in Divinity, and Master of Trinity College) and his brother Mr. Christopher Brook', fometime Mr. Donne's Chamber-fellow in Lincoln's-Inn, who gave Mr. Donne his wife, and witnessed the marriage, were all committed to three feveral prifons. Mr. Donne was firft enlarged, who neither gave reft to his body or brain, nor. to any friend in whom he might hope to have an interest, until he had procured an enlargement for his two imprisoned friends. He was now at liberty, but his days were ftill cloudy; and being paft thefe troubles, others did ftill multiply upon him, for his wife was (to her extreme forrow) detained from him; and though with Jacob he endured not an hard service for her, yet he loft a good one, and was forced to make good his title, and to get poffeffion of her by a long and reftless fuit in law, which proved troublesome and fadly chargeable to him, whofe youth, travel, and needlefs bounty had brought his estate into a narrow compass. It is obferved, and moft truly, that filence and fubmiffion are charming qualities, and work moft upon paffionate men: and it proved fo with Sir George; for these, and a general report of Mr. Donne's merits, together with his winning behaviour (which when it would entice had a strange kind of elegant irresistible art), these and time had fo difpaffionated Sir George, that as the world had approved his daughter's choice, fo he also could not but refigned his Professorship of Gresham College in 1629, upon his appointment to the Mafterfhip of Trinity College in Cambridge, vacated by the death of Dr. Leonard Maw, Bishop of Bath and Wells. In 1631 he was made Archdeacon of Wells, and in that year he died; and was buried in Trinity College Chapel, without either monument or epitaph. He is defcribed as a man of wit and learning. And Mr. Horfey commends him-for his "concionandi copia." Of his writings there is extant only one difcourfe, from the title of which we may form an idea of the nature of the queftions, which were then ufually difcuffed in the divinity schools. "De auxilio divinæ gratiæ exercitatio theologica, nimirum, an poffibile fit duos eandem "habere gratiæ menfuram, et tamen unus.convertatur et credat, alter non: e Johan. xi. 45, 46." (Ward's Profeffors of Gresham College.) ▾ A Bencher and Summer Reader at Lincoln's Inn, to the chapel of which he was a benefactor. He is much commended as a poet by Ben Jonfon, Drayton, and others of his cotemporaries. He wrote an elegy, confecrated to the never dying memory of Henry Prince of Wales, London 1613, 4to. He also published Eclogues dedicated to his much loved friend Mr. William Brown of the Inner Temple, London, 1614, 8vo. To this gentleman Dr. Donne hath infcribed two poems, "The Storme" and "The Calme." but fee a more than ordinary merit in his new fon; and this at last melted him into fo much remorfe (for love and anger are so like agues, as to have hot and cold fits; and love in parents, though it may be quenched, yet is eafily rekindled, and expires not till death denies mankind a natural heat), that he laboured his fon's restoration to his place; ufing to that end, both his own and his fifter's power to her Lord, but with no fuccefs, for his answer was, "That though he was unfeignedly forry for what he had done, yet it was inconfiftent with his place and credit to discharge and readmit "fervants at the requeft of paffionate petitioners." Sir George's endeavour for Mr. Donne's readmiffion was by all means to be kept fecret:-(For men do more naturally reluct for errors, than fubmit to put on those blemishes that attend their visible acknowledgment)-But however it was not long before Sir George appeared to be fo far reconciled as to wifh their happiness, and not to deny them his paternal bleffing, but yet refused to contribute any means that might conduce to their livelihood. Mr. Donne's eftate was the greatest part spent in many chargeable travels, books, and dear-bought experience: He out of all employment that might yield a support for himself and wife, who had been curiously and plentifully educated, both their natures generous, and accustomed to confer, and not to receive courtefies: These and other confiderations, but chiefly that his wife was to bear a part in his fufferings, furrounded him with many fad thoughts, and fome apparent apprehenfions of want. But his forrows were leffened and his wants prevented by the seasonable courtesy of their noble kinfman, Sir Francis Wolly of Pirford in Surry', who intreated them to a cohabitation with him, where they remained with much freedom to themselves, and equal content to him for fome years; and, as their charge increased (she had yearly a child), fo did his love and bounty. It hath been obferved by wife and confidering men, that wealth hath feldom been the portion, and never the mark to difcover good peo The fon of Sir John Wooley, Knight, Latin Secretary to Queen Elizabeth, who, though a layman, was promoted to the Deanery of Carlifle on the death of Sir Thomas Smith. He was knighted fome time after his advancement to that dignity. He caufed a monument to be people'; but, that Almighty God, who difpofeth all things wifely, hath of his abundant goodness denied it (he only knows why) to many, whofe minds he hath enriched with the greater bleffings of knowledge and virtue', as the fairer teftimonies of his love to mankind; and this was the prefent condition of this man of fo excellent erudition and endowments, whofe neceffary and daily expences were hardly reconcileable with his uncertain and narrow eftate; which I mention, for that at this time there was a most generous offer made him for the moderating of his worldly cares, the declaration of which shall be the next employment of my pen. God hath been fo good to his church, as to afford it in every age fome fuch men to serve at his altar as have been pioufly ambitious of doing good to mankind; a difpofition that is fo like to God himself, that it owes itself only to him, who takes a pleasure to behold it in his creatures. These times (anno 1648), he did blefs with many fuch, fome of which live to be patterns of apoftolical charity, and of more than human patience. I have faid this, because I have occasion to mention one of them in my following discourse; namely, Dr. Morton, the most laborious and learned Bishop of Durham; one that God hath bleffed with perfect intellectuals and a cheerful be erected to himself and his parents in the cathedral church of St. Paul's. He is there reprefented as fitting between his father and mother. The infcription begins "D. O. M. "Joannes Wolleius, eques auratus, Regina Elizabethæ a Secretioribus Confiliis, Secretarius "Linguæ Latinæ, Cancellarius Ordinis Perifcelidis, Doctrinâ, Pietate, Fide, Probitate, Gra"vitate clariffimus. "Obiit anno 1595." Then follow twenty-four Latin hexameter verses, in which are contained the hiftory and character of Sir John Wooley, Elizabeth his wife, afterwards Lady Elfemore, and Sir Francis Wooley their fon. (Dugdale's Hiftory of St. Paul's.) a "I returned and faw under the fun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither yet bread to the wife, nor yet riches to men of understanding." Ecclef. ix. II. b According to the Greek Poet, Σοφία δε πλέτε κτημα τιμιωτερον. cheerful heart at the age of 94 years (and is yet living); one, that in his days of plenty had fo large a heart as to ufe his large revenue to the encouragement of learning and virtue, and is now (be it fpoken with forrow) reduced to a narrow state, which he embraces without repining, and ftill fhews the beauty of his mind by fo liberal a hand, as if this were an age in which to-morrow were to care for itself. I have taken a pleasure in giving the reader a short but true character of this good man, my friend, from whom I received this following relation.-He fent to Mr. Donne, and intreated to borrow an hour of his time for a conference the next day. After their meeting, there was not many minutes paffed before he fpake to Mr. Donne to this purpose. "Mr. Donne, the occafion of fending for you is to propose to you, what I have often revolved in my own "thought fince I laft faw you, which nevertheless I will not declare but upon "The learned, pious, and painful Bishop of Durham (Morton) hath fought in front "against Roman superstition and idolatry." (Sir Edward Deering's Speech against the Remonfrants.)——This learned and charitable prelate, as Ifaac Walton fomewhere calls him, not more diftinguished by the splendor of his parentage, than by his habitual temperance and diligence in ftudy, died Sept. 22, 1659, in the 95th year of his age, after having received the most injurious treatment from the Parliament. No apology is neceffary for the infertion of the following affecting story concerning him. "Having fuffered imprisonment at different times, and undergone many hardships, he was expelled from Durham-house. Wandering from place to place, he at laft went to London with about fixty pounds-(which it seems was then his all); he was overtaken on the road by Sir Chriftopher Yelverton, who being known to the Bishop was unknown to him; and in difcourfe afking the old gentleman, "What he was," the good Bishop replied, "I am that old man, the Bishop of Durham, notwithstanding all your votes:" For Sir Chriftopher was not free from the ftain of the times. Whereupon Sir Christopher demanded where he was going: "To London," replied the old gentleman ; "to live a little while and then die." On this Sir Chriftopher entered into further discourse with him, took him home with him into Northamptonfhire, where he became tutor to that fon of his, which was afterwards the incomparably learned Sir Henry Yelverton, and prefaced this moft excellent Bishop's little piece of Epifcopacy." (Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy, p. 18.)" He was," fays his excellent pupil," an ancient Bishop, and had all the qualifications fit for his order, either to adorn or govern a church; but above all he was eminent for his invincible patience under so many violent perfecutions and almost neceffities, always rejoicing in his loffes, and protesting that he thought himself richer with nothing and a good confcience, than thofe were who had devoured his goodly bifhopric. He was fortyfour years a bishop, a thing fo extraordinary, that but one exceeded him in this ifland." (Sir H. Yelverton's Preface to Eixos amorоhixos, or the Epifcopacy of the Church of England juftified.) upon this condition, that you fhall not return me a prefent answer, but "forbear three days, and beftow fome part of that time in fafting and prayer", "and after a ferious confideration of what I fhall propose, then return 66 to me with your anfwer. Deny me not, Mr. Donne, for it is the effect "of a true love, which I would gladly pay as a debt due for yours to me." This request being granted, the Doctor expreffed himself thus :-" Mr. "Donne, I know your education and abilities; I know your expectation "of a state-employment, and I know your fitnefs for it, and I know too "the many delays and contingencies that attend court-promifes; and let me tell you, that my love, begot by our long friendship and your merits, "hath prompted me to fuch an inquifition after your present temporal eftate, as makes me no ftranger to your neceffities, which I know to be fuch as your generous fpirit could not bear, if it were not fupported with a pious patience: You know I have formerly perfuaded you to wave your court66 hopes, and enter into holy orders; which I now again perfuade you to embrace, with this reafon added to my former request: The King hath yesterday made me Dean of Gloucester, and I am also poffeffed of a be"nefice, the profits of which are equal to thofe of my Deanery; I will "think 66 The condition required by Dr. Morton of Mr. Donne, that he should not give an answer to the Doctor's proposal, until he had paffed three days in fafting and prayer, deferves notice, as marking the high devotional spirit of the times: For it is to be remembered that this was not the propofition of an enthufiaftic puritan, but of a very eminent and refpectable divine of the Church of England. If our ancestors carried matters of this nature too far (which there is no reason to think they did), their fucceffors have run into the contrary extreme. A principle of piety exercifed in referring our concerns to the providential direction of the Supreme Being, would be no bar to the wisdom, ability, and fuccefs of our lawful undertakings. This fentiment, that prayer and labour fhould co-operate, is expreffed by Donne himself, in one of his poems, though with no elegance of language. "In none but us are fuch mixt engines found, "Who prayerlefs labours or without this prays, (Blogr. Brit. 2d. Edit.) He was prefented by the King to the Deanery of Gloucefter, June 22, 1607, through the recommendation of Archbishop Bancroft. |