King James's Works, published by James,_Bishop of Winton, and Deane of his Majetty's Chappel Royal. 1 Reg. 11. 12 v. Loe I have given thee a wise and an works of his Majefty), and the most reverend Dr. Andrews, the late learned Bishop of Winchester, who was then the King's Almoner. London 1616." He afterward tranflated an understanding heart. them into Latin. He died in 1618, having been bishop of Winchester only two years. He was buried in the Abbey church of Bath, which, while he filled the fee of Bath and Wells, he repaired and beautified at a great expenfe, having been excited to this act of munificence in the following manner: When he held his primary vifitation in the church of Bath, the bufinefs being done and the benediction given, Sir John Harrington food up in the midst of the congregation and addrefsed his lordship in a Latin poem on the ruinous state of the buildings of the church, and concluded with a prophecy of its future flourishing and beautiful condition under the aufpices of the Bishop. Te nempe ad decus hoc peperit Natura; replevit Euge; opus hoc miræ pietatis perfice. The Bishop, fo far from being difpleafed at this bold and unusual address, answered it in a short Latin speech, and promised to reftore the cathedral. r How far the works of this Royal Author deferve the epithets here "The Dæmonologie" beftowed upon them, I venture not to decide. and "The Counterblast to Tobacco" do not excite very flattering fentiments of his literary acquirements. Quotations, puns, feripture, witticifms, fuperftition, oaths, vanity, prerogative, and pedantry are affirmed by the writer of The Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors to be the ingredients of all his Sacred Majefty's performances. (Vol. I. p. 41.)-Yet the incenfe of praise and adulation was liberally offered to him, both in his life-time and after his death. Ben Jonfon, in an One epigram, commends James as " best of kings and beft of poets.' of the not learned divines of his time declares the King's Paraphrase upon the Revelation of St. John, which he is faid to have written before he was twenty years of age, to be a memorable monument left to all pofterity, which I can never look upon, but those verses of the poet runne alwaies in minde. my Cæfaribus virtus contigit ante diem: Surgit, et ignavæ fert mala damna moræ, s of this great divine Cafaubon thus fpeaks, "De cujus altâ doctrinâ "in omni genere difciplinarum quicquid dixero minus erit." In him were eminently united thofe qualities, which feldom meet in one man, "Scientia magna, memoria major, judicium maximum, at induftria "infinita." He is faid to have pofsefsed a critical and accurate knowledge of at least fifteen modern tongues. Hence, no one was better qualified to be one of the trapilators of the Bible in the reign of King James. Lord Clarendon entertained to favourable an opinion of him, as to declare, That "if Andrews, who loved and undertiood the church, "had fucceeded Bancroft in the fee of Canterbury, that infection would "eafily have been kept out, which could not afterwards be fo eafily ex"pelled." (History of the Rebellion, B. I. p. 88. Edit. 1721.) Amongft Milton's About this time there grew many difputes that concerned the Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance, in which the King had appeared and engaged himself by his public writings now extant. And his Majefty difcourfing with Mr. Donne, concerning many of the reafons which are ufually urged against the taking of those oaths, apprehended fuch a validity and ፡፡ Milton's juvenile poems is an elegy on the death of Bishop Andrews. To his patronage the venerable Jofeph Mede owed his fuccefs in being elected into a fellowship of Chrift's College, Cambridge. And it fhould be always mentioned to his honour, that it was ufual with him to fend for men of note, that he thought wanted preferment, and to give them prebends and benefices under feal before they knew of it. Of this we have a remarkable inftance in the cafe of Mr. Bois, on whom he conferred a prebend of Ely unafked for. He was fent for to London by the Bishop. When he had given him, as we commonly fay, joy of it (which was his firft falutation at his coming to him), he told him," that "he did below it freely on him, without any one moving him thereto; though (faid he) fome pick-thanks will be saying, they flood your "friends herein." Which prediction proved very true. (Peck's Desiderata curiosa, B. VIII. p. 50.)—Fuller obferves of him, that "the "Fathers are not more faithfully cited in his book, than lively copied "out in his countenance and carriage; his gravity in a manner awing King James, who refrained from that mirth and liberty in the pre"fence of this prelate, which otherwise he assumed to himself." Of his writings perhaps the moft known and the moft ufeful is the Manual of Devotions, composed in Greek and Latin for his own private ufe, and rendered into English by Dean Stanhope. For fome time before his death the manufcript was fcarce ever out of his hands. It was found worn in pieces by his fingers, and wet with his tears. A late editor of these devotions thus concludes his advertisement to the reader. "When "thou haft bought this book, enter into thy closet and fhut the door; pray with Bifhop Andrews for one week, and he will be thy com"panion for the refidue of thy years; he will be pleafant in thy life, "and at the hour of death he will not forfake thee.". "Who," faith Bishop Gauden, "hath more amplenefs and completenefs for a good "Man, a good Bishop, a good Chriftian, a good Scholar, a good "Preacher, and a good Counsellor, than Bishop Andrews, a man of an "aftonishing excellency both at home and abroad?”—See Lloyd's State Worthies, p. 1016. "Then I fay did his Majefty fhow this Chriftian courage of his more manifeftly, when he fent the profefsion of his religion, "The Apology of the Oath of Allegiance," and his opinion of the Roman Antichrift, in all languages to all Princes of Chrifiendom. By occafion of which book, though there have rifen twenty Rabhakes, who have railed against our God, in railing againft our religion; and twenty Shemeis, who have railed against the perfon of his Sacred Majefty-(for I may pronounce that the number of them who have barked and fuarled at that book in writing is fcarce lefs than forty);-yet fcarce one of them all hath undertaken the arguments of that book, but either repeated, and perchance enlarged those things, which their own authors had fhovelled together of that fubject (that is, the Pope's temporal power); or else they have bent themselves maliciously, infolently, facrilegiously against the perfon of his Majefty; and the Pope may be Antichrift ftill, for any thing they have faid to the contrary." (Dr. Donne's Sermon at Paul's Cross, Afarch 24, 1616.) |