also; and with them, in a great measure, died Mr. Herbert's hopes of court-preferment. Soon after this event, he retired to a friend's house in Kent, where he so indulged a solitary life, that it was thought he would more impair his health by it, than he had formerly done by hard studying. In this time of his retirement, he had many severe conflicts with himself, whether he should pursue the prospects and pleasures of a court life, or betake himself to the study of divinity, and enter into holy orders. These, with the scruples of conscience that exercised his mind upon receiving a presentation, considering the last great account he was to make for the cure of so many souls, made him fast and pray often, and frequently to say, "He endured such spiritual conflicts, as none can think, but only those that have endured "them." The agitation and distress of his mind may be seen, in some measure, from the following verses written at that time, entitled 66 "AFFLICTION. "WHEREAS my birth and spirit rather took "I was entangled in a world of strife, "Yet, for I threatened oft the siege to raise, "Thou often didst with academic praise "Melt and dissolve my rage; "I took the sweeten'd pill, till I came where "I could not go away, nor persevere. "Yet, "to us to rejoice, or not rejoice; but whatsoever befalls us, we must "always, at all times, rejoice in the Lord, who taketh care for us: "And it follows in the next verse, Let your moderation appear to all men: the Lord is at hand; be careful for nothing. What can be said "more comfortably? Trouble not yourselves: GoD is at hand to de"liver us from ALL, or in ALL. Dear Madam, pardon my boldness, and "accept the good meaning of TRINITY' COLLEGE,} 29th May 1622. "Your most obedient son, "GEORGE HERBERT." "Yet, lest perchance I should too happy be "In my unhappiness; "Turning my purge to food, thou throwest me "Into more sicknesses. "Thus doth thy power cross-bias me, not making "Thine own gifts good; yet me from my ways taking. "Now I am here, what thou wilt do with me "None of my books will shew: "I read, and sigh, and wish I were a tree, "For then sure I should grow "To fruit or shade; at least some bird would trust "Her household with me, and I would be just. "Yet, though thou troublest me, I must be meek; "In weakness must be stout: "Well, I will change my service, and go seek "Some other master out: "Ah, my dear GOD! though I am clean forgot, "Let me not love thee, if I love thee not.” He had no sooner determined to devote himself to the service of the sanctuary, than, going to London, he informed a court friend of it, who laboured to dissuade him from it; urging, that it was too mean an employment, and too much below his birth, and the excellent abilities and endowments of his mind. To which he replied, “It "has been formerly judged, that the domestic servants " of the King of Heaven should be of the noblest fami"lies on earth; and though the iniquity of the late times "has made clergymen meanly valued, and the sacred "name of priest contemptible, yet I will labour to make "it honourable, by consecrating all my learning, and all "my poor abilities, to advance the glory of that GoD "who gave them: Knowing, that I can never do too "much for him, who hath done so much for me, as to "make me a CHRISTIAN. And I will labour to be like my Saviour, by making humility lovely in the eyes of "all men, and by following the merciful and meek ex"ample of my dear Jesus." 66 In the course of this year, he was ordained deacon; and on July 15, 1626, he was made Prebend of Layton Ecclesia, in the diocese of Lincoln: Whose parish church being unfit for divine service, he not only made a kind of vow to God, if he were able, to rebuild that church, but often say, but lived to see it completely rebuilt and finished. About the year 1629, and the thirty-fourth of his age, he was seized with a sharp quotidan ague; when it was remarked, that in the sharpest of his extreme fits he would "Lord, abate my great affliction, and increase my patience; but, Lord, I repine not; I am "dumb, Lord, before thee, because thou doest it." By which sanctified submission to the will of God, he shewed how willing he was to bear the sweet yoke of Christian discipline, both then and in the latter part of his life. 66 In April 1630, he was presented to the living of Bemerton, about a mile from Salisbury; from which period, I must bespeak the reader (says Mr. Isaac Walton) to prepare for an almost incredible history of the great sanctity of the short remainder of his holy life: A life so full of charity, humility, and all Christian virtues, that it deserves the eloquence of St. Chrysostom to commend and declare it; a life, that if it were related by a pen like his, there would then be no need for this age to look back into times past for the examples of primitive piety, for they might be all found in the life of George Herbert. But now, alas! who is fit to undertake it? I confess I am not, and am not pleased with myself that must; and profess myself amazed, when I consider how few of the clergy lived like him then, and how many live so unlike him now: But it becomes not me to censure; my design is rather to assure the reader, that I have used very great diligence to inform myself, that I might inform him of the truth of what follows, and I will do that with sincerity.' When at his induction he was shut into Bemerton church, being left there alone to toll the bell, as the law requires him, he set some rules to himself for the future management of his life, and then and there made a vow to labour to keep them. And the same night that he had his induction, he said, "I now look back upon my aspiring thoughts, and think "myself more happy than if I had attained what I so "ambitiously thirsted for; and I can now behold the "court with an impartial eye, and see plainly that it is "made up of fraud, and titles, and flattery, and many "other such empty, imaginary, painted pleasures; pleasures that are so empty, as not to satisfy when they are enjoyed; but in GoD and his service is a fulness "of all joy and pleasure, and no satiety; and I will now 66 use 66 use all my endeavours to bring my relations and de"pendants to a love and reliance on him, who never "fails those that trust him. But, above all, I will be sure to live well, because the virtuous life of a clergy"man is the most powerful eloquence to persuade all "that see it to reverence and love, and at least to desire "to live like him. And this I will do, because I know 66 we live in an age that hath more need of good exam"ples than precepts. And I beseech that God, who "hath honoured me so much as to call me to serve at "his altar, that, as by his special grace he hath put into 66 my heart these good desires and resolutions, so he "will, by his assisting grace, enable me to bring the same to good effect; and that my humble and charit"able life may so win upon others, as to bring glory to my Jesus, whom I have this day taken to be my mas"ter and governor; and am so proud of his service, that "I will always observe, and obey, and do his will, and "always call him Jesus, my master; and I will always " contemn my birth, or any title or dignity that can be "conferred on me, when I shall compare them with the "title of being a priest, and serving at the altar of "Jesus, my master." 66 And that he did so, appears in many parts of his book of "Sacred Poems," especially in that entitled "The Odour;" in which he seems to rejoice in the word Jesus, and to say, that the adding these words, "my Master," to it, and the often repeating them, seemed to perfume his mind. And for his free choice of God's service in the work of the ministry, in another place, (" The Pearl," Matth. xiii.) he rejoices and says,-" I know "the ways of learning; I know what nature does wil"lingly, and what when it is forced by fire; I know the "ways of honour, and when glory inclines the soul to "noble expressions; I know the court; I know the "ways of pleasure, of love, of wit, of music, and upon "what terms I declined all these for the service of my "Master, JESUS;" and concludes, "That through these labyrinths, not my groveling wit, "But thy silk-twist, let down from heaven to me, "Did both conduct, and teach me how by it "To climb to thee." The third day after he was made Rector of Bemerton, and had changed his sword and silk clothes into a canoni cal 66 cal coat, he returned so habited to Bainton; and immediately after he had seen and saluted his wife, he said o her," You are now a minister's wife, and must now "far forget your father's house, as not to claim a pre "dence of any of your parishioners; for you are to "know, that a priest's wife can challenge no precedence or place, but that which she purchases by her obliging "humility; and, I am sure, places so purchased do best "become them: And let me tell you, that I am so "good a herald as to assure you that this is truth." And she was so meek a wife, as to assure him, it was no vexing news to her, and that he should see her observe it with a cheerful willingness." He hasted to get the parish church repaired, then to beautify the chapel, (which stands near his house) and that at his own great charge: He then proceeded to rebuild the parsonage-house, which he did also very completely, and at his own charge; and having done this good work, he caused these verses to be written upon, or engraved in the mantle of the chimney in his hall. "TO MY SUCCESSOR. "IF thou chance for to find "A new house to thy mind, "And built without thy cost: "Be good to the poor, "As God gives thee store, "And then my labour's not lost." The text for his first sermon was taken out of Solomon's Proverbs, and the words were, Keep thy heart with all diligence. In which first sermon he gave his parishioners many necessary, holy, safe rules, for the discharge of a good conscience, both to God and man; and delivered his sermon after a most florid manner, both with great . learning and eloquence: And at the close of his sermon told them, "That should not be his constant way of "preaching, and that he would not fill their heads with 66 66 unnecessary notions, but that, for their sakes, his language and his expressions should be more plain and practical in his future sermons." And he then made it his humble request, "That they would be constant to "the afternoon's service and catechizing;" and shewed them convincing reasons why he desired it; and his obliging example and persuasions brought them to a willing conformity to his desires. The |