this years resolutions he therefore did set down his Rules in that order as the World now sees them printed in a little Book call'd The Countrey Parson in which some of his Rules are The Parsons Knowledge The Parson on Sundayes The Parson Praying The Parson Preaching The Parsons Charity The Parson comforting the Sick The Parson Arguing The Parson Condescending The Parson in his Journey The Parson in his Mirth The Parson with his Church-wardens The Parsons Blessing the People And his behavior toward God and man may be said to be a practical Comment on these and the other holy Rules set down in that useful Book A Book so full of plain prudent and useful Rules that that Countrey Parson that can spare 12 d. and yet wants is scarce excusable because it will both direct him what he is to do and convince him for not having done it At the Death of Mr. Herbert this Book fell into the hands of his friend Mr. Woodnot and he commended it into the trusty hands of Mr. Bar. Oly. who publish't it with a most conscientious and excellent Preface from which I have had some of those Truths that are related in this life of Mr. Herbert The Text for his first Sermon was taken out of Solomons Proverbs and the words were Keep thy heart with all diligence In which first Sermon he gave his Parishioners many necessary holy safe Rules for the discharge of a good Conscience both to God and man And deliver'd his Sermon after a most florid manner both with great learning and eloquence And at the close of his Sermon told them That should not be his constant way of Preaching and that he would not fill their heads with unnecessary Notionsâ— but that for their sakes his language and his expressions should be more plain and practical in his future Sermons And he then made it his humble request That they would be constant to the Afternoons Service and Catechising And shewed them convincing reasons why he desir'd it and his obliging example and perswasions brought them to a willing conformity to his desires The Texts for all his Sermons were constantly taken out of the Gospel for the day and he did as constantly declare why the Church did appoint that portion of Scripture to be that day read And in what manner the Collect for every Sunday does refer to the Gospel or to the Epistle then read to them and that they might pray with understanding he did usually take occasion to explain not only the Collect for every particular day but the reasons of all the other Collects and Responses in our Service and made it appear to them that the whole Service of the Church was a reasonable and therefore an acceptable Sacrifice to God as namely that we begin with Confession of our selves to be vile miserable sinners and that we begin so because till we have confessed our selves to be such we are not capable of that mercy which we acknowledge we need and pray for but having in the prayer of our Lord begg'd pardon for those sins which we have confest And hoping that as the Priest hath declar'd our Absolution so by our publick Confession and real Repentance we have obtain'd that pardon Then we dare proceed to beg of the Lord to open our lips that our mouths may shew forth his praise for till then we are neither able nor worthy to praise him But this being suppos'd we are then fit to say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost and fit to proceed to a further service of our God in the Collects and Psalms and Lands that follow in the Service And as to these Psalms and Lauds he proceeded to inform them why they were so often and some of them daily repeated in our Church-service namely the Psalms every Month because they be an Historical and thankful repetition of mercies past and such a composition of prayers and praises as ought to be repeated often and publickly for with such Sacrifices God is honour'd and well-pleased This for the Psalms And for the Hymns and Lauds appointed to be daily repeated or sung after the first and second Lessons were read to the Congregation he proceeded to inform them that it was most reasonable after they have heard the will and goodness of God declar'd or preach't by the Priest in his reading the two Chapters that it was then a seasonable Duty to rise up and express their gratitude to Almighty God for those his mercies to them and to all Mankind and say with the blessed Virgin That their Souls do magnifie the Lord and that their spirits do also rejoyce in God their Saviour And that it was their Duty also to rejoyce with Simeon in his Song and say with him That their eyes have also seen their salvation for they have seen that salvation which was but prophesied till his time and he then broke out in expressions of joy to see it but they live to see it daily in the History of it and therefore ought daily to rejoyce and daily to offer up their Sacrifices of praise to their God for that and all his mercies A service which is now the constant employment of that blessed Virgin and Simeon and all those blessed Saints that are possest of Heaven and where they are at this time interchangeably and constantly singing Holy Holy Holy Lord God Glory be to God on High and on Earth peace And he taught them that to do this was an acceptable service to God because the Prophet David sayes in his Psalms He that praiseth the Lord honoureth him He made them to understand how happy they be that are freed from the incumbrances of that Law which our Fore-fathers groan'd under namely from the Legal Sacrifices and from the many Ceremonies of the Levitical Law freed from Circumcision and from the strict observation of the Jewish Sabbath and the like And he made them know that having receiv'd so many and so great blessings by being born since the dayes of our Saviour it must be an acceptable Sacrifice to Almighty God for them to acknowledge those blessings and stand up and worship and say as Zacharias did Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath in our dayes visited and redeemed his people and he hath in our dayes remembred and shewed that mercy which by the mouth of the Prophets he promised to our Fore-fathers and this he hath done according to his holy Covenant made with them And we live to see and enjoy the benefit of it in his Birth in his Life his Passion his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven where he now sits sensible of all our temptations and infirmities and where he is at this present time making intercession for us to his and our Father and therefore they ought daily to express their publick gratulations and say daily with Zacharias Blessed be that Lord God of Israel that hath thus visited and thus redeemed his people These
many of high parts and piety have undertaken to clear the Controversie yet for the most part they have rather satisfied themselves than convinced the dissenting party And doubtless many middle-witted men which yet may mean well many Scholars that are not in the highest Form for Learning which yet may preach well men that shall never know till they come to Heaven where the questions stick betwixt Arminius and the Church of England will yet in this world be tampering with and thereby perplexing the Controversie and do therefore justly fall under the reproof of St. Jude for being Busie-bodies and for medling with things they understand not And here it offers it self I think not unfitly to tell the Reader that a friend of Sir Henry Woltons being designed for the imployment of an Ambassador came to Eaton and requested from him some experimental Rules for his prudent and safe carriage in his Negotiations to whom he smilingly gave this for an infallible Aphorism That to be in safety himself and serviceable to his Countrey he should alwayes and upon all occasions speak the truth it seems a State-Paradox for sayes Sir Henry Wotton you shall never be believed and by this means your truth will secure your self if you shall ever be called to any account and 't will also put your Adversaries who will still hunt counter to a loss in all their disquisitions and undertakings Many more of this nature might be observed but they must be laid aside for I shall here make a little stop and invite the Reader to look back with me whil'st according to my promise I shall say a little of Sir Albertus Morton and Mr. William Bedel whom I formerly mentioned I have told you that are the Readers that at Sir Henry Wottons first going Ambassador into Italy his Cosin Sir Albert Morton went his Secretary and am next to tell you that Sir Albertus dyed Secretary of State to our late King but cannot am not able to express the sorrow that possest Sir Henry Wotton at his first hearing the news that Sir Albertus was by death lost to him and this world and yet the Reader may partly guess by these following expressions The first in a Letter to his Nicholas Pey of which this that followeth is a part And My dear Nick When I had been here almost a fortnight in the midst of my great contentment I received notice of Sir Albertus Morton his departure out of this World who was dearer to me than mine own being in it what a wound it is to my heart you that knew him and knew me will easily believe but our Creators Will must be done and unrepiningly received by his own Creatures who is the Lord of all Nature and of all Fortune when he taketh to himself now one and then another till that expected day wherein it shall please him to dissolve the whole and wrap up even the Heaven it self as a Scrole of parchment This is the last Philosophy that we must study upon Earth let us therefore that yet remain here as our dayes and friends waste reinforce our love to each other which of all vertues both spiritual and moral hath the highest priviledge because death it self cannot end it And my good Nick c. This is a part of his sorrow thus exprest to his Nick Pey the other part is in this following Elogy of which the Reader may safely conclude 't was too hearty to be dissembled Tears wept at the Grave of Sir Albertus Morton by Henry Wotton SIlence in truth would speak my sorrow best For deepest wounds can least their feelings tell Yet let me borrow from mine own unrest A time to bid him whom I lov'd farewell Oh my unhappy Lines you that before Have serv'd my youth to vent some wanton cryes And now congeal'd with grief can scarce implore Strength to accent Here my Albertus lies This is that Sable stone this is the Cave And womb of earth that doth his Corps embrace While others sing his praise let me ingrave These bleeding numbers to adorn the place Here will I paint the Characters of woe Here will I pay my tribute to the dead And here my faithful tears in showres shall flow To humanize the flints on which I tread Where though I mourn my matchless loss alone And none between my weakness judge and me Yet even these pensive walls allow my moan Whose doleful Echoes to my plaints agree But is he gone and live I riming here As if some Muse would listen to my lay When all dis-tun'd sit waiting for their dear And bathe the Banks where he was wont to play Dwell then in endless bliss with happy souls Discharg'd from natures and from fortunes trust Whil'st on this fluid Globe my Hour-glass rowls And runs the rest of my remaining dust H. Wotton This concerning his Sir Albertus Morton And for what I shall say concerning Mr. William Bedel I must prepare the Reader by telling him That when King James sent Sir Henry Wotton Ambassador to the State of Venice he sent also an Ambassador to the King of France and another to the King of Spain with the Ambassador of France went Joseph Hall late Bishop of Norwich whose many and useful works speak his great merit with the Ambassador of Spain went Ja. Wadsworth and with Sir Henry Wotton went William Bedel These three Chaplains to these three Ambassadors were all bred in one University all of one Colledge all Benefic'd in one Diocess and all most dear and intâ—â—e Friends But in Spain Mr. Wadsworth met with temptations or reasons such as were so powerful as to perswade him who of the three was formerly observ'd to be the most averse to that Religion that calls itself Catholick to disclaim himself a Member of the Church of England and declare himself for the Church of Rome discharging himself of his attendance on the Ambassador and betaking himself to a Monasterial life in which he lived very regularly and so dyed When Dr. Hall the late Bishop of Norwich came into England he wrote to Mr. Wadsworth 't is the first Epistle in his printed Decads to perswade his return or the reason of his Apostasie the Letter seemed to have in it many sweet expressions of love and yet there was something in it that was so unpleasant to Mr. Wadsworth that he chose rather to acquaint his old friend Mr. Bedel with his motives by which means there past betwixt Mr. Bedel and Mr. Wadsworth very many Letters which be extant in Print and did well deserve it for in them there seems to be a controversie not of Religion on only but who should answer each other with most love and meekness which I mention the rather because it seldom falls out so in a Book-War There is yet a little more to be said of Mr. Bedel for the greatest part of which the Reader is referred to this following Letter of Sir Henry Wottons writ to our late King Charles May it please Your
year of his Age he proceeded Master of Arts and at that time read in Latine three Lectures â—e Oculo wherein he having described the Form the Motion the curious composure of the Eye and demonstrated how of those very many every humour and nerve performs its distinct Office so as the God of Order hath appointed without mixture or confusion and all this to the advantage of man to whom it is given not onely as the bodies guide but whereas all other of his senses require time to inform the Soul this in an instant apprehends and warns him of danger teaching him in the very eyes of others to discover wit folly love and hatred After these observations he fell to dispute this Optique question VVhether we see by the Emission of the Beams from within or Reception of the Species from without and after that and many other like learned disquisitions in the Conclusion of his Lectures he took a fair occasion to beautifie his discourse with a Commendation of the blessing and benefit of Seeing By which we do not only discover Natures Secrets but with a continued content for the eye is never weary of seeing behold the great Light of the VVorld and by it discover the Fabrick of the Heavens and both the Order and Motion of the Celestial Orbs nay that if the eye look but downward it may rejoyce to behold the bosome of the Earth our common Mother embroidered and adorned with numberless and various Flowers which man sees daily grow up to perfection and then silently moralize his own condition who in a short time like those very Flowers decayes withers and quickly returns again to that Earth from which both had thei first being These were so exactly debated and so Rhetorically heightned as among other admirers caused that learned Italian Albericus Gentilis then Professor of the Civil Law in Oxford to call him Henrice mi ocelle which dear expression of his was also used by divers of Sir Henry's dearest Friends and by many other persons of Note during his stay in the University But his stay there was not long at least not so long as his â—riends once intended for the year after Sir Henry proceeded Master of Arts his father whom Sir Henry did never mention without this or some like reverential expression as That good man my father or My father the best of men about that time this good man changed this for a better life leaving to Sir Henry as to his other younger sons a rent-charge of an hundred Mark a yearâ— to be paid for ever out of some one of his Mannors of a much greater value And here though this good man be dead yet I wish a Circumstance or two that concern him may not be buried without a Relation which I shall undertake to do for that I suppose they may so much concern the Reader to know that I may promise my self a pardon for a short Digression IN the year of our Redemption 1553. Nicholas Wotton Dean of Canterbury whom I formerly mentioned being then Ambassador in France dream'd that his Nephew this Thomas Wotton was inclined to be a party in such a project as if he were not suddenly prevented would turn both to the loss of his life and ruine of his Family Doubtless the good Dean did well know that common Dreams are but a senseless paraphrase on our waking thoughts or of the business of the day past or are the result of our over ingaged affections when we betake our selves to rest and that the observation of them may turn to silly Superstitions as they too often do But though he might know this and might also believe that Prophesies are ceased yet doubtless he could not but consider that all Dreams are not to be neglected or cast away and did therefore rather lay this Dream aside than intend totally to lose it for that dreaming the same again the Night following when it became a double Dream like that of Pharaoh of which dreams the learned have made many observations and that it had no dependance â—n is waking thoughts much less on the desires of his heart then he did more seriously consider it and remembred that Almighty God was pleased in a Dream to reveal and to assure Monica the Mother of St. Austin that he her son for whom she wept so bitterly and prayed so much should at last become a Christian This the good Dean considered and considering also that Almighty God though the causes of Dreams be often unknown hath even in these latter times by a certain illumination of the soul in sleep discovered many things that humane wisdom could not foresee Upon these considerations he resolved to use so prudent a remedy by way of prevention as might introduce no great inconvenience to either party And to that end he wrote to the Queen 't was Queen Mary and besought her That she would cause his Nephew Thomas Wotton to be sent for out of Kent and that the Lords of her Council might interrogate him in some such feigned questions as might give a colour for his Commitment into a favourable Prison declaring that he would acquaint her Majesty with the true reason of his request when he should next become so happy as to see and speak to her Majesty 'T was done as the Dean desired and in Prison I must leave Mr. Wotton till I have told the Reader what followed At this time a Marriage was concluded betwixt our Queen Mary and Philip King of Spain And though this was concluded with the advice if not by the persuasion of her Privy Council as having many probabilities of advantage to this Nation yet divers persons of a contrary perswasion did not onely declare against it but also raised Forces to oppose it believing as they said it would be a means to bring England under subjection to Spain and make those of this Nation slaves to strangers And of this number Sir Thomas Wyat of Boxley-Abby in Kent betwixt whose Family and the Family of the Wottons there had been an ancient and intire friendship was the principal Actor who having perswaded many of the Nobility and Gentry especially of Kent to side with him and being defeated and taken Prisoner was legally arraigned condemned and lost his life So did the Duke of Suffolk and divers others especially many of the Gentry of Kent who were there in several places executed as Wyats assistants And of this number in all probability had Mr. Wotton been if he had not been confin'd for though he was not ignorant that another mans Treason makes it mine by concealing it yet he durst confess to his Uncle when he returned into England and came to visit him in Prison that he had more than an intimation of Wyats intentions and thought he had not continued actually innocent if his Uncle had not so happily dream'd him into a Prison out of which place when he was delivered by the same hand that caused his Commitment they both
to foretell his death for which he seemed to those many friends that observed him to be well prepared and still free from all fear and chearful as several Letters writ in his bed and but a few dayes before his death may testifie And in the beginning of December following he fell again into a Quartan Fever land in the tenth fiâ— his better part that part of Sir Henry Wotton which could not dye put off Mortality with as much content and chearfulness as humane frailty is capable of he being in perfect peace with God and man And thus the Circle of his Life that Circle which began at Bocton and in the Circumference thereof did first touch at Winchester-School then at Oxford and after upon so many remarkable parts and passages in Christendom That Circle of his Life was by Death thus closed up and compleated in the seventy and second year of his Age at Eaton Colledge where according to his Will he now lies buried dying worthy of his Name and Family worthy of the love and favour of so many Princes and Persons of eminent Wisdom and Learning worthy of the trust committed unto him for the Service of his Prince and Country And all Readers are requested to believe that he was worthy of a more worthy Pen to have preserved his Memory and commended his Merits to the imitation of Posterity AN ELEGIE ON Sir HENRY WOTTON WRIT By Mr ABRAM COWLEY WHat shall we say since silent now is he Who when he spoke all things woul'd silent be Who had so many languages in store That only fame shall speak of him in more Whom England now no more return'd must see He 's gone to Heaven on his fourth Embassie On Earth he travail'd often not to say H 'ad been abroad to pass loose time away For in what ever land he chanc'd to come He read the men and manners bringing home Their Wisdom Learning and their Pietie As if he went to Conquer not to see So well he understood the most and best Of Tongues that Babel sent into the West Spoke them so truly that he had you 'd swear Not only liv'd but been born every where Justly each Nations speech to him was known Who for the World was made not us alone Nor ought the Language of that man be less Who in his brest had all things to express We say that Learning 's endless and blame Fate For not alowing life a longer date He did the utmost bounds of Knowledg finde And found them not so large as was his minde But like the brave Pellean youth did mone Because that Art had no more Worlds then one And when he saw that he through all had past He dy'd least he should Idle grow at last A. Cowley FINIS M r RICHARD HOOKER Author of those Learned Bookes of Ecclesiasticall pollitie The LIFE OF Mr. RICH. HOOKER THE AUTHOR of those Learned Books OF THE Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity Psal. 145. 4. One generation shall praise thy works to another Prov. 2. 15. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge rightly LONDON Printed by Tho Newcomb for Rich Marriot sold by most Booksellers M.DC.LXX To his very Worthy Friend Mr. Isaac Walton upon his Writing and Publishing the Life of the Venerable and Judicious Mr. Richard Hooker I. HAyle Sacred Mother British Church all hayle From whose fruitful Loyns have sprung Of Pious Sons so great a throng That Heav'nt oppose their force of strength did fail And let the mighty Conquerors o're Almighty arms prevail How art thou chang'd from what thou wert a late When destitute and quite forlorn And scarce a Child of thousands with thee left to mourn Thy veil all rent and all thy garments torn With tears thou didst bewail thine own and childrens fate Too much alas thou didst resemble then Sion thy pattern Sion in ashes laid Despis'd Forsaken and betray'd Sion thou dost resemble once agen And rais'd like her the glory of the World art made Threnes only to thee could that time belong Bâ—t now thou art the lofty Subject of my Song II. Begin my Verse and where the doleful Mother sate As it in Vision was to Esdras shown Lamenting with the rest her dearest Son Blest CHARLES who his Forefathers has outgon And to the Royal join'd the Martyrs brighter Crown Let a new City rise with beautious state And beautious let its Temple be and beautiful the Gate Lo how the Sacred Fabrick up does rise The Architects so skilful All So grave so humble and so wise The Axes and the Hammers noise Is drown'd in silence or in numbers Musicall 'T is up and at the Altar stand The Reverend Fathers as of Old With Harps and Incense in their hand Nor let the pious service grow or stiff or cold Th' inferiour Priests the while To Praise continually imploy'd or Pray Need not the weary hours beguile Enough 's the single Duty of each day Thou thy self Woodford on thy humbler Pipe must play And tho but lately entred there So gracious those thou honour'st all appear So ready and attent to hear An easie part proportion'd to thy skill may'st bear III. But where alas where wilt thou fix thy choice The Subjects are so noble all So great their beauties and thy art so small They 'll judge I fear themselves disparag'd by thy voyce Yet try and since thou canst not take A nameâ— so despicably low But 't will exceed what thou canst do Tho thy whole Mite thou away at once shouldst throw Thy Poverty a vertue make And that thou may'st Immortal live Since Immortality thou canst not give From one who has enough to spare be ambitious to receive Of Reverend and Judicious Hooker sing Hooker does to th' Church belong The Church and Hooker claim thy Song And inexhausted Riches to thy Verse will bring So far beyond it self will make it grow That life his gift to thee thou shalt again on him bestow IV. How great blest Soul must needs thy Glories be Thy Joyes how perfect and thy Crown how fair Who mad'st the Church thy chiefest care This Church which owes so much to thee That all Her Sons are studious of thy memory 'T was a bold work the Captiv'd to redeem And not so only but th'Oppress'd to raise Our aged Mother to that due Esteem She had and merited in her younger dayes When Primitive Zeal and Piety Were all her Laws and Policy And decent Worship kept the mean It 's too wide stretch't Extreams between The rudely scrupulous and extravagantly vain This was the work of Hookers Pen With Judgement Candor and such Learning writ Matter and Words so exactly fit That were it to be done agen Expected 't would be as its Answer hitherto has been RITORNATA To Chelsea Song there tell Thy Patrons Friend The Church is Hookers Debtor Hooker His And strange 't would be if he should Glory miss For whom two such most powerfully contend Bid him chear up the Day 's his own And he shall never die Who
charity ought to be imitated for though the spirit of revenge is so pleasing to Mankind that it is never conquered but by a supernatural grace being indeed so deeply rooted in humane Nature that to prevent the excesses of it for men would not know Moderation Almighty God allows not any degree of it to any man but sayes Vengeance is mine And though this be said by God himself yet this revenge is so pleasing that man is hardly perswaded to submit the menage of it to the Time and Justice and Wisdom of his Creator but would hasten to be his own Executioner of it And yet nevertheless if any man ever did wholly decline and leave this pleasing passion to the time and measure of God alone it was this Richard Hooker of whom I write for when his Slanderers were to suffer he laboured to procure their pardon and when that was denied him his Reply was That however he would fast and pray that God would give them repentance and patience to undergo their punishment And his prayers were so far returned into his own bosom that the first was granted if we may believe a penitent behaviour and an open confession And 't is observable that after this time he would often say to Dr. Saravia Oh with what quietness did I enjoy my Soul after I was free from the fears of my Slander and how much more after a conflict and victory over my desires of Revenge About the Year 1600 and of his Age 46 he fell into a long and sharp sickness occasioned by a cold taken in his passage betwixt London and Gravesend from the malignity of which he was never recovered for till his death he was not free from thoughtful Dayes and restless Nights but a submission to his Will that makes the sick mans Bed easie by giving rest to his Soul made his very languishment comfortable and yet all this time he was sollicitous in his Study and said often to Dr. Saravia who saw him daily and was the chief comfort of his life That he did not beg a long life of God for any other reason but to live to finish his three remaining Books of POLITY and then Lord let thy servant depart in peace which was his usual expression And God heard his prayers though he denied the Church the benefit of them as compleated by himself and 't is thought he hastened his own death by hastening to give life to his Books But this is certain that the nearer he was to his death the more he grew in Humility in Holy Thoughts and Resolutions About a month before his death this good man that never knew or at least never consider'd the pleasures of the Palate became first to lose his appetite then to have an aversness to all food insomuch that he seem'd to live some intermitted weeks by the smell of meat only and yet still studied and writ And now his guardian Angel seem'd to foretell him that the day of his dissolution drew near for which his vigorous Soul appear'd to thirst In this time of his Sickness and not many dayes before his Death his House was rob'd of which he having notice his Question was Are my Books and written Papers safe And being answered That they were his Reply was then it matters not for no other loss can trouble me About one day before his Death Dr. Saravia who knew the very secrets of his Soul for they were supposed to be Confessors to each other came to him and after a Conference of the Benefit the Necessity and Safety of the Churches Absolution it was resolved the Doctor should give him both that and the Sacrament the day following To which end the Doctor came and after a short retirement and privacy they return'd to the company and then the Doctor gave him and some of those friends which were with him the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of our Jesus Which being performed the Doctor thought he saw a reverend gaity and joy in his face but it lasted not long for his bodily Infirmities did return suddenly and became more visible in so much that the Doctor apprehended Death ready to seize him yet after some amendment left him at Night with a promise to return early the day following which he did and then found him in better appearance deep in Contemplation and not inclinable to Discourse which gave the Doctor occasion to require his present Thoughts to which he replied That he was meditating the number and nature of Angels and their blessed obedience and order without which peace could not be in Heaven and oh that it might be so on Earth After which words he said I have lived to see this world is made up of perturbations and I have been long preparing to leave it and gathering comfort for the dreadful hour of making my account with God which I now apprehend to be near and though I have by his grace lov'd him in my youth and fear'd him in mine age and labour'd to have a conscience void of offence to him and to all men yet if thou O Lord be extreme to mark what I have done amiss who can abide it and therefore where I have failed Lord shew mercy to me for I plead not my righteousness but the forgiveness of my unrighteousness for his merits who dyed to purchase pardon for penitent sinners and since I owe thee a death Lord let it not be terrible and then take thine own time I submit to it let not mine O Lord but let thy Will be done with which expression he fell into a dangerous slumber dangerous as to his recovery yet recover he did but it was to speak only these few words Good Doctor God hath heard my daily petitions for I am at peace with all men and he is at peace with me and from that blessed assurance I feel that inward joy which this world can neither give nor take from meâ— More he would have spoken but his spirits failed him and after a short conflict betwixt Nature and Death a quiet Sigh put a period to his last breath and so he fell asleep And here I draw his Curtain till with the most glorious company of the Patriarchs and Apostles the most Noble Army of Martyrs and Confessors this most learned most humble holy man shall also awake to receive an eternal Tranquillity and with it a greater degree of Glory than common Christians shall be made partakers of In the mean time bless O Lord Lord bless his Brethren the Clergy of this Nation with effectual endeavours to attain if not to his great learning yet to his remarkable meekness his godly simplicity and his Christian moderation for these bring peace at the last And Lord let his most excellent Writings be blest with what he design'd when he undertook them which was Glory to Thee O God on High Peace in thy Church and Good Will to Mankind Amen Amen This following Epitaph was long since presented to the World
usually printed before Mr. Hookers five Books but omitted I know not why in the last impression of the eight printed together in Anno 1662. in which the Publishers seem to impose the three doubtful as the undoubted Books of Mr. Hooker with these two Letters J. S. at the end of the said Epistle which was meant for this John spencer in which Epistle the Reader may find these words which may give some Authority to what I have here written And though Mr. Hooker hastened his own death by hastening to give life to his Books yet he held out with his eyes to behold these Benjamins these sons of his right hand though to him they prov'd Benonies sons of pain and sorrow But some evil disposed minds whether of malice or covetousness or wicked blind zeal it is uncertain as soon as they were born and their father dead smother'd them and by conveying the perfect Copies left unto us nothing but the old imperfect mangled draughts dismembred into pieces no favour no grace not the shadow of themselves remaining in them had the father lived to behold them thus defaced he might rightly have named them Benonies the sons of sorrow but being the learned will not suffer them to dye and be buried it is intended the world shall see them as they are the learned will find in them some shadows and resemblances of their fathers face God grant that as they were with their Brethren dedicated to the Church for messengers of peace so in the strength of that little breath of life that remaineth in them they may prosper in their work and by satisfying the doubts of such as are willing to learn they may help to give an end to the calamities of these our Civil Wars J. S. And next the Reader may note that this Epistle of Dr. Spencers was writ and first printed within four years after the death of Mr. Hooker in which time all diligent search had been made for the perfect Copies and then granted not recoverable and therefore endeavoured to be compleated out of Mr. Hookers rough draughts as is exprest by the said Dr. Spencer since whose death it is now 50 Years And I do profess by the faith of a Christian that Dr. Spencers Wife who was my Aunt and Sister to George Cranmer of whom I have spoken told me forty Years since in these or in words to this purpose That her Husband had made up or finish't Mr. Hookers last three Books and that upon her Husbands Death-bed or in his Last Sickness he gave them into her hand with a charge they should not be seen by any man but be by her delivered into the hands of the then Archbishop of Canterbury which was Dr. Abbot or unto Dr. King then Bishop of London and that she did as he injoin'd her I do conceive that from Dr. Spencers and no other Copy there have been divers Transcripts and were to be found in several places as namely Sir Thomas Bodlies Library in that of Dr. Andrews late Bishop of Winton in the late Lord Conwayes in the Archbishop of Canterburies and in the Bishop of Armaghs and in many others and most of these pretended to be the Authors own hand but much disagreeing being indeed altered and diminisht as men have thought fittest to make Mr. Hookers judgement suit with their fancies or give authority to their corrupt designs and for proof of a part of this take these following Testimonies Dr. Barnard sometime Chaplain to Dr. Usher late Lord Archbishop of Armagh hath declar'd in a late Book called Clavi Trebales printed by Richard Hodgkinson Anno 1661. that in his search and examination of the said Bishops Manuscripts he found the three written Books which were supposed the 6 7 and 8 of Mr. Hookers Books of Ecclesiastical Polity and that in the said three Books now printed as Mr. Hookers there are so many omissions that they amount to many Paragraphs and which cause many incoherencies the omissions are by him set down at large in the said printed Book to which I refer the Reader for the whole but think fit in this place to insert this following short part of them First as there could be in Natural Bodies no Motion of any thing unless there were some first which moved all things and continued unmoveable even so in Politick Societies there must be some unpunishable or else no man shall suffer punishment for sith punishments proceed alwayes from Superiors to whom the administration of justice belongeth which administration must have necessarily a fountain that deriveth it to all others and receiveth not from any because otherwise the course of justice should go infinitely in a Circle every Superior having his Superior without end which cannot be therefore a Well-spring it followeth there is a Supreme head of Justice whereunto all are subject but it self in subjection to none Which kind of preheminency if some ought to have in a Kingdom who but the King shall have it Kings therefore or no man can have lawful power to judge If private men offend there is the Magistrate over them which judgeth if Magistrates they have their Prince if Princes there is Heaven a Tribunal before which they shall appear on Earth they are not accomptable to any Here sayes the Doctor it breaks off abruptly And I have these words also attested under the hand of Mr. Fabian Philips a man of Note for his useful Books I will make Oath if I shall be required that Dr. Sanderson the late Bishop of Lincoln did a little before his death affirm to me he had seen a Manuscript affirmed to him to be the hand-writing of Mr. Richard Hooker in which there was no mention made of the King or Supreme Governours being accomptable to the People this I will make Oath that that good man attested to me Fabian Philips So that there appears to be both Omissions and Additions in the said last three printed Books and this may probably be one reason why Dr. Sanderson the said learned Bishop whose Writings are so highly and justly valued gave a strict charge near the time of his Death or in his last Will That nothing of his that was not already printed should be printed after his Death It is well known how high a value our learned King James put upon the Books writ by Mr. Hooker as also that our late King Charles the Martyr for the Church valued them the second of all Books testified by his commending them to the reading of his Son Charles that now is our gracious King and you may suppose that this Charles the First was not a stranger to the pretended three Books because in a Discourse with the Lord Say when the said Lord required the King to grant the truth of his Argument because it was the judgement of Mr. Hooker quoting him in one of the three written Books the King replied They were not allowed to be Mr. Hookers Books but however he would allow them to be Mr. Hookers
Annum With this and his Annuity and the advantage of his Colledge and of his Oratorship he enjoy'd his gentile humour for Cloaths and Court-like company and seldom look'd towards Cambridge unless the King were there and then he never fail'd but at other times left the manage of his Orators place to his learned friend Mr. Herbert Thorndike who is now Prebend of Westminster I may not omit to tell that he had often design'd to leave the University and decline all Study which he judg'd did impair his health for he had a body apt to a Consumption and to Fevers and other infirmities which he judg'd were increas'd by his Studies for he would often say He had a Wit like a Pen-knife in a narrow sheath too sharp for his Body But his Mother would by no means allow him to leave the University or to travel to which though he inclin'd very much yet he would by no means satisfie his own desires at so dear a rate as to prove an undutiful Son to so affectionate a Mother but did alwayes submit to her wisdom And what I have now said may partly appear in a Copy of Verses in his printed Poems 't is one of those that bears the title of Affliction And it appears to be a pious reflection on Gods providence and some passages of his life and in which he sayes WHereas my birth and spirit rather took The way that takes the Town Thou did'st betray me to a lingring Book And wrap me in a Gown I was intangled in a World of strife Before I had the power to change my life Yet fâ—r I threatned oft the Siege to raise Not simpring all mine age Thou often didst with Academick praise Melt and dissolve my rage I took the sweetned Pill till I came where I could not go away nor persevere Yet least perchance I should too happy be In my unhappiness Turning my purge to food theu throw'st me Into more sicknesses Thus doth thy power Cross-byas me not making Thine own gifts good yet me from my wayes taking Now I am here what thou wilt do with me None of my Books will shew I read and sigh and wish I were a Tree For then sure I should grow To fruit or shade at least some Bird would trust Her Houshold with me and I would be just Yet though thou troublest me I must be meek In weakness must be stout Well I will change my service and go seek Some other Master out Ah my dear God! though I am clean forgot Let me not love thee if I love thee not G. H. In this time of Mr. Herberts attendance and expectation of some good occasion to remove him from Cambridge to Court God in whom there is an unseen Chain of Causes did in a short time put an end to the lives of two of his most oblieging and most powerful friends Lodowick Duke of Richmond and James Marquess of Hamilton and not long after him King James dyed and with them all Mr. Herbert's Court-hopes So that he presently betook himself to a Retreat from London to a Friend in Kent where he liv'd very privately and was such a lover of solitariness as was judg'd to impair his health In this time of Retirement he had many Conflicts with himself Whether he should return to the painted pleasures of a Court-life or betake himself to a study of Divinity and enter into Sacred Orders to which his dear Mother had often persuaded him These were such Conflicts as they only can know that have endur'd them for ambitious Desires and the outward Glory of this World are not easily laid aside but at last God inclin'd him to put on a resolution to serve at his Altar He did at his return to London acquaint a Court-friend with his resolution to enter into Sacred Orders who persuaded him to alter it as too mean an employment and too much below his birth and the excellent abilities and endowments of his mind To whom he replied It hath been formerly judg'd that the Domestick Servants of the King of Heaven should be of the noblest Families on Earth and though the Iniquity of the late Times have made Clergy-men meanly valued and the sacred name of Priest contemptible yet I will labour to make it honourable by consecrating all my learning and all my poor abilities to advance the glory of that God that gave them knowing that I can never do too much for him that hath done so much for me as to make me a Christian. And I will labour to be like my Saviour by making Humility lovely in the eyes of all men and by following the merciful and meek example of my dear Jesus This was then his resolution and the God of Constancy who intended him for a great example of vertue continued him in it for within that year he was made Deacon but the day when or by whom I cannot learn but that he was about that time made Deacon is most certain for I find by the Records of Lincoln that he was made Prebend of Layton Ecclesia in the Dioces of Lincoln July 15. 1626. and that this Prebend was given him by John then Lord Bishop of that See And now he had a fit occasion to shew that Piety and Bounty that was deriv'd from his generous Mother and his other memorable Ancestors and the occasion was this This Layton Ecclesia is a Village near to Spalden in the County of Huntington and the greatest part of the Parish was fallen down and that of it which stood was so decayed so little and so useless that the Parishioners could not meet to perform their Duty to God in publick prayer and praises and thus it had been for almost 20 years in which time there had been some faint endeavours for a publick Collection to enable the Parishioners to rebuild it but with no success till Mr. Herbert undertook it and he by his own and the contribution of many of his Kindred and other noble Friends undertook the Reâ—edification of it and made it so much his whole business that he became restless till he saw it finisht as it now stands being for the workmanship a costly Mosaick for the form an exact Cross and for the decency and beauty I am assur'd it is the most remarkable Parish-Church that this Nation affords He liv'd to see it so Wainscoated as to be exceeded by none and by his order the Reading Pew and Pulpit were a little distant from each other and both of an equal height for he would often say They should neither have a precedency or priority of the other but that Prayer and Preaching being equally useful might agree like Brethren and have an equal honour and estimation Before I proceed farther I must look back to the time of Mr. Herberts being made Prebend and tell the Reader that not long after his Mother being inform'd of his intentions to Rebuld that Church and apprehending the great trouble and charge that he was like to draw
to the following account of Mr. Herberts own practice which was to appear constantly with his Wife and three Neeces the daughters of a deceased Sister and his whole Family twice a day at the Church-prayers in the Chappel which does almost join so his Parsonage-house And for the time of his appearing it was strictly â—t the Canonical hours of Ten and Four and then and there he lifted up pure and charitable hands to God in the midst of the Congregation And he would joy to have spent that time in that place where the honour of his Master Jesus dwelleth and there by that inward devotion which he testified constantly by an humble behaviour and visible adoration he like David brought not only his own Houshold thus to serve the Lord but brought most of his Parishioners and many Gentlemen in the Neighbourhood constantly to make a part of his Congregation twice a day and some of the meaner sort of his Parish did so love and reverence Mr. Herbert that they would let their Plow rest when Mr. Herberts Saints-Bell rung to Prayers that they might also offer their devotions to God with him and would then return back to their Plow And his most holy life was such that it begot such reverence to God and to him that they thought themselves the happier when they carried Mr. Herberts blessing back with them to their labour Thus powerful was his reason and example to perswade others to a practical piety And his constant publick Prayers did never make him to neglect his own private devotions nor those prayers that he thought himself bound to perform with his Family which alwayes were a Set-form and not long and he did alwayes conclude them with that Collect which the Church hath appointed for the day or week Thus he made every dayes sanctity a step towards that Kingdom where Impurity cannot enter His chiefest recreation was Musick in which heavenly Art he was a most excellent Master and compos'd many divine Hymns and Anthems which he set and sung to his Lute or Viol and though he was a lover of reâ—iredness yet his love to Musick was such that he went usually twice every week on certain appointed dayes to the Cathedral Church in Salisbury and at his return would say That his time spent in Prayer and Cathedral Musick elevated his Soul and was his Heaven upon Earth But before his return thence to Bemerton he would usually sing and play his part at an appointed private Musick meeting and to justifie this practice he would often say Religion does not banish mirth but only moderates and sets rules to it And as his desire to enjoy his Heaven upon Earth drew him twice every week to Salisbury so his walks thither were the occasion of many happy accidents to others of which I will mention some few In one of his walks to Salisbury he overtook a Gentleman that is still living in that City and in their walk together Mr. Herbert took a fair occasion to talk with him and humbly begg'd to be excus'd if he ask'd him some account of his faith and said I do this the rather because though you are not of my Parish yet I receive Tythe from you by the hand of your Tenant and Sir I am the bolder to do it because I know there be some Sermon-hearers that be like those Fishes that alwayes live in salt water and yet are alwayes fresh After which expression Mr. Herbert asked him some needful Questions and having received his answer gave him such Rules for the tryal of his sincerity and for a practical piety and in so loving and meek a manner that the Gentleman did so 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 still praises God that he knew him In another of his Salisbury walks he met with a Neighbour Minister and after some friendly Discourse betwixt them and some Condolement for the wickedness of the Times and Contempt of the Clergy Mr. Herbert took occcasion to say One Cure for these Distempers would be for the Clergy themselves to keep the Ember-Weeks strictly and begg of their Parishioners to joyn with him in Fasting and Prayers for a more Religious Clergy And another Cure would be for them to restore the great and neglected duty of Catechising on which the salvation of so many of the poor and ignorant Lay-people does depend but principally that the Clergy themselves would be sure to live unblameably and that the dignified Clergy especially which preach Temperance would avoid Surfeting and take all occasions to express a visible humility and charity in their lives for this would force a love and an imitation and an â—nfeigned reverence from all that knew them And for proof of this we need no other Testimony than the life and death of Dr. Lake late Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells This said Mr. Herbert would be a Cure for the wickedness and growing Atheism 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 't is not learning but this this only that must do it and till then the fault must lie at our doors In another walk to Salisbury he saw a poor man with a poorer horse that was fall'n under his Load they were both in distress and needed present help which Mr. Herbert perceiving put off his Canonical Coat and help'd the poor man to unload and after to load his horse The poor man blest him for it and he blest the poor man and was so like the good Samaritan that he gave him money to refresh both himself and his horse and told him That if he lov'd himself he should be merciful to his Beast â—hus he left the poor man and at his coming to his musical friends at Salisbury they began to wonder that Mr. George Herbert which us'd to be so trim and clean came into that company so soyl'd and discompos'd but he told them the occasion And when one of the company told him He had disparag'd himself by so dirty an employment his answer was That the thought of what he had done would prove Musick to him at Midnight and the omission of it would have upbraided and made discord in his Conscience whensoever he should pass by that place for if I be bound to pray for all that be in distress I am sure I am bound so far as it is in my power to practise what I pray for And though I do not wish for the like occasion every day yet let me tell you I would not willingly pass one day of my life without comforting a sad soul or shewing mercy and I praise God for this occasion And now let 's tune our Instruments Thus as our blessed Saviour after his Resurrection did take
After which Sermon the Emperour declar'd openly That the Preacher had begot in him a resolution to lay down his Dignities to forsake the World and betake himself to a Monastical life And he pretended he had perswaded John Valdesso to do the like but this is most certain that after the Emperour had called his son Philip out of England and resign'd to him all his Kingdoms that then the Emperour and John Valdesso did perform their resolutions This account of John Valdesso I receiv'd from a Friend that had it from the mouth of Mr. Farrer And the Reader may note that in this retirement John Valdesso writ his 110 considerations and many other Treatises of worth which want a second Mr. Farrer to procure and Translate them After this account of Mr. Farrer and John Valdesso I proceed to my account of Mr. Herbert and Mr. Duncon who according to his promise return'd the fifth day and found Mr. Herbert much weaker than he left him and therefore their Discourse could not be long but at Mr. Duncons parting with him Mr. Herbert spoke to this purpose Sir I pray give my brother Farrer an account of my decaying condition and tell him I beg him to continue his prayers for me and let him know that I have consider'd That God only is what he would be and that I am by his grace become now so like him as to be pleas'd with what pleaseth him and do not repine at my want of health and tell him my heart is fixed on that place where true joy is only to be found and that I long to be there and will wait my appointed change with hope and patience -And having said this he did with such a humility as seem'd to exalt him bow down to Mr. Duncon and with a thoughtful and contented look say to him Sir I pray deliver this little Book to my dear brother Farrer and tell him he shall find in it a picture of the many spiritual Conflicts that have past betwixt God and my Soul before I could subject mine to the will of Jesus my Master in whose service I have now found perfect freedom desire him to read it and then if he can think it may turn to the advantage of any dejected poor Soul let it be made publick if not let him burn it for I and it are less than the least of Gods mercies Thus meanly did this humble man think of this excellent Book which now bears the name of The TEMPLE Or Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations of which Mr. Farrer would say There was the picture of a Divine Soul in every page and that the whole Book was such a harmony of holy passions as would enrich the World with pleasure and piety And it appears to have done so for there have been Ten thousand of them sold since the first Impression And this ought to be noted that when Mr. Farrer sent this Book to Cambridge to be Licensed for the Press the Vice-Chancellor would by no means allow the two so much noted Verses Religion stands a Tip-toe in our Land Ready to pass to the American Strand to be printed and Mr. Farrer would by no means allow the Book to be printed and want them But after some time and some arguments for and against their being made publick the Vice-Chancellor said I knew Mr. Herbert well and know that he had many heavenly Speculations and was a Divine Poet but I hope the World will not take him to be an inspired Prophet and therefore I License the whole Book So that it came to be printed without the diminution or addition of a syllable since it was deliver'd into the hands of Mr. Duncon save only that Mr. Farrer hath added that excellent Preface that is printed before it At the time of Mr. Duncons leaving Mr. Herbert which was about three Weeks before his death his old and dear friend Mr. Woodnot came from London to Bemerton and never left him till he had seen him draw his last breath and clos'd his Eyes on his Death-bed In this time of his decay he was often visited and pray'd for by all the Clergy that liv'd near to him especially by the Bishop and Prebends of the Cathedral Church in Salisbury but by none more devoutly than his Wife his three Neeces then a part of his Family and Mr. Woodnot who were the sad Witnesses of his daily decay to whom he would often speak to this purpose I now look back upon the pleasures of my life past and see the content I have taken in beauty in wit in musick and pleasant Conversation how they are now all past by me as a shadow that returns not and are all become dead to me or I to them that as my father and generation hath done before me so I shall now suddenly with Job make my Bed also in the dark and I praise God I am prepar'd for it and that I am not to learn patience now I stand in such need of it and that I have practised Mortification and endeavour'd to dye daily that I might not dye eternally and my hope is that I shall shortly leave this valley of tears and be free from all fevers and pain and which will be a more happy condition I shall be free from sin and all the temptations and anxieties that attend it and this being past I shall dwell in the new Jerusalem dwell there with men made perfect dwell where these eyes shall see my Master and Saviour Jesus and with him see my dear mother and relations and friends but I must dye or not come to that happy place And this is my content that I am going daily towards it and that every day that I have liv'd hath taken a part of my appointed time from me and that I shall live the less time for having liv'd this and the day past These and the like expressions which he utter'd often may be said to be his enjoyment of Heaven before he enjoy'd it The Sunday before his death he rose Suddenly from his Bed or Couch call'd for one of his Instruments took it into hand and said My God my God My Musick shall find thee And every string Shall have his attribute to sing And having tun'd it he play'd and sung The Sundayes of mans life Thredded together on times string Make Bracelets to adorn the Wife Of the eternal glorious King On Sundayes Heavens dore stands ope Blessings are plentiful and rife More plentiful than hope Thus he sung on earth such Hymns and Anthems as the Angels and he and Mr. Farrer now sing in Heaven Thus he continued meditating and praying and rejoycing till the day of his death and on that day said to Mr. Woodnot My dear Friend I am sorry I have nothing to present to my merciful God but sin and misery but the first is pardon'd and a few hours will put a period to the latter Upon which expression Mr. Woodnot took occasion to remember him of the Re-edifying