some occasions, to satisfy others, he was invited ;— that he after his mother's death (though before, to satisfy her mind, he went to bed or lay down upon a bed some four hours) did only lie upon a board1 with a white bear's skin under him, and wrapping himself in a great shag black frieze gown, and from nine to one (as you heard before): at which hour of one he rose up to prayer and meditation. These things I only here touch as a proof that he found no impairing of health or strength in the last seven years of his age, and the most strictness of his life,

as some term it2.

1 Lessius thus briefly sums up the chief exercises of mortification: "Ex quibus perspicuum est, in sobrietate et abstinentia ad libidinem domandam longe majorem esse vim, quam in aliis corporis afflictationibus, ciliciis, disciplinis, chameunia, labore manuum."- Hygiast. § 60. Comp. Ducange,

8. VV.

2 Follows an account of one Mr. W. a kinsman of N. F. and trading man in the city, who was desirous to take upon him the ministry, but was dissuaded by N. F. and afterwards by Mr. Herbert, yet would needs make a trial, but after some trial, finding himself well advised, returned to his trade. It is entertaining and instructive enough, but very long."BAKER. Mr. W. is probably Arthur Woodnoth, goldsmith of Foster lane, London, the executor of Herbert, who "besides his own bounty collected and returned most of the money that was paid for the rebuilding of that church, [Leighton]; he kept all the account of the charges, and would often go down to state them, and see all the workmen paid."-Walton's Life of Herbert, xxxiv. Many of Mrs. Collett's letters are directed to her cousin Arthur, who seems often to have visited Gidding, and to have been regarded as a brother by the family,

72. And let me here add some few lines in one of Mr. Herbert's letters to N. F., thus:

MY EXCEEDING DEAR BROTHER,

Although you have a much better paymaster than myself, even Him, Whom we both serve: yet I shall ever put your care of Leighton1 upon my account and give you myself for it, to be yours for ever. God knows, I have desired a long time to do the place good, and have endeavoured many ways to find out a man for it. And now my gracious Lord God is pleased to give me you for the man I desired, for which I humbly thank Him, and am so far from giving you cause to apology about your counselling me herein, that I take it exceeding kindly of you. I refuse not advice from the meanest that creeps upon God's earth, no, not though the advice step so far as to be reproof3: much less

1 "Besides his parsonage [Bemerton], he had also a prebend in the church of Lincoln; which (I think because he lived far from, and so could not attend the duty of, that place) he would fain have resigned to Master Ferrar, and often earnestly sued to him to discharge him of it; but Master F. wholly refused, and diverted or directed his charity (as I take it) to the re-edifying of the ruined church of Leighton, where the corps [i.e. revenue. Pope's Life of Seth Ward, 143] of the prebend lay."-Barnabas Oley (Life of Herbert, cvi). Herbert's patron was Williams, bishop of Lincoln, (Hacket, ii. 42).

2 See Ferrar's preface to Herbert's Temple.

3 "There is one thing which I admire above all the rest : the right management of the fraternal duty of reproof is

can I disesteem it from you, whom I esteem to be God's faithful and diligent servant, not considering you any other ways, as neither I myself desire to be considered. Particularly, I like all your addresses, and, for ought I see, they are ever to be liked. [So he goes on in the discourse of the building the church, in such and such a form, as N. F. advised, and letting N. F. know all he had, and would do, to get moneys to proceed in it; and concludes thus.] You write very lovingly, that all your things are mine. If so, let this of Leighton church the care be amongst the chiefest also: so also have I requested Mr. W.' for his part. Now God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you more and more, and so turn you all, in your several ways, one to the other, that ye may be a heavenly comfort, to His praise and the great joy of

Your brother and servant in Christ Jesus,

Postscript.

GEORGE HERBERT.

As I had written thus much, I received a letter from my brother, sir Henry H.', of the

methinks one of the most difficult offices of christian prudence. . . . This author had not only got the courage to do this, but the art of doing this aright. There was not a man in his way, be he of what rank he would, but he wiped his mouth with a modest, grave, and christian reproof.”—Oley, cvi, cvii.

1 Woodnoth.

2 Sir Henry Herbert the sixth brother, "who became a menial servant to the crown in the days of king James, and

blessed success that God had given us, by moving the duchess's' heart to an exceeding cheerfulness, in signing £100 with her own hands, and promising to get her son to do as much, with some little apology that she had done nothing in it (as my brother writes) hitherto. She referred it also to my brother to name at first, what the sum should be: but he told her grace, that he would by no means do so, urging that charity must be free. She liked our book well, and has given order to the tenants at Leighton to make payment of it. God Almighty prosper the work. Amen.

hath continued to be so for fifty years, during all which time he hath been master of the revels."-Walton's Life of Herbert, xi.

"DEAR BRO.

I was glad of your Cambridge news, but you joyed me exceedingly with your relation of my lady duchess's forwardness in our church building. I am glad I used you in it, and you have no cause to be sorry, since it is God's business. If there fall out yet any rub, you shall hear of me; and your offering of yourself to move my lords of Manchester and Bolingbroke is very welcome to me. To shew a forwardness in religious works is a good testimony of a good spirit. The Lord bless you, and make you abound in every good work, to the joy of your ever loving brother,

March 21, Bemerton.

To my dear brother, Sir Henry

G. HERBERT.

Herbert, at court."-Warner's Letters, Ser. I. i. 7.

1 Catherine Clifton, wife of Esme Stuart, third duke of Lenox, and mother of James the fourth duke.

73. In another to N. F. he thus begins:

MY DEAR BROTHER.

I thank you heartily for Leighton, your care, your counsel, your cost. And as I am glad for the thing, so no less glad for the heart that God has given you and yours to pious works. Blessed be my God and dear Master, the spring and fountain of all goodness. As for my assistance, doubt not, through God's blessing, but it shall be to the full: and for my power, I have sent my letters to your brother, investing him in all that I have. [And so he goes on in his advice for the ordering of things to that business.]

74. I shall here set down a paper which I find amongst some other passages, the which will in part shew N. F.'s dear affection to this most deserving Mr. George Herbert, viz.:

1

On Friday the Mr. Mapletoft brought us word that Mr. Herbert, as he heard, was past hope of recovery; which was very grievous news, and so much the more, as altogether unexpected, we having understood no danger of his sickness till then. It seemed, as we afterwards understood, about the hour, wherein we received this news, of which we being wholly ignorant, made presently our public

1 Joshua Mapletoft, husband of Susanna Collett, N. F.'s niece.

2 Probably "he died" should here be supplied.