family, whom I see thou wilt never leave to do good to, for their spiritual and temporal happiness and welfare.

77. Dr. Francis White and Dr. Aug. Linsell (ut antea) one day talking of N. F. (the same doctor' which was lecturer at N. F.'s father's parishchurch) said of N. F. that whereas you and I and other scholars are, as I may say, like good tailors, we can take measure of a man, if he come to us and bring us cloth, and shall fit him well and cut it out for him. But N. F. I may compare to one of those Burchin-lane tailors', that, go but into their shops, they will without delay find you a fitting suit of apparel, ready-made, for cloth and colour and trimming as you would have it, and to sit neatly on your back: he will never let you go, till you are contented in all kinds and fitted to your mind; for he hath that variety of choice apparel, as will please all that come to him at an instant.

78. About the second of November, 1637, being Friday, N. F. began to find some weakness and debility in his body, yet he went that morning to

1 i. e. White.

"It had not been amiss if we had gone to Burchen-lane first to have suited us; and yet it is a credit for a man of the sword to go thread-bare." Royal King. Anc. Dr. vi. 235. "His discourse makes not his behaviour, but he buys it at court, as countrymen their clothes in Birchin-lane." Overbury, Char. 17 of a fine Gent. (cited by Nares). passages in Cunningham's Handbook.

3 Friday was the third.

See other

church and officiated as he used to do: but coming home, he sat himself down, and said, he was somewhat faint, but felt no pain in any part; but his friends about him demanding, how he found himself? said, he was faintish, and, there being a fire in the room, he there reposed himself, they having brought him some broth to drink, of which he took some. And when some said, they hoped in God's mercy it would pass away, he said, he thought, not so. Then said he, send for Mr. Groose1 the minister of Great Gidding. Who when he came, he told him, he was glad to see him; and after some questions and answers about his health, N. F. said, he was to entreat him, that he would come now daily to Little Gidding and officiate for him. For, said he, that's my first care, that the service of my God be not one day neglected by those that can go to church. We owe much more than any our continual serving God; for His favours to us are above what we can express, and the performances of our dutiful thankfulness can have no end. I shall not, I know, be any more able to perform my duty to Him at church, but come, I pray you, daily, and perform there my part. (Which he did). After some discourse of sickness and mortality and of the joys of heaven, Mr. Groose took his leave, N. F. heartily praying him, to beg of God to fit him more and more every

1 Luke Gross of Gt. Gidding, clerk, is mentioned in the title deeds of the Gidding estate as having had tenure of a meadow in that estate.

hour for the good and happy honour, which he desired in God's good time to enjoy.

79. His friends' minds now began to be full of sorrow (as just cause they had) in regard of their own conditions, if God should take away such an instrument of their happiness. He, discerning their looks to be sad and thoughts troubled them, did in a comfortable manner use such exhortations to them, as he thought needful in such a case, and willed them with all patience to submit unto God's good will and pleasure, as he was resolved to do, knowing that the time of his life here was at an end. They told him that they hoped God would yet spare him for their future good. Well, said he, I will not forbid you to pray so, yet let me tell you, I am persuaded it will not be so, but my time is come. So some urging him, upon what reasons he seemed to be so confident of it? Well, said he, I shall, the more to satisfy you, tell you one. In all former sickness I have had a strong desire to live, and an earnestness to pray to my God to spare me, which He hath to this day done, when all hopes of life were past, by the judgements of the most skilful physicians, and, according to human opinion, impossible; yet my fervent desires have continued to God to spare me, which He hath done, and, as they would say, in a miraculous manner was my life prolonged; and I may say it, to shew the infinite mercy and graciousness of my God, Who out of His mere goodness hath heard my prayers and granted me my request and given it me. And I may further say, to the glory of His great name,

servant.

I never earnestly set myself to beg of God anything, but He fulfilled the petition of His most unworthy But now and of late, I have, nor do not find in my heart any inclination to beg longer life of God. Nay I rather desire to be dissolved with St. Paul', and to leave this life for one eternal in heaven, through the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ, now wholly and fully submitting myself to the blessed will of my good Lord, to do with me for life or death as He knows best for me; and much more to this purpose he discoursed, as occasion was. That night he, growing somewhat hot and dry, went to his bed, but took not much sleep; yet in the morning he rose again, but found himself unfit to go into the air, and so kept his chamber and had prayers in it, though the family went at their hours to church.

80. He complained not of any pains now, neither in head or any part of his body, but a kind of faintness and decay of strength. Saturday night' he removed to another chamber, and so he rose no more out of his bed; but after two or three days he willed a pallet to be made on the floor, unto which he removed, and came no more off it. Sunday he received the communion, which Mr. Groose administered, and before it made a most solemn and comfortable confession of his faith, according to the Church of England, acknowledging his salvation to depend only upon the sweet and infinite mercies and sufferings of his most dear

Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, renouncing all other dependencies, saying, when all men had done all they could, they must wholly acknowledge and confess themselves most unworthy servants. In brief, such were his expressions, that the minister said, he never had, or ever should hear the like again. So with great desire and devotion he received the blessed sacrament with much joy; and during all his sickness his speech tended to nothing but exhortations to love, fear, and serve God, as the only comfort and happiness of this world, and to the better. He often would exhort the family, that they should stedfastly and constantly adhere to the doctrine of the Church of England, and to continue in the good old way and in those they have been taught out of the word of God, and in what he had accordingly informed them of, for it was the true, right, good way to heaven; that they should find oppositions, and means used by those that they did not expect it from to withdraw them, to hinder, to divert them. But, said he, I forewarn you to be constant, to be stedfast in the good old way. You will find danger and trouble, but shrink not, rely upon God, and serve Him in sincerity of devotion, both in souls and bodies; God will have both, He made both, and both must worship Him in reverence and fear. He is a great Lord God, as full of mercy, so of majesty. I am now going before Him, to give an account of what I have said to you and instructed you in. I again say, what I have taught you is according to His good will and heavenly word, and