It is difficult to discover what correfpondence fubfifted between our biographer and the writer of the preceding letter, who, having been admitted to the degree of Doctor of Laws in the University of Padua, was incorporated in that degree at Oxford in 1638. In a Will which was printed in 1662, Dr. John Donne, junior, bequeathed all his father's writings, with his "Common Place Book," to Ifaac Walton, for the use of his fon, if he fhould be brought up a fcholar. That he was a Clergyman, and had fome preferment in the diocese of Peterborough, we learn from a letter written to him by Dr. John Towers, Bishop of Peterborough, his diocefan; wherein his Lordship thanks him for the first volume of his father's fermons, telling him that his parishioners may pardon his filence to them for a while, fince by it he hath preached to them and to their children's children, and to all our English parishes, for ever. Anthony Wood, although he describes him as a man of fenfe and parts, is unfavourable to his memory. He represents him as no better than "an atheistical buffoon, a banterer, and a perfon of over-free thoughts, yet valued by Charles II." With a farcasm not unusual, to him, he informs his reader, that Dr. Walter Pope "leads an epicurean and heathenifh life, much like to that of Dr. Donne, the fon.". Bishop Kennet, in his "Regifter," p. 318, calling him by mistake, Dr. John Downe, names him as the editor of A Collection of Letters made by Sir Toby Matthews, Knight," with a character of the most excellent Lady, Lucy Countefs of Carlisle, by the fame. author; to which are added several letters of his own to feveral perfons of honour, who were contemporary with him, London, 1660, gvo I cannot but obferve that he neither confulted the reputation. of his father, nor the public good, when he caused the "Biathana. tos" to be printed. "If he was determined, at all events, to difregard the injunctions of parental authority, would it not have been more expedient to have committed the manufcript to the flames, rather than to have encountered the hazard of diffufing certain novel opinions, from which no good confequences could pofsibly arife? For though thofe effects did not actually follow, which are mentioned by an induftrious foreign writer', who tells us that on the first publication of this work, many perfons laid violent hands on themselves; yet the most remote probability of danger accruing from it fhould have induced him entirely to have fupprefsed it. But to return from this digression.

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* He died in 1682, and was buried in the Churchyard of St. Paul, in Covent Garden.

The following account of Dr. Donne is given in "Morhoff's Polyhiftor," L. VI. C. IV. § xviii. "Inter quos numerandum puto JOHANNEM DONNE, "Ecclefiæ S. Pauli apud Londiner fis Decanum. Ingeniofifsimum fuifs Poemata ejus juvenilia oftendunt Londini A. 1633 in 4 edita, quæ anno ætatis 18 fcripfit," "plena argutifsimorum conceptuum: Quorum aliquot in Linguam Belgicam ver "tit Conftantius Hugonius à Carolo fecundo Rege follicitatus, qui inimitabilem "Germanis et Belgis hujus viri ftylum putabat. Sermones verò facros elegantif. "fimos et multos, et in varios S. Scripturæ textus emifit Londini, diverfis annis." "Scripfit et Meditationes fuper morbo fuo facras, quæ in Linguam Belgicum con- ' ❝ verfæ et Amftelodami 1655, in 12 editæ funt. Scripfit et Librum, quem à tali “Viro fcribi potuifle planè mirere, quippe qui avtoxsgian, certis in cafibus,!

•licitam

The narrative of the vifion in this Life of Dr. Donne hath fubjected the author to fome fevere animadverfions. Let it however be remembered, that he probably related the matter with cautious and difcreet fidelity, as it was really reprefented to him. The ac count is not inferted in the earlier editions of Dr. Donne's Life. Hence we may prefume that the fricteft and moft fevere inquiry was made before its introduction. Plutarch is not esteemed a credulous writer: Yet he has given a full and circumstantial history of the appearances that prefented themfelves to Dion and to Brus tus. And in modern times, Dr. Doddridge, a mofi fedulous examiner of facts, and of all men the leaft liable to credulity and weakness of underftanding, published a relation of an extraordinary vifion. Let it be remarked that, according to the opinion of a medical writer of great eminence, a difcriminating fymptom of human infanity is "the rifing up in the mind of images not diftinguishable by the patient from imprefsions upon the fenfes."-To a momentary delufion originating from fome bodily diforder we may fafely attribute the vifions or falfe perceptions, of which many authentic defcriptions have been tranfmitted to us; and we may eafily fuappofe that Dr. Donne, feparated from his beloved wife and family, whom he had left in a very diftrefsful fituation, muft have fuffered the most poignant anxiety of mind, and of courfe much indifpolition of body,

In

When the first years of man have been devoted to "the diligence of trades and noifeful gain," we have no reason to hope that his mind will be replenished by study, or enriched with literature. the lucrative, as well as in the political life, men are tempted to affume fome of thofe habits or difpofitions, which are not entirely confiftent with the principles of justice or honour. An eagerness to amafs wealth, not feldom extinguishes every other affection. But it was not thus with Ifaac Walton. Firm and uncorrupted in his integrity, he no fooner bade farewell to his commercial concerns, then he gave the moft convincing proofs of his attention to the most laudable purfuits. He had already written the life of one friend. He now undertook to exhibit a teftimony of refpect to the memory of another. In 1651, he was the editor of "Reliquiæ Wottonianæ, or a Collection of Lives, Letters, Poems, with Characters of fundry Perfonages, and other incomparable Pieces of Language and Art, by the curious Pencil of the ever-memorable Sir Henry

"licitam quoque effe affirmaret: Titulus, Biabavaros: That felf-murder is not fo "naturally a fin, that it may never be otherwife: Eaitus verò liber demum poft mor. "tem Auctoris eft: Arque, ut aiunt, iplo etiam, dum viveret, ejus cditioném "feriò deprecante prohibenteque, Londini 1648, in 4.0. Acmox, cùm prodiiffer, "adeo fe multis hominibus probavit, ut haud pauci ejus Lectione ad morzem voz "luntariam adati memorentur: Recuíus certè iterum Loodini eß, 1644. Er haud dubiè dedit occafionem fcribendo alii Libro, nefcio cujus Anonymi, qui "perniciofiffimam opinionem ex animus hominum eveliere baud ans Retentaba Pellicanicidium, or the Chriftian Adviser again Self-murder: Together with a Guide, and the Pilgrim's Pafs to the Land of the Living, Lond. 1653, in 8vo.

m See "Plin. Epin." L. VII. Epift. 27. "Biographia Britannica" in the articles BEN JONSON, ANDREW MARVEL. See alfo Lord Clarendon's Hift, of "the Rebellion," Vol. I. p. 42.

Wotton, Knt. late Provost of Eaton College." This collection is dedicated "to Lady Mary Wotton, relict of the last Lord Wotton, and to her three noble daughters." Thefe ladies communicated to him many original letters, written by their illustrious relation. After the dedication follows "The Life of Sir Henry Wotton." In the succeeding editions, the volume is infcribed to the Right Honourable Philip Earl of Chesterfield, Lord Stanhope of Shelford, and great nephew to Sir Henry Wotton". This nobleman accompanying his mother, the Lady Catharine Stanhope, into Holland, where he attended the Princefs of Orange, daughter to Charles I. had his education along with William, Prince of Orange, afterwards advanced to the throne of England, and became very ferviceable in promoting the restoration of the Royal Family. He loved the memory, and imitated the virtues of his generous uncle. By a life of strict temperance he attained to a great age. He died, January 28, 1713°. It is proper to obferve that a later edition of the "Reliquiæ Wottonianæ," namely that of 1685, is enriched with Sir Henry Wotton's Letters to Lord Zouch, who was eminent among his contemporaries as an able' statesman and an accomplished fcholar.

"The Church History of Great Britain," compiled by Dr. Tho mas Fuller, whofe writings, though far from being without blemish, are of inestimable value, was first publifhed in 1655. A converfation seasoned with much pleasantnefs and innocent jocularity, is faid to have passed between the author and his ever cheerful and friendly acquaintance, Mr. Ifaac Walton, upon the general character of this Work. Walton having paid him a vifit, it was asked by Fuller, who knew how intimate he was with feveral of the Bishops and ancient Clergy, first, What he thought of the History himself, and, then, what reception it had met with among them. Walton anfwered, that he thought "it should be acceptable to all tempers; "because there were shades in it for the warm, and sun-shine for "thofe of a cold conftitution; that with youthful readers the face"tious parts would be profitable to make the ferious more pala"table; while fome reverend old readers might fancy themfelves "in his Hiftory of the Church, as in a flower garden, or one full of evergreens.' "And why not," faid Fuller, "the Church History, "fo decked as well as the Church itself at a moft, holy season, or the "tabernacle of old at the Feast of Boughs ?"-" That was but for a "feafon," faid Walton; "in your Feast of Boughs, they may con"ceive, we are so overfhadow'd throughout, that the parfon is more

n The mother of this Lord Chesterfield was Catharine the eldest daughter of Thomas Lord Wotten, and relict of Henry Lord Stanhope, who died before his father the Earl of Chefterfield. She had been governefs to Mary Princess of Orange, and after the Restoration was made Countess of Chesterfield. See" Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting," Vol. II. p. 113.

A contemporary writer has thus delineated the characters of Dr. Donne and Sir Henry Wotton" To fpeak it in a word, the Trojan Horfe was not "fuller of heroic Grecians, than King James's reign was full of men excellent in all kinds of learning. And here I defire the reader's leave to remember two of my own old acquaintance: the one was Mr. John Donne, who, leaving Oxford, **lived at the Inns of Court, not difsolute, but very neat, a great vifitor of ladies, ❝ a great

"feen than his congregation, and this fometimes invifible to its old "acquaintance, who may wander in the fearch, till they are lost in "the labyrinth." "Oh!" fays Fuller, "the very Children ofour Israel 66 may find their way out of this wilderness." "True," returned Walton, 66 as indeed they have here fuch a Mofes to conduct them P."

His next work was "The Life of Mr. Richard Hooker," which first appeared in 1662. It was compofed at the earnest request of Dr. Sheldon, then Bishop of London; and with the exprefs purpose of correcting fome errors committed by Dr. Gauden, from mere inadvertency and hafte, in his account of "that immortal "man," as he has been emphatically ftyled, "who spoke no language "but that of truth dictated by conscience." Gauden feems to have been extremely deficient in his information, and, dying foon af terwards, had no opportunity of revifing and amending his very imperfect and inaccurate memoir. This was followed by The Life of Mr. George Herbert," ufually called the Divine Herbert," in 1670. In 1678, he concluded his biographical labours with "The Life of Dr. Robert Sanderfon." Previous to the publication of this laft work he received the fol lowing interefting letter from Dr. Thomas Barlow, then Bishop of Lincoln, who had been for many years the intimate friend of Dr.

66

a great writer of conceited verfes, until fuch time as King James, taking notice "of the pregnancy of his wit, was a means that he took him to the study of Di "vinity, and thereupon proceeding Doctor was made Dean of St. Paul's, and be "came fo rare a preacher, that he was not only commended, but even admired "by all that heard him. The other was Henry Wotton (mine old acquaintance allo, as having been fellow pupils and chamber-fellows in Oxford divers years "together). This gentleman was employed by King James in embafsage to "Venice; and indeed the kingdom afforded not a fitter man for matching the "capacioufness of the Italian wits: A man of fo able dexterity with his pen, "that he hath done himself much wrong, and the kingdom more, in leaving no "more of his writings behind him."

(Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle of the Kings of England, London, 1684.) P See "Biogr. Brit." p. 2061. [P]

q Sir John Hawkins, in his "Life of Mr. Ifaac Walton," inadvertently obferves, that Mr. Hooker was perfonally known to his biographer. The formes died in 1600; the latter was then only feven years of age, being born in 1593,

r The following letter is tranfcribed from a MS. in the library bequeathed to the Corporation of Newcaftle-upon-Tyne, by Dr. Tomlinfon, formerly Retor of Wickham, in the county of Durham.

1 SIR,

6

"You fee I have not forgot my promife to you: Here are your two books: If "you have never read the preface to your beloved A Kempis,' I fancy, it will "please you well; and, if it do, send up one tender thought for him, who con veys it to your hand. The Life of good Mr. Herbert is full of discoveries of a "Sweet compofed harmonicus mind, that it will not be ungrateful neither: One hour with fuch entertainment is better than a life of long enjoyment of the pleasures of the Louvre. It is Sunday morning, and I am hafting to prayers. So give me leave to beg a fhare in your prayers for myself, for your fervant my wite, "and for the babies, "I am, with all fincerity,

Dr. d. 12 June

81

"Sir, your affectionate fervant,

"PERTH."

"For Mr. James Aird, from his affec. fervant, PERTH."

Sanderson during his refidence at Oxford, and after his retirement into the country.

(6 MY WORTHY FRIEND MR. WALTON,

"I am heartily glad, that you have undertaken to write the Life "of that excellent perfon, and, both for learning and piety, emi"nent Prelate, Dr. Sanderson, late Bishop of Lincoln; because I "know your ability to know, and integrity to write truth: And "fure I am, that the life and actions of that pious and learned Pre"late will afford you matter enough for his commendation, and the "imitation of pofterity. In order to the carrying on your intended "good work, you defire my afsiftance, that I would communicate "to you fuch particular pafsages of his life, as were certainly "known to me. I confefs I had the happinefs to be particularly "known to him for about the space of twenty years; and, in Oxon, "to enjoy his conversation, and his learned and pious inftructions "while he was Regius Professor of Divinity there. Afterwards, "when (in the time of our late unhappy confufions) he left Oxon, "and was retired into the country, I had the benefit of his letters; "wherein, with great candour and kindness, he answered those " doubts I propofed, and gave me that fatisfaction, which I neither "had, nor expected from fome others of greater confidence, but lefs "judgment and humility. Having in a letter named two or three "books writ (ex professo) against the being of any original fin; "and that Adam, by his fall, tranfmitted fome calamity only, but "no crime to his pofterity; the good old man was exceedingly "troubled, and bewailed the mifery of thofe licentious times, and "feemed to wonder (fave that the times were fuch) that any "hould write, or be permitted to publish any error fo contradictory to truth, and the doctrine of the Church of England, esta"blished (as he truly faid) by clear evidence of Scripture, and the "juft and fupreme power of this nation, both facred and civil. I "name not the books, nor their authors, which are not unknown "to learned men (and I wish they had never been known), be "cause both the doctrine, and the unadvised abettors of it are, and "fhall be, to me apocryphals.

"Another little ftory I must not pafs in filence, being an argu"ment of Dr. Sanderfon's piety, great ability, and judgment, as "a cafuift. Difcourfing with an honourable perfon (whofe piety "I value more than his nobility and learning, though both be "great), about a cafe of confcience concerning oaths and vows, "their nature and obligation; in which, for fome particular rea"fons, he then defired more fully to be informed; I commended to "him Dr. Sanderfon's book 'De Juramento;' which having read, "with great fatisfaction, he afked me,-If I thought the Doctor

s The writer principally alluded to in this part of the Letter, was the excellent Dr. Jeremy Taylor, appointed Bishop of Down and Conner, in Ireland, in 1660, and of Dromore in 1661.

1 ROBERT BOYLE, Efq.