And his constant public prayers never made him to neglect his own private devotions, nor those prayers that he thought himself bound to perform with his family, which always were a set form, and not long; and he did always conclude them with that Collect which the church hath appointed for the day or week. Thus he made every day's sanctity a step towards that kingdom where impurity cannot enter.

His chiefest recreation was music, in which heavenly art he was a most excellent master, and composed many divine hymns and anthems, which he set and sung to his lute or viol: and, though he was a lover of retiredness, yet his love to music was such, that he went usually twice every week, on certain appointed days, to the cathedral church in Salisbury, and at his return would say, "That his time spent in prayer and cathedral music "elevated his soul, and was his heaven upon earth." But before his return thence to Bemerton, he would usually sing and play his part, at an appointed private music-meeting; and, to justify this practice, he would often say, "Religion does not banish mirth, but only "moderates and sets rules to it."

In one of his walks to Salisbury he overtook a gentleman, to whom, after a proper salutation, he said, "Sir, "I take the liberty to ask some account of your faith ; "and the rather, because, though you are not of my "parish, yet I receive tythe from you by the hand of

your tenant; and, because I know there are some "sermon hearers who are like those fishes that always "live in salt water, and yet are always fresh." And after some further conversation, Mr. Herbert gave him such rules for the trial of his sincerity and directions for his faith and practice, and in such a spirit of wisdom and meekness, that the gentleman was quite charmed with him, and sought opportunities in future to meet him in his walks to Salisbury, and to attend on his ministry at Bemerton, always mentioning Mr. Herbert's name with the greatest veneration; and continued to the day of his death praising GOD for the occasion of knowing him.

In another of his Salisbury walks, he met with a neighbour minister, and after some friendly discourse betwixt them, and some condolement for the wickedness of the times, and contempt of the clergy, Mr. Herbert took occasion to say, "One cure for these distempers would "be, for the clergy themselves to keep the Ember weeks "strictly,

strictly, and beg of their parishioners to join with them "in fasting and prayers for a more religious clergy. "And another cure will be, for them to restore the "great and neglected duty of catechizing, on which the "salvation of so many of the poor and ignorant lay"people does depend; but principally, that the clergy "themselves would be sure to live unblameably, and "that the dignified clergy especially, who preach tem"perance, would avoid surfeiting, and take all occasions "to express a visible humility and charity in their lives; "for this would force a love and imitation, and an un66 feigned reverence from all that knew them." (And for proof of this, we need no other testimony than the life and death of Dr. Lake, late Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells.) "This (said Mr. Herbert) would be a "cure for the wickedness and growing atheism of our age. And, my dear brother, till this be done by us, "and done in earnest, let no man expect a reformation "of the manners of the laity: for it is not learning, but "this, this only, that must do it; and, till then, the "fault must lie at our doors."

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And in another of his walks to Salisbury, he came up with a poor man whose horse had fallen under his load, and seeing both man and horse in distress, and in need of present help, he took off his coat, and helped the man to unload his horse and to load him again; which being done, he gave him money to refresh himself and horse, and told him, "If he loved himself, he should be mer"ciful to his beast." But coming to his musical friends, they were surprised to see the neat trim Mr. Herbert come in so soiled and discomposed; to whom he apologized by telling them the occasion. One of the company said, He thought he had disparaged himself by so dirty an employment.' To which he gave the following answer: "The thought of what I have done "will prove music to me at midnight; and that the "omission of it would have upbraided me, and made "discord in my conscience whensoever I should pass by "that place; for if I am bound to pray for all that be "in distress, I am sure I am bound, so far as it is in my "power, to practise what I pray for: And I do not "wish for the like occasion every day, yet let me tell "you, I would not willingly pass one day of my life "without comforting a sorrowful soul, or shewing

mercy; and I praise God for this occasion. And now "let us tune our instruments."

He

He was most happy in his wife's unforced compliance with his acts of charity, whom he made his almoner, and paid constantly into her hand a tenth penny of what money he received for tythe, and gave her a power to dispose that to the poor of his parish, with a power to dispose a tenth part of the corn that came yearly into his barn; which trust she most faithfully performed, and would often offer to him an account of her stewardship, and as often beg an enlargement of his bounty, for she rejoiced in the employment; and this was usually laid out by her in blankets and shoes for some such poor people as she knew to stand in most need of them. This as to her charity. And for his own, he set no limits to it; nor did he ever turn his face from any that he saw in want, but would relieve them, especially his poor neighbours, to the meanest of whose houses he would go and inform himself of their wants, and relieve them cheerfully, if they were in distress; and would always praise GOD, as much for being willing, as for being able, to do it. And, when he was advised by a friend to be more frugal, because he might have children, his answer was: "He would not see the danger of want so far off; but being the Scripture does so commend charity, as to "tell us, that charity is the top of Christian virtues, "the covering of sins, the fulfilling of the law, the life "of faith: And that charity hath a promise of the "blessings of this life, and of a reward in that life "which is to come; being these, and more excellent

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things are in Scripture spoken of thee, O charity; "and being all my tithes and church dues are a deodate "from thee, O my GoD; make me, O my God, so far "to trust thy promise, as to return them back to thee; " and, by thy grace, I will do so, in distributing them "to any of thy poor members that are in distress, or do "but bear the image of Jesus, my master. Sir, (said "he to his friend) my wife hath a competent mainte"nance secured to her after my death, and therefore, as "this is my prayer, so this my resolution shall by GoD's grace be unalterable."

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This account is given by Mr. Walton of the excellencies of the active part of his life, and thus he continued, till a consumption so weakened him, as to confine him to his house, or to the chapel, which almost joined to it; in which he continued to read prayers constantly twice every day though he were very weak; in one of which times of his reading, his wife observed him to read in

pain,

pain, and told him so, and that it wasted his spirits, and weakened him; he confessed it, but said, "His life could "not be better spent than in the service of his Master, "Jesus, who had done and suffered so much for him; "But (he said) I will not be wilful, for Mr. Bostock "shall be appointed to read prayers for me to-morrow, "and I will now be only a hearer of them, till this "mortal shall put on immortality." And accordingly Mr. Bostock, his curate, from that time continued to be reader till Mr. Herbert's death.

About a month before his death, his friend Mr. Farrer sent Mr. Edmund Duncon (afterwards Rector of FriarBarnet, in the county of Middlesex) to see Mr. Herbert, and to assure him he wanted not his daily prayers for his recovery; and Mr. Duncon was to return back to Gidden with an account of Mr. Herbert's condition. Mr. Duncon found him at that time lying on his bed, or on his pallet; but at his seeing Mr. Duncon, he raised himself vigorously, saluted him, and with some earnestness inquired the health of his brother Farrer, of which Mr. Duncon satisfied him; and after a conference of Mr. Farrer's holy life, and the manner of his constant serving GOD, he said to Mr. Duncon,-" Sir, I see by your "habit that you are a priest, and I desire you to pray "with me:" Which being granted, Mr. Duncon asked him, What prayers?' To which Mr. Herbert's answer was, "Oh, Sir, the prayers of my mother, the church "of England: no other prayers are equal to them; but, "at this time, I beg of you to pray only the Litany, for "I am weak and faint;" and Mr. Duncon did so. And at Mr. Duncon's parting with him, Mr. Herbert spoke

to this purpose: "Sir, I pray give my brother Farrer

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an account of my decaying condition; and tell him, I "beg him to continue his prayers for me; and let him "know, that I have considered that GOD only is what "he would be; and that I am by his grace become now "so like him, as to be pleased with what pleaseth him, "and do not repine at my want of health. And tell "him, my heart is fixed on that place where true joy "is only to be found, and that I long to be there, "and will wait my appointed change with hope and "patience."

And having said this, he did with such humility, as seemed to exalt him, bow down to Mr. Duncon, and with a thoughtful and contented look say to him, "Sir, " I pray deliver this little book to my dear brother

"Farrer,

"Farrer, and tell him, he shall find in it a picture of "the many spiritual conflicts that have passed betwixt "GOD and my soul, before I could subject mine to the "will of Jesus my master, in whose service I have now "found perfect freedom: Desire him to read it, and

then, if he can think it may turn to the advantage of "any dejected, poor soul, let it be made public; if not, "let him burn it, for I and it are less than the least of "God's mercies."

Thus meanly did this humble man think of this excellent book, which now bears the name of "The Temple; "or, Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations;" of which Mr. Farrer would say, There was the picture of a di• vine soul in every page, and that the whole book was

such a harmony of holy passions, as would enrich the 'world with pleasure and piety.' And it appears to have done so, for there have been more than twenty thousand of them sold since the first impression.

When Mr. Farrer sent this book to Cambridge for the vice-chancellor's imprimatur, he objected to the two following well known lines:

Religion stands a tip-toe in our land,
"Ready to pass to the American strand."

But after some arguments he said, I knew Mr. Herbert 'well, and know that he had many heavenly speculations, and was a divine poet; but I hope the world will 'not take him to be an inspired prophet, and therefore I license the whole book.' It was a candid expression; and subsequent events have shown, that there hath been, as yet, no fulfilment of the prediction.

In this time of his decay, he was often visited and prayed for by all the clergy that lived near him, especially by the bishop and prebends of the cathedral church in Salisbury; but by none more devoutly than his wife, his three nieces, (then a part of his family) and one Mr. Woodnot, who were the sad witnesses of his daily decay; to whom he would often speak to this purpose: "I now "look back upon the pleasures of my life past, and see "the content I have taken in beauty, in wit, in music, "and pleasant conversation; how they are now all passed "by me as a shadow that returns not, and are all become dead to me, or I to them; that as my father "and generations have done before me, so shall I now "suddenly (with Job) make my bed also in the dark;

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"and,