more peculiar virtues of conversation, in modesty, humility, meekness, cheerfulness, and in kindness and charity towards all men. So great was his modesty, that it never appeared either by word or action, that he put any value upon himself. This I have often observed in him, that the charities which were procured chiefly by his application and industry, when he had occasion to give an account of them, he would rather impute to any one who had but the least hand and part in the obtaining of them, than assume any thing of it to himself. Another instance of his modesty was, that when he had quitted his living of St. Sepulchre's, upon some dissatisfaction about the terms of conformity, he willingly forbore preaching, saying, "There was no need of him here in London, where there were so many worthy ministers; and that he thought he might do as much, or more good, in another way, which could give no offence." Only in the latter years of his life, being better satisfied in some things he had doubted of before, he had licence from some of the bishops to preach in Wales in his progress; which he was the more willing to do, because in some places he saw great need of it; and he thought he might do it with greater advantage among the poor people, who were the more likely to regard his instructions, being recommended by his great charity, so well known to them, and of which they had so long had the experience and benefit. But where there was no such need, he was very well contented to hear others persuade men to goodness, and to practise it himself.

He was clothed with humility, and had in a most eminent degree, that ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which St. Peter says, is in the sight of GoD of so great price: So that there was not the least appearance either of pride or passion in any of his words or actions. He was not only free from anger and bitterness, but from all affected gravity and moroseness. His conversation was affable and pleasant; he had a wonderful serenity of mind, and evenness of temper, visible in his very countenance; he was hardly ever merry, but never melancholy and sad; and for any thing I could discern, after a long and intimate acquaintance with him, he was, upon all occasions and accidents, perpetually the same; always cheerful, and always kind; of a disposition ready to embrace and oblige all men; allowing others to differ from him, even in opinions that were very dear to him; and provided men did but fear GoD and work righteousness, he loved them heartily, how distant soever

from

from him in judgment about things less necessary: In all which, he is very worthy to be a pattern to men of all persuasions whatsoever. But that virtue, which of all others shone brightest in him, and was his most proper and peculiar character, was his cheerful and unwearied diligence in acts of pious charity. In this he left far behind him all that ever I knew, and, as I said before, had a singular sagacity and prudence, in devising the most effectual ways of doing good, and in managing and disposing his charity to the best purposes, and to the greatest extent; always, if it were possible, making it to serve some end of piety and religion: as the instruction of poor children in the principles of religion, and furnishing grown persons that were ignorant, with the Bible and other good books; strictly obliging those to whom he. gave them, to a diligent reading of them, and when he had opportunity, exacting of them an account how they had profited by them.

In his occasional alms to the poor, in which he was very free and bountiful, the relief he gave them was always mingled with good counsel, and as great a tenderness and compassion for their souls as bodies; which very often attained the good effect it was likely to have, the one making way for the other, with so much advantage, and men being very apt to follow the good advice of those who give them in hand so sensible a pledge and testimony of their good will to them. This kind of charity must needs be very expensive to him, but he had a plentiful estate settled upon him, and left him by his father; and he laid it out as liberally, in the most prudent and effectual ways of charity he could think of, and upon such persons as, all circumstances considered, he judged to be the fittest and most proper objects of it. For about nine or ten years last past, he did, as is well known to many here present, almost wholly apply his charity to Wales, because there he judged was most occasion for it: And because this was a very great work, he did not only lay out upon it whatever he could spare out of his own estate, but employed his whole time and pains, to excite and engage the charity of others for his assistance in it. And in this, he had two excellent designs: One, to have poor children brought up to read and write, and to be carefully instructed in the principles of religion: The other, to furnish persons of grown age, the poor especially, with the necessary helps and means of knowledge, as the Bible, and other books of piety and devotion, in

their own language; to which end he procured the churchcatechism, besides several other useful treatises, some of them to be translated into the Welch tongue, and great numbers of them to be printed, and sent down to the chief towns in Wales, to be sold at easy rates, to those that were able to buy them, and to be freely given to those that were not.

And in both these designs, through the blessing of GOD upon his unwearied endeavours, he found very great success. For by the large and bountiful contributions, which chiefly by his industry and prudent application, were obtained from charitable persons of all ranks and conditions; from the nobility and gentry of Wales, and the neighbouring counties, and several of that quality in and about London; from divers of the right reverend bishops, and of the clergy; and from that perpetual fountain of charity, the city of London, led on and encouraged by the most bountiful example of the right honourable the Lord Mayor, and the Court of Aldermen; to all which he constantly added two-thirds of his own estate, which, as I have been credibly informed, was two hundred pounds a-year I say, by all these together, there were every year eight hundred, sometimes a thousand poor children educated, as I said before; and by this example, several of the most considerable towns of Wales were excited to bring up, at their own charge, the like number of poor children, in the like manner, and under his inspection and care. He likewise gave very great numbers of the books above-mentioned, both in the Welch, and English tongues, to the poorer sort; so many as were unable to buy them, and willing to read them. But which was the

greatest work of all, and amounted indeed to a mighty charge, he procured a new and very fair impression of the Bible and liturgy of the church of England in the Welch tongue, the former impression being spent, and hardly twenty of them to be had in all London, to the number of eight thousand; one thousand whereof were freely given to the poor, and the rest sent to the principal cities and towns in Wales, to be sold to the rich, at very reasonable and low rates, viz. at four shillings a-piece, well bound and clasped; which was much cheaper than any English Bible was ever sold, that was of so fair a print and paper. A work of that charge, that it was not likely to have been done any other way; and for which this age, and perhaps the next, will have great cause to thank Gon on his behalf,

In these good works he employed all his time, and care, and pains, and his whole heart was in them; so that he was very little affected with any thing else; and seldom either minded, or knew any thing of the strange occurrences of this troublesome and busy age, such as I think are hardly to be paralleled in any other: Or if he did mind them, he scarce ever spoke any thing about them. For this was the business he laid to heart, and knowing it to be so much, and so certainly the will of his heavenly Father, it was his meat and drink to be doing of it: And the good success he had in it was a continual feast to him, and gave him a perpetual serenity, both of mind and countenance. His great love and zeal for this work, made all the pains and difficulties of it seem nothing to him: He would rise early, and sit up late, and continued the same diligence and industry to the last, though he was in the threescore and seventeenth year of his age. And that he might manage the distribution of this great charity with his own hands, and see the good effect of it with his own eyes, he always once, but usually twice a-year, at his own charge, travelled over a great part of Wales, none of the best countries to travel in: But for the love of GoD and men, he endured all that, together with the extremity of heat and cold, which, in their several seasons are both very great there, not only with patience, but with pleasure. So that all things considered, there have not, since the primitive times of Christianity, been many among the sons of men, to whom that glorious character of the Son of GOD might be better applied, that he went about doing good.

For several years before he died, without any other consideration but that of charity, he employed his constant pains in catechising the poor children of the hospital of Christ Church in London; wisely considering of how great consequence it was to this city, to have the foundations of religion well laid in the tender years of so many persons as were afterwards to be planted there in several professions; and from a true humility of mind, being ready to stoop to the meanest office and service to do good. I have often heard (adds the Archbishop) from an intimate friend of his, that he would sometimes with great pleasure say, "That he had two livings, which he would not exchange for two of the greatest in England," meaning Wales and Christ's hospital. Contrary to common account, he esteemed every advantage of being useful and serviceable to GOD and men a rich benefice, and those his

best

best patrons and benefactors, not who did him good, but who gave him the opportunity and means of doing it. I will add but one thing more concerning our deceased brother, that though he meddled not at all in our present heats and differences as a party, having much better things to mind; yet, as a looker on, he did very sadly lament them, and for several of the last years of his life, he continued in the communion of our church, and, as he himself told me, thought himself obliged in conscience, so to do. It so pleased God, that his death was very sudden, and so sudden, that, in all probability, he himself hardly perceived it when it happened, for he died in his sleep; so that we may say of him, as it is said of David, -after he had served his generation, according to the will of GOD, he fell asleep.'

He died October 29, 1681, in the seventy-seventh year of his age, and was buried at St. Anne's, Blackfriars; where at a little distance from the vault, by the schoolhouse door, (founded by Mr. Joyce, and by his consent) is erected a large marble pilaster, on which is the following inscription; and which, but through mistake, should have been subjoined to the life of Dr. William Gouge.

"Near this marble, in the place which before the fire of "London was the porch of the church of St. Anne, "Blackfriars, lie interred the bodies of

"Dr. William Gouge, minister of this parish 46 years, "who died December 12, 1653, aged 79.

"Mr. Thomas Gouge, eldest son of the said Doctor, "some time minister of St. Sepulchre's church, who died "October 29, 1681, aged 77.

"With Anne Gouge, his wife, who died December 3, "1671, aged 55.

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"William Gouge, Esq. eldest son of the said Mr. "Thomas Gouge, who died October 13, 1706, aged 64. "This monument was erected by Mrs. Meliora Prestley, only child of the said William Gouge, Esq. "and wife of William Prestley of Wild Hill, in the "county of Hertford, Esq. in pious memory of her dear father and worthy ancestors."

The reader will recollect, concerning this highly favoured parish, that not many years before Dr. William Gouge was its excellent pastor. The present time, through God's great goodness, will be no less memorable than any which hath passed over it, for both the ability and success with which the gospel hath been delivered in this

place,