Wilt thou forgive that fin, which I have won A year or two, but wallow'd in a score? I have a fin of fear, that when I've fpun My last thread, I fhall perish on the shore: I have rather mentioned this hymn, for that he caused it to be fet to a moft grave and folemn tune, and to be often fung to the organ by the chorifters of St. Paul's Church in his own hearing, efpecially at the evening fervice, and at his return from his customary devotions in that place, did occafionally fay to a friend, "The words of this hymn have restored to me "the fame thoughts of joy that pofsefsed my foul in my fick-"nefs when I compofed it. And, O the power of church"mufic! that harmony added to this hymn has raised the af"fections of my heart, and quickened my graces of zeal and "gratitude; and I obferve that I always return from paying "this public duty of prayer and praife to God, with an unex"pressible tranquillity of mind, and a willingness to leave the "world." After this manner did the difciples of our Saviour, and the beft of Chriftians in thofe ages of the church nearest to his time, offer their praises to Almighty God; and the readers of St. Auguftine's life may there find, that towards his dissolution he wept abundantly, that the enemies of Christianity' had broke ❝ftead of writing poetry wrote only verse, who cannot be faid to have "imitated any thing, as they neither copied Nature from, life, neither painted the forms of matter, nor reprefented the operations of intel"lect. Deficient in the fublime and the pathetic, they abounded in "hyperbole, in unnatural thoughts, violent fictions, foolish conceits, exprefsions either grofsly abfurd, or indelicate and difgufting." (Dr. Johnson's Works, vol. IX. 66 p. 24.) On the antiquity, ufe, and excellence of church-mufic, fee " Bishop Horne's fixteen Sermons on various Subjects and Occafions," p. 265. 1 St. AUGUSTIN died after the Goths and Vandals had with much barbarous cruelty and bloodshedding over-run the greatest part of his native country of Africa; only three cities of any note were preferved from their fury, of which his own city, Hippo, was one, though befieged by them fourteen months. According to his prayer he was delivered out of their hands by the mercy of God, who took him to himfelf during the time of the fiege. See his Life written by Pafidonius, and ufually prefixed to his works. in upon them, and prophaned and ruined their fanctuaries, and because their public hymns and lauds were loft out of their churches. And after this manner have many devout fouls lifted up their hands and offered acceptable facrifices unto Almighty God where Dr. Donne offered his, and now lies buried. "But now, O Lord, how is that place become defolate ".". Anno 1656. Before I proceed further, I think fit to inform the reader, that not long before his death he caused to be drawn a figure of the body of Chrift, extended upon an anchor, like those which painters draw when they would prefent us with the picture of Christ crucified on the cross; his varying no otherwise than to affix him not to a cross, but to an anchor (the emblem of hope); this he caused to be drawn in little, and then many of thofe figures thus drawn to be engraven very small in Helitropium ftones", and fet in gold, and of those he fent to many of his dearest friends, to be used as feals or rings, and kept as memorials of him, and his affection to them. His dear friends and benefactors, Sir Henry Goodier, and By the votes of both Houfes, made in the Long Parliament, Sept. 10-11, anno 1612, for the abolishing of bishops, deans, and chapters, the very foundation of this famous cathedral, favs Sir William Dugdale, was utterly fhaken in pieces. In the following year the fàmous cross in the churchyard, which had been for many ages the most noted and folemn place in this nation for the greatest divines and greatest scholars to preach at, was pulled down to the ground; the ftalls of the Quire were alfo taken away; as alfo part of the pavement torn up, and monuments utterly demolished or defaced. The fcaffolds erected for the repair of the church were given to the foldiers, and by them pits were dug for fawing up the timber in feveral places thereof, even where fome reverend bishops and other perfons of quality lay interred; and afterwards the body of the church was frequently converted to a horfequarter for foldiers. (See Kennet's Register and Chronicle, p. 549.) "The Heliotropium is a very beautiful species of jafper, and has been long known to the world as a gem. Its colour is a fine and firong green, fometimes pure and fimple, but more frequently with an admixture of blue in it. It is moderately tranfparent in thin pieces, and is always veined, clouded, and spotted with a blood red From this, its most obvious character, it has obtained among our jewellers the name of the blood-fione. (Lewis's Materia Medica.) • One of the gentlemen of his Majefty's Privy Chamber. To him Dr. Donne has addrefsed feveral of his letters in the Collection, which was printed in 1651. "To the honour of Sir Henry Goodyer of Polefworth, a Knight me"morable for his virtues," faith Camden, "au affectionate friend of "his made this tetraflick." "An ill year of a Goodyer us bereft, "Who gon to God much lack of him here left; "Full of good gifts of body and of minde, Wife, comely, learned, eloquent, and kinde." (Weecer's Ancient Fun. Monuments, p. 302.) Sir Robert Drewry, could not be of that number, nor could the Lady Magdalen Herbert P, the mother of George Herbert, for they had put off mortality, and taken pofsefsion of the grave before him; but Sir Henry Wotton and Dr. Hall, the then late deceafed Bishop of Norwich were; and fo were Dr. Duppa, Bishop of Salisbury, and Dr. Henry King, Bishop of Chichester (lately deceased); men, in whom there was fuch a commixture of general learning, of natural eloquence, and Chriftian humility, that they deferve a commemoration by a pen equal to their own, which none have exceeded. And in this enumeration of his friends, though many must be omitted, yet that man of primitive piety, Mr. George Herbert, may not: I mean that George Herbert, who was the author of "The Temple, or Sacred Poems and Ejaculations;" a book, in which, by declaring his own fpiritual conflicts, he hath comforted and raifed many a dejected and difcompofed foul, and charmed them into fweet and quiet thoughts; a book, P Of this excellent woman fee "Walton's Life of Mr. George Herbert.", 9 Dr. JOSEPH HALL, Bishop of Norwich. "The learned have given "him this character, that he was Our English Seneca,' dexterous at controverfy, not unhappy at comments, very good at characters, *better in fermons, beft of all in meditations and contemplations, all "which have long fince been put out in three volumes." (Magna Bri tannia, vol. III. p. 394.) Full of the fpirit of Juvenal and Perfius, he is confidered as the first of our fatirical poets. He introduces his cele brated work," Virgidemiarum" with thefe lines "I firft adventure, follow me who lift, And be the fecond English Satirift." His difapprobation of burying the dead in churches is thus exprefsed in his laft will: " I Jofeph Hall, D. D. not worthy to be called Bishop of Norwich, &c. First, I bequeath my foul, &c. my body I leave to be interrel without any funeral pomp, at the direction of my executors, with this only monition, that I do not hold God's house a meet reposi tory for the dead bodies of the greatest saints." Accordingly he himfelf was buried in the churchyard at Heigham near Norwich.-Compton, Bishop of London, entertained the fame fentiments" The church for "the living, the churchyard for the dead." • Dr. BRYAN DUPPA, tranflated from the fee of Chichefler, to that of Salibary, was deprived of all his preferment on the breaking out of the rebellion. Having faithfully continued his attendance on the King, to the time of his ever-to-be-lamented death, he afterward retired to Richmond in Surrey, where he devoted himfelf to study and devotion, At the refloration he was promoted to Winchefier; and died, March 26, 1662. On the day preceding his death, Charles II. to whom he had been preceptor, vifited him in his bed-chamber, and on his bended knees implored his benediction. "le died," fays Wood, "as he lived, ho"noured and beloved of all that knew him; a perfon of fo clear and "eminent candour, that he left not the leaft fpot upon his life or func"tion, maugre the bufy fedition of thofe who then, as before, blacked the very furplice, and made the liturgy profane." 66 by the frequent reading whereof, and the affiftance of that fpirit that feemed to infpire the author, the reader may attain habits of peace and piety, and all the gifts of the Holy Ghoft and heaven, and may by ftill reading, ftill keep thofe facred fires burning upon the altar of fo pure a heart, as fhall free it from the anxieties of this world, and keep it fixed upon things that are above. Betwixt this George Herbert and Dr. Donne there was a long and dear friendship, made up by such a sympathy of inclinations, that they coveted and joyed to be in each other's company; and this happy friendship was ftill maintained by many facred endearments, of which that which followeth may be fome teftimony. TO Mr. GEORGE HERBERT, SENT HIM WITH ONE OF MY SEALS OF THE ANCHOR AND CHRIST. A sheaf of snakes used heretofore to be my seal, which is the crest of our 1 poor family. Qui priùs afsuetus ferpentum falce tabellas Adopted in God's family, and fo Both works and prayers, pawns and fruits of a friend. To you that bear his name large bounty deal. JOHN DONNE, IN SACRAM ANCHORAM PISCATORIS, GEORGE HERBERT. Quòd Crux nequibat fixa clavique additi, E Although the cross could not Christ here detain, GEORGE HERBERT. I return to tell the reader, that befides thefe verfes to his dear Mr. Herbert, and that hymn that I mentioned to be fung in the Quire of St. Paul's Church, he did alfo fhorten and beguile many fad hours by compofing other facred ditties, and he writ an hymn on his death-bed, which bears this title: A HYMN TO GOD MY GOD. IN MY SICKNESS, MARCH 23, 1630. SINCE I am coming to that holy room, Since my phyficians by their loves are grown So, in his purple wrapt, receive me, Lord! "That he may raife, therefore the Lord throws down." If these fall under the cenfure of a foul, whofe too much mixture with earth, makes it unfit to judge of thefe high raptures and illuminations, let him know that many holy and devout men have thought the foul of Prudentius & to be moft re S AURELIUS PRUDENTIUS CLEMENS, a Chriftian poet of the fourth century, was a native of Spain. He spent the earlier period of his life in more active fcenes, diftinguishing himself as an advocate at the bar, a foldier in the camp, and lafily as a courtier in the Imperial Court. He attempted not to write verfes until he was advanced in years: Tandem verò in senectute repulsá mundi vanitate ad sacras Scripturas "se contulit, et Carmine ac Prosá multa utriusque Testamenti abstrusa "exposuit." (J. Trithemius.)--Gyraldus obferves, that in his works there |