fuch studies and arguments, as enter not into the confideration of many that labour to be thought great clerks, and pretend to know all things. Nor were thefe only found in his ftudy, but all bufineffes that paffed of any public confequence, either in this or any of our neighbour-nations, he abbreviated either in Latin, or in the language of that nation, and kept them by him for ufeful memorials: So he did the copies of divers letters and cafes of confcience that had concerned his friends, with his obfervations and folutions of them, and divers other bufineffes of importance, all particularly and methodically digefted by himself. He did prepare to leave the world before life left him, making his will when no faculty of his foul was damped or made defective by pain or fickness, or he furprifed by a fudden apprehenfion of death; but it was made with mature deliberation, expreffing himfelf an impartial father by making his children's portions equal, and a lover of his friends, whom he remembered with legacies fitly and difcrectly chofen and bequeathed. I cannot forbear a nomination of fome of them; for, methinks, they be perfons that seem to challenge a recordation in this place; as namely, to his brother-in-law Sir Thomas Grimes, he gave that ftriking clock" which he had long worn in his pocket; to his dear friend and executor Dr. King (late Bishop of Chichefter), that model of gold of the Synod of Dort*, with. "fiecle, eft connu par un livre en fa langue, imprimé a Londres fous ce titre : Bradavaros. "C'est une espece d'apologie du Suicide. Il cite, pour appuyer fes dangereufes idées, l'example d'un grand nombre de heros paiens, enfuite celui de quelques faints de l'ancien Tefta"ment, d'une foule de martyrs, de confeffeurs, de penitens, &c. Jeius Chrift même est "amené en preuve de fon fyftéme. Un livre auffi extraordinaire n'empêche pas l'auteur de "devenir Doyen de S. Paul, parce qu'il fut regardé comme une forte de confolation qu'il "vouloit donner à fes compatriots, que la melancolie jette fouvent dans cette fureur."(Nouveau. Dia. Hift.-Caen. 1783.) " Charles I. on the morning of his execution, prefented his attendant, Mr. Thomas Herbert, with his filver clock. The States General directed a gold medal to be ftruck in commemoration of the Synod held at Dort. On one fide is reprefented the Affembly of the Synod, with this infcription, "ASSERTA RELIGIONE." On the reverfe, a mountain, on the fummit of which is a temple, with which the States prefented him at his laft being at the Hague; and the two pictures of Padre Paolo', and Fulgentio", men of his acquaintance when temple, to which men are afcending along a very fteep path. The four winds are blowing with great violence against the mountain. Above the temple is written the word JEHOVAH, in Hebrew characters. The infcription is "ERUNT UT MONS SION. CIOCXIX. D These winds are intended to reprefent those who at that time much difturbed the tranquillity of the church. (Hifloire Metallique de la Republique de Hollande, par M. Bizot. tom. I. p. 139.) "Let me be bold to fend you for a new-year's gift, a certain memorial, not altogether "unworthy of fome entertainment under your roof, a true picture of Padre Paolo the Ser"vita, which was first taken by a painter, whom I fent unto him from my house then neigh"bouring his monaftery. I have newly added thereunto a title of mine own conception. "Concilii Tridentini Evifcerator.' You will find a fear in his face, that was from a Romant "affaffinate that would have killed him as he was turned to a wall near his convent." (Sir Henry Wotton's Letter to Dr. Samuel Collins, Provoft of King's Colleges and Profeffor Regius of Divinity, Jan. 17, 1637.) In this letter the character of Father Paul is drawn in fuch pleafing colours, that the reader cannot be difpleafed with a tranfcript of it. "I am defirous of characterifing a little unto "you such part of his nature, customes, and abilities, as I had occafion to know by fight or "by inquiry. He was one of the humbleft things that could be feen within the bounds of "humanity; the very pattern of that precept Quanto doctior tanto fubmiffior,' and enough "alone to demonftrate, that knowledge well digefted non inflat. Excellent in pofitive, excel"lent in fcholaftical and polemical Divinity; a rare mathematician, even in the most ab"frufe parts thereof, as in Algebra and the Theoriques; and yet withal fo expert in the "hiftory of plants, as if he had never perused any book but Nature. Laftly, a great Canonist, "which was the title of his ordinary fervice with the ftate; and certainly in the time of the "Pope's interdict they had their principal light from him. When he was either reading or "writing alone, his manner was to fit fenced with a caftle of paper about his chair and over "head; for he was of our Lord of St. Alban's thinking, That all air is prædatory,' and "efpecially hurtful when the fpirits are moft employed. He was of a quiet and fettled tem"per, which made him prompt in his counfels and anfwers, and the fame in confultation . « which Themiftocles was in alion αυτοσχεδια ξειν ικανώτατος.” 2 The friend and biographer of Father Paul, and celebrated for the dignity and freedom with which he preached the pure word of God. Of the real exellence of his difcourfes, no better teftimony can be adduced than the declaration of Pope Paul V. "He has indeed fome good sermons, but bad ones withal: He ftands too much upon Scripture, which is a book "that when he travelled Italy, and of great note in that nation for their remarkable learning.-To his ancient friend, Dr. Brook (that married him) Master of Trinity College in Cambridge, he gave the picture of the bleffed Virgin and Jofeph.-To Dr. Winniff (who fucceeded him in his deanery) he gave a picture called the "Skeleton."-To the fucceeding dean, who was not then known, he gave many neceffaries of worth, and ufeful for his houfe; and alfo feveral pictures and ornaments for the chapel, with a defire that they might be registered, and remain as a legacy to his fucceffors.—To the Earls of Dorfet and Carlifle, he gave feveral pictures, and fo he did to many other friends; legacies, given rather to exprefs his affection than to make any addition to their eftates: But unto the poor he was full of charity, and unto many others, who, by his conftant and long-continued bounty, might entitle themselves to be his alms-people; for all these he made provifion, and fo largely, as, having then fix children living, might to fome appearmore than proportionable to his eftate. I forbear to mention any more, left the reader may think I trefpafs upon his patience; but I will beg his. favour to prefent him with the beginning and end of his will.. JM the name of the bielled and glorious Trinity, amen. I John Donne, by the mercy of Christ Jefus, and by the calling of the Church of England, Priest, being at this time in good health and perfect understanding (praised be Sed therefore) do hereby make my laft Will and Tellsment, in the manner and form following :. Fira, I give my gracious God an entire facrifice of body and foul, with my most humble thanks for that affurance which his Blessed Spirit imprints in me now of the Clvation of the one, and the refurre&ion of the other; and for that instant and cheerful resolution which the fame Spirit hath cutablished in me to live and die in the religion now professed "that if any man will keep close to, he will quite ruin the Catholic Faith." (Father Paul's Letters, Let. XXVI.) Induced by fome fpecious promifes of the Pope's Nuncio to leave Venice, and under a safe conduct to go to Rome, he at firft met with a kind reception, but was afterwards burnt in the Field of Flora. (Fuller's Church Hift. Cent. XVII. B. X. p. 98.) in the Church of England. In erpectation of that refurrection, I delire my body may he buried in the most private manner that may be; in that place of St. Paul's Church, London, that the now Residentiaries have at my request defigned for that purpose, &c.—And this my laft Till and Testament, made in the fear of God, (whole mercy I humbly beg, and constantly rely upon in Jefus Chrift), and in perfect love and charity with all the world (whole pardon I ask, from the lowest of my fervants, to the highest of my fuperiors), written all with my own hand, and my name subscribed to every page, of which there are five in number. Sealed Decemb. 13, 1630. Nor was this bleffed facrifice of charity expreffed only at his death, but in his life alfo, by a cheerful and frequent vifitation of any friend whose mind was dejected, or his fortune neceffitous; he was inquifitive after the wants of prisoners and redeemed many from prifon that lay for their fees or fmall debts; he was a continual giver to poor fcholars, both of this and foreign nations. Befides what he gave with his own hand, he usually fent a fervant, or a discreet and trusty friend, to diftribute his charity to all the prifons in London, at all the feftival times of the year, especially at the birth and refurrection of our Saviour. He gave a hundred pounds at one time to an old friend, whom he had known live plentifully, and by a too liberal heart and carelefnefs, became decayed in his eftate; and when the receiving of it was denied, by the gentleman faying, "He wanted not ;". for the reader may note, that as there be fome spirits fo generous as to labour to conceal and endure a fad poverty rather than expofe themselves to thofe blufhes that attend the confeffion of it, fo there be others to whom nature and grace have afforded fuch fweet and compaffionate fouls, as to pity and prevent the diftreffes of mankind, which I have mentioned because of Dr. Donne's reply, whofe aufwer was,-" I know you want not what "will fuftain nature, for a little will do that; but defire is, that you, "who in the days of your plenty have cheered and raised the hearts of fo many of your dejected friends, would now receive this from me, and “ufe it as a cordial for the cheering of your own:" And upon these terms το my it it was received. He was a happy reconciler of many differences in the families of his friends and kindred (which he never undertook faintly, for fuch undertakings have usually faint effects), and they had fuch a faith in his judgment and impartiality, that he never advised them to any thing in vain. He was, even to her death, a moft dutiful fon to his mother, careful to provide for her fupportation, of which fhe had been deftitute, but that God raised him up to prevent her neceffities, who having fucked in the religion of the Roman Church with her mother's milk, fpent her eftate in foreign countries, to enjoy a liberty in it, and died in his houfe but three months before him. And to the end it may appear how just a steward he was of his Lord and Master's revenue, I have thought fit to let the reader know, that after his entrance into his deanery, as he numbered his years, he (at the foot of a private account, to which God and his angels were only witnesses with him,) computed firft his revenue, then what was given to the poor and other pious ufes; and laftly, what refted for him and his; and, having done that, he then bleffed each year's poor remainder with a thankful prayer: which, for that they discover a more than common devotion, the reader fhall partake fome of them in his own words: "So all is that remains this year "Deo Opt. Max. benigno Quibus hæc à me reservantur, "So that this year God hath bleffed me and mine with "Multiplicatæ funt fuper "Nos mifericordiæ tuæ "Domine. "Da Domine, ut quæ ex immensâ "Dignatus, |