being but once past cannot be call'd againe for all thou hast Of his charitie to the citie of Bristow and a relation of some other his seuerall bounties BEsides many other places that can yéeld a plentifull testimonie for him in his behalfe and make a condigne Relation of his good workes we may not here forget the religious care and prouident order which he tooke in his life time for the reliefe and succour of the poore people of Bristowe Who hearing that the same citie was fallen into some decay and pouertie out of a féeling remorse and charitable inclination he had to yeeld helpe to their deiections fréely bestowed vpon the same citie the summe of one hundreth pounds As his bountie was great towards this Citie so were his hands euery where reached out to the necessities of all sortes Yea such was his charitie that if he had seene poore men addicted to labour he would set them on worke and cause them to be imployed to their better furtherance and encouragement If he heard that any of his poore neighbours were decrepit or destitute of meanes to follow their professions he would supply their needes in one condition or other and not faile by his money to make way for their good intentions Wherein he dealt no worse with them then a Reuerend father dealt with a poore kinsman of his who being solicited to aduance him And he thereuppon inquiring what course of life he followed and receiuing answere that he was an Husbandman Why then quoth he if his plough be broken I will repaire it or rather then faile bestow a new one vpon him whereby he may goe on in his course of life But so to aduance him as to make him idle or to forsake his trade or condition in which he was brought vp that I meane not to doe He was milde and gentle to all and his purse euer open to such as were petitioners vnto him for his reliefe so as he might iustly be compared to Titus Qui neminem vnquà m à se tristem dimisit Such as were sutors vnto him for succour did not at any time depart from him without contentment he dismissed no man sorrowfull for lacke of successe nor sent any man from his presence full of griefe or sadnes for want of his helping hand to giue ease and enlargement to their heauines As he was deuoutly carefull to relieue both aged and impotent old men so was he alwaies religiously mindefull as is aforesaid of the wel tuturing and good education of poore and indigent schollers following the example of a godly Patron who estéemed Hospitale adsubleuandam pauper tatem Scholam ad instruendam inuentutem esse optima opera quae aliquis potuit efficere That an Hospitall to sustaine the poore and a Schoole to traine vp youth were the worthiest works that a man could leaue behinde him Insomuch as led by these motiues hée left to the benefite of Posteritie an euerlasting memorie of his Saint-like minde in these behalfes Allowing sixtéene pounds a yeere for euer to Christs-Hospitall in London to be imployed towards the vse and maintenance of a Schoolemaister to traine vp and instruct tenne young Schollers in the knowledge and learning of Musicke and Pricksong Eightéene pounds a yéere to be continued for euer for the Examination Approbation of certaine Schollers yeerely out of the Frée-schoole of the Companie of Marchant taylors in London Twenty pounds a yéere for euer To the Prisons of Ludgate Newgate the two Counters And certaine Fées and Allowances to the Officers of Marchant-tailors-Hall to remaine to perpetuitie to sée these things duely obserued according to the purpose of his charitable and religious intention All which he performed with such Alacritie that it may bee saide of him Merces eius copiosae est in Coelis His reward is very great in the Kingdome of Heauen In the sight of God hee enioyeth the fulnes of all Felicitie which neither eye hath séene nor eare heard nor mans heart atchieued For Resurrectio immortalitatis pullulat foecundius cùm in pauperum auxilio seritur The Resurrection of immortalitie springs more fertillie when it is sowne in helpe of the distressed and needie And he liuing and dying no doubt a chosen and beloued seruant of God and one who as it may be truely said of him had deuoutly consecrated both his whole life to God and his carefull endeuours to the reliefe of the poore After hee had performed his Oblations of Prayer and Thanks-giuing to God as Abraham of whome he was a true Sonne yéelded vp the Spirit and died in a good Age an olde man and of great yéeres Committing his bodie which was but lately the mansion of a most excellent Soule vnto his graue where it rests in assured expectation of a glorious resurrection The manner of his Departure out of this World and his desire to bee with God IN all his sicknes which was not long by reason of the weaknes and disabilitie of his bodie being fourescore and fiftéene yeeres olde hee neuer shewed signe of discontentment or impatience neither was there one word heard come forth of his mouth sounding either of dispaire or infideliitie of mistrust or distrust or of any doubting or wauering in the Faith of Christ but alwayes remained faithfull and resolute in his God and so desirous was he to be with the Lord that these golden Sentences were neuer out of his mouth I desire to be dissolued and to bee with Christ And oh miserable wretch that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie subiect to sinne Come quickly Lord Iesus Come quickly Like as the Hart desireth the Water-springs So doth my Soule thirst after thee Oh God I had rather bee a Doore-keeper in the House of my GOD then to dwell in the Tentes of the wicked With manie other Heauenly spéeches which least I should séeme tedious I will omit Hee would alwayes pray absolutely that God would take him out of this miserable Worlde And wheÌ„ his Kinred or Friends would séeme to pray for his health if it were the will of God He would answere I beseech you pray not that I should liue For I thinke it long to bee with my God CHRIST is to me Life Death is to me aduantage Yea the day of death is the birth day of euerlasting life and I cannot enter into Life but by Death Therefore Death is the dore or Entrance into Euerlasting life to mee I know and am certainly perswaded by the Spirit of God that the Sentence is giuen alreadie by the great Iudge in the High Court of Parliament of Heauen that I shall now depart out of this life and therefore pray nâ—t for mee that I may liue here but pray to God to giue me strength and Patience to perseuere to the end and to close mine eyes in a Iustifying Faith in the Blood of my CHRIST With that he saide I thanke my GOD through IESVS CHRIST Hee is come Hee is come my good Iaylour is come to let my soule out of prison Oh sweete Death thou art welcome welcome sweete death Neuer was there any Guest so welcome to mee as thou art Welcome the messenger of euerlasting life Welcome the dore and entrance into euerlasting glorie Welcome I say and thrice welcome My good Iaylour doe thine office quickly and set my soule at libertie Strike sweete Death strike my heart I feare not thy stroke Now it is done Father into thy blessed hands I commend my Spirite Into thy blessed handes I commend my Soule and my bodie At which wordes his breath stayed and so neither moouing hand nor foote he slept swéetly in the Lorde The second day of May. Anno. 1612. Thus haue you heard the vertuous life and Christian death of M. Doue whose many deedes of Charitie are more acceptable to God and more memorable to men in that they were done in his life time God stirre vp the hearts of Rich and Able men to follow his steppes and giue them grace to imitate his good example That they may come to those vnspeakable Ioyes wherein hee now resteth through Christ our Lorde FINIS 〈◊〉 3. 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 men Acts. 10. Phil. 4.18 Gen. 48. Reu. 19.16 Psal. 22.6 Iob. 25.6 Chap. 31. 20
LONDONS DOVE OR A Memoriall of the life and death of Maister Robert Doue Citizen and Marchant-Taylor of LONDON and of his seuerall Almesdeeds and large bountie to the poore in his life time He departed this life on Saterday the 2. day of this instant Moneth of Mar 1612. LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede for Ioseph Hunt and are to be solde at his house in Bedlam neere Moore-field Gate 1612. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR IOHN SWINNERTON KNIGHT ONE of the Aldermen of the honorable Citie of London HAuing drawne certaine particular remembrances of the bountie and charitable Almes-deedes of Maister Robert Doue lately deceased done all for the most part in his life time And they being digested into a volume although little for quantitie yet not vnworthy to be committed to memorie I thought they could not be better bestowed then vpon such as held commerce with that company or were Heads of that body whereof he continued a long time a worthy member Amongst which I haue selected you from a number of others and am bold to present this little labour vnto you as a brother of that Societie and one that can well iudge both of the Relation and the truth thereof The chiefe and farthest point that my intention seekes to arriue at in this is but to leaue to Posteritie a deserued Testimonie and commemoration of his sâ—â—erall liberalities to the intent that the hand of Mâ—rcy which Heauen in him hath stretcht forth ouer distressed people being duly considered Others to whom God hath plentifully giuen his blessings may be stirred vp to trace him in the like steppes of true Chaâ—iâ—ie and be encouraged to looke into their owne Souâ—es betimes and to imitate him in the works of pietie It is my Loue that makes tender of this vnto you which I pray receiue with such good acceptation As with my best affection it comes and is bestowed vpon you Thus humbly referring my selfe to your censure I rest Deuoted vnto your worship Anthe Nyxon LONDONS DOVE OR THE MIRROVR OF MARCHANT-TAYLORS CAlling to minde the finall end of mans Creation which is to glorifie GOD and to edifie one an other in the wayes of true Pietie I thought it a dutie as well in respect of the one as in regard of the other to publish this care wonderfull exaÌ„ple of the vertuous life Christian death of M. Robert Doue Citizen Marchant-Taylor of London who whilst he liued was a Mirrour of Charitie and now being dead is a true patterne of perfect Christianitie But how I may be bolde to lay colours of commendation though neuer so fresh true and liuely on the picture of his Bountie drawen foorth by the cunning hand of his worthie déedes or at least the déedes of his hand vpon the seuerall Tables of needie persons I am in doubt since by these colours of mine his glorious Picture may be much obscured that of it selfe is so faire and beautifull as the hearts of all admiring it Their Pennes in priuate and Tongues in publique are busied to write in short and speake at large of the worthines of the same Notwithstanding It being such that extracteth from the Tongues of euery one this Confession Huic similem non vidi I haue not seene anie like to this man And more also Nulla fereâ—t similem Secla futura tibi The Age to come it's like to bee Will neuer bring the like to thee And such being the condition of euery good worke of bountie as Almes-déedes or such like that it leaues a perpetuall Impression behinde that Posteritie may see in succeeding times the venerable foot-steps of such as haue trode the pathes of precedencie in true Loue and Charitie Let vs now behold what liuely Prints this happy man made euen in his life time by the sundry stamps of his manifold bounties That the times present future Ages may both imitate and admire the same This Phrase of Scripture may be duely attributed vnto him Manie haue done vertuously and bountifully but thou surmountest them all What Trée may more iustly make compare with the Tâ—ee of this mans blessed life then that which like an Heauenly plant growing vp in an earthly soyle beareth twelue manner of Fruites euen tâ—elue-times monethly in the yéere The very Leaues being for Medicine as the Fruit is for meat For hee in good works was so fruitfulâ— that hee spread-foorth his braunches with their fruits after seuerall manners vnto thirtéene sortes of persons Feeding them twelue times also monthly in the yeere that is All the yéere long with meat medicine As w c such Fruite Lâ—aues as his Tree affoorded Preseruing the sound in health ridding the diseased of infirmities and so continuing both in life By which they cease not with chéerefulnes to lifte vp this voyce to Heauen Oh how happie Creatures are wee that euer hee was borne And thrice blessed hee that euer hee so liued to helpe in number more distressed members of the Mysticall bodie of CHRIST then were the members of his owne naturall bodie To speake of his godly life it was such as gained the rare commendation of all that knew him aswell for his wisedome As for his honestie gentlenes and affabilitie And aboue all for his feruent zeale which he bare vnto Gods word For his whole heart was bent to séeke the Lord His legges were alwaies willing and readie so long as they had abilitie to performe their dutie to carrie his aged bodie to frequent Sermons and heare diuine seruice His whole delight was to be conuersant in the Scriptures and to meditate vpon them day and night Insomuch as while his sight serued he was seldome or neuer found without a bible or some other good booke in his hands And when that failed him he would spend his Time in conferring talking and reasoning of the word of God and of Religion and especially of places and points that did most concerne his latter end and mortalitie Asking what is the Sense of this place what of that How may this place be expounded How that What obserue you of this point and what of that So that he séemed to be as it were rauished with the same Spirit that Dauid was when he said The Zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp Oh happie Doue whose soule is a sacrifice to God and in whose flames so many poore mens prayers are flowne vp to heauen Blessed maist thou be as by beholding thy selfe to be so graced of thy God as by seeing thy sinnes to cleaue vnto the pauement through humilitie and by bestowing thine Almes to reach vnto the firmament through thy liberalitie and bountie hearing the words of that message once brought to Cornelius his eare sounding a fresh in thine heart Thine Almes haue â—scenâ—ed before the face of God Ascending vp to be rewarded and yet abiding below to be renowned Ascending vp That God may shew his faithfulnes in performing no lesse â—heÌ„ he hath promised in rewarding more tenne
men for the same But Marie and Martha Feasting CHRIST were blessed of GOD for euer Manie make Banquets but the poore haue no part in them So did Holofernes for Iudiths sake but perished in his excesse The rich Glutton fared daintilie euery day while the poore man died at his gate for want of foode Couetousnesse would suffer him to giue nothing like churlish Naball and Vnmercifulnesse threwe him headlong to Hell Pittie and tender Compassion doe declare the Children of men to be the Sonnes of God who doth admonish them thereunto saying Bee you mercifull as your heauenly Father is mercifull Herein is God pleased and his Maiestie honoured by doing and shewing the true markes of his deere Children This stirred vp Maister Doue in the godly remembrance hereof not only in his life time to relieue these distressed persons by his manie continued déedes of Charitie but to leaue a worthy commemoration of his Religious intentionâ— to remaine for euer after his death by the gifte of Fiftie pounds to bee employed in the perpetuall behoofe of such as shall be condemned to die That is in hauing the great Bell at Saint Sepulchers Church without New-gate to be Tolled on euery Execution day till the condemned Prisoners haue suffered death and also a small Hande Bell to bee Rung at Midnight vnder Newe-Gate the Night after their Condemnation And the next morning at the Church-wall To put them in minde of their mortalitie with a Prayer to be saide touching their saluation Oh admirable Deuotion and worthie to be recorded in the Monuments of Antiquitie who whether he liued or died gaue maintenance by his bountie that this should continue for euer for the comfort of them and all succéeding them Oh what a vertuous man was this whose care was not onely to preserue their bodies from fainting by ministring ordinary supplie of sustenance but to giue them spirituall foode and to awake their sléepie senses from securitie to saue their soules from perishing Of the maintenance giuen by him vnto certaine Schollers in Saint Iohn Baptist Colledge in Oxford BEsides the many memorable déeds of Deuotion which he did to poore aged men to comfortles widowes to destitute and néedie yong-men to distressed Prisoners and to diuers others yet vnknowne in farre larger measure then my Instructions haue hitherto ledde me vnto He was also a charitable and carefull Patron to poore Schollers where the abilitie of their owne Friendes was not able to reach to yéelde them exhibition And besides what he had formerly done vnto them he gaue an hundreth pounds at Easter last and a Latine Bible written in parchment to certaine Schollers in S. Iohn Baptists Colledge in Oxforde for their maintenance and vse and for their further preferment in learning the high way to honor Oh happie Schollers borne in such a time where bountie and vertue calleth you to promotion Spend not therefore pretious time idely nor withdrawe your selues from the happines of your future hopes Now is a golden treasurie opened vnto you which farre surmounteth Craesus wealth make your selfe rich in learning and honor shall be your reward This your good Benefactor hath loaden you with better treasure then gold siluer or pretious stones which are subiect to many casualties gotteÌ„ with griefe kept with care and lost with a thousand sorrowes These riches are seldome possessed in peace but are the cause many times of cruell murthers thefts and an hundred deadly daungers of body and often proue the destruction of the Soule But learning shall whilest you liue euer last and remaine with you No théefe shall be able leauing your life to robbe you of this treasure Had king Priamus sent his Sonne Polidorus with no other treasure to his supposed friends The young Prince had neuer felt the force of inhumaine murther and crueltie nor his Parents had cause to lament so grieuous a mischance with so many sorrowfull and bitter teares Therefore be gréedie to gaine learning and knowledge be earnest and carefull to purchase wisedome the which shall crowne you with honor in the daies of your perfection and raise you to the high Seate of dignitie Imbrace this benefit with gladnes and praise God for him that gaue furtherance vnto it Of the bountie and charitie of Maister Doues to the Schoolmaister and Schollers of Christs Hospitall in London OUer many Orphanes poore children did he become a carefull father standing in stead of their owne naturall Parents in affording meanes to haue them trained vp in the exercise of good letters to bring them to preferment and to kéepe them from the snares of Idlenes the path to perdition hath in tender regard of their good and the Commonwealths benefit giuen furtheraÌ„ce to y e Schoolemaister of Christs Hospitall to nourish them in the knowledge of the latine tongue and such as are not capable thereof to be instructed in wryting and casting account and to be placed and preferred to seuerall trades and mysteries wherby they may grow in time to be happie members of this honorable citie Oh yée children carrie thankfull mindes first to God for his goodnes in preferring you hereunto and next vnto such Benefactors as haue so charitably prouided to instruct you Through his bountie shall you be trained vp either in the latine toÌ„gue that you may proceed vnto further knowledge or in writing that you may be able to set downe that w c your penne which your memorie is by no meanes able to preserue And whether you be in prison restrained from libertie or separated by the Sea from the sight of your countrey by your penne you may helpe your selues in the one and satisfie your selues in the other What honors you may attaine vnto by learning or what good you may come to by hand-writing you are not able to conceiue before you haue made experience of it By the one you may be both beatified and beautified with all y t inward graces of the minde by the other you might speake if you had lost your tongues by tyrannie as many did in the bloody daies of Dioclesian Or did your legges faile you or were you made cripples by the warres as Scipio was yet your writing might get your liuings and procure both rayment for the backe and foode for the belly were your mindes troubled and vexed and that your memories were as weake as Mesalaâ—s braine was féeble yet the propertie of your penne might serue to helpe you in y t imperfection Wherefore it is no small benefit bestowed vpon you oh yee childâ—en that may be inriched with so excellent a qualitie onely by vsing diligence without any charge to your Parents For this cause suffer not occasion to ouerslip you but take hold of her fore cop least neglecting méete opportunitie you afterward snatch in vaine at her bald hinder part and so with griefe and repentance bewaile the losse of that which can neuer after be recouered according to that of the Poet Volat irreuocabile Tempus That Time is bald and