who being then at Theobald's* with the King, where one of the Clerks of the Council died that night, the Earl posted a messenger for Mr. Donne to come to him immediately, and at Mr. Donne's coming, said, "Mr. Donne, to testify the reality of my affection, and my purpose to prefer you, stay in this garden till I go up to the King, and bring you word that you are Clerk of the Council: doubt not my doing this, for I know the King loves you, and know the King will not deny me." †But the King gave a positive denial to all requests, and, having a discerning spirit, replied, "I know Mr. Donne is a learned man, has the abilities of a learned Divine, and will prove a powerful preacher; and my desire is to prefer him that way, and in that way I will deny you nothing for him."

After that time, as he professeth," the King descended to a persuasion, almost to a solicitation, of him to enter into sacred Orders:" which, though he then denied not, yet he deferred it for almost three years. All which time he applied himself to an in

Garter; at first, he conducted himself with moderation; but becoming enamoured of that infamous woman Frances Howard, afterwards Countess of Essex, she was divorced from her husband to be married to him, November 5th, 1613; he was created Earl of Somerset, and the following July, Lord Chamberlain. The excellent Sir Thomas Overbury having vainly endeavoured to prevent the above marriage, drew upon himself the anger of both parties, and by their intrigues he was committed to the Tower, where he was poisoned Sept. 15th, 1613. This was not discovered until 1615, when the Lieutenant of the Tower, and four others, were tried, and executed; and though sentence was also passed upon the Earl and Countess, they were pardoned, but banished the Court, and, the former died in July, 1645.

* The house at Theobald's, near Waltham in Essex, was built by the Lord High Treasurer Burghley, in the reign of Elizabeth. "A place, than which, as to the fabric, nothing can be more neat, and as to the gardens, walks, and wildernesses about it, nothing can be more pleasant." James I. was so much delighted with its situation, that he gave the manor of Hatfield Regis in exchange for it to Lord Cecil, afterwards created Earl of Salisbury. He died at this his favourite palace, March 27, 1627. This noble and beautiful edifice was plundered and destroyed by the rebels in 1651.

+ The passage in the text beginning, "And though His Majesty" down to "but the King gave a positive denial"-was not inserted until the second edi tion.

In his Book of Devotions.

cessant study of Textual Divinity, and to the attainment of a greater perfection in the learned languages, Greek and Hebrew.

In the first and most blessed times of Christianity, when the Clergy were looked upon with reverence, and deserved it, when they overcame their opposers by high examples of virtue, by a blessed patience and long-suffering, those only were then judged worthy the Ministry, whose quiet and meek spirits did make them look upon that sacred calling with an humble adoration and fear to undertake it; which indeed requires such great degrees of humility, and labour, and care, that none but such were then thought worthy of that celestial dignity. And such only were then sought out, and solicited to undertake it. This I have mentioned, because forwardness and inconsideration, could not, in Mr. Donne, as in many others, be an argument of insufficiency or unfitness; for he had considered long, and had many strifes within himself concerning the strictness of life, and competency of learning, required in such as enter into sacred Orders; and doubtless, considering his own demerits, did humbly ask God with St. Paul, "Lord who is sufficient for these things?" and with meek Moses, "Lord, who am I?" And sure, if he had consulted with flesh and blood, he had not for these reasons put his hand to that holy plough. But God, who is able to prevail, wrestled with him, as the Angel did with Jacob, and marked him; marked him for his own; marked him with a blessing, a blessing of obedience to the motions of his blessed Spirit. And then, as he had formerly asked God with Moses, "Who am I?" so now, being inspired with an apprehension of God's particular mercy to him, in the King's and others solicitations of him, he came to ask King David's thankful question, "Lord, who am I, that thou art so mindful of me!" So mindful of me, as to lead me for more than forty years through this wilderness of the many temptations and various turnings of a dangerous life so merciful to me, as to move the learnedest of Kings to descend to move me to serve at the altar! So merciful to me, as at last to move my heart to embrace this holy motion! Thy motions I will and do embrace: and I now say with the blessed Virgin, "Be it with thy servant as seemeth best in thy sight :" and so, Blessed Jesus, I do take the Cup of Salvation, and will call upon thy Name, and will preach thy Gospel.

Such strifes as these St. Austin had,* when St. Ambrose† endeavoured his conversion to Christianity: with which he confesseth he acquainted his friend Alipius. Our learned author,—a man fit to write after no mean copy-did the like. And declaring his intentions to his dear friend Dr. King, then Bishop of London, a man famous in his generation, and no stranger to Mr. Donne's abilities, for he had been Chaplain to the Lord Chancellor, at the time of Mr. Donne's being his Lordship's Secretary -that reverend man did receive the news with much gladness; and, after some expressions of joy, and a persuasion to be constant in his pious purpose, he proceeded with all convenient speed to ordain him first Deacon, and then Priest not long after.

* Augustin, the famous Bishop of Hippo, and usually called "the great Doctor of Africa," was born in 359, and died in 430. The carelessness and levity of the earlier period of his life were in some measure compensated by the unbounded charity, the piety and zeal which he displayed after his conversion to the true faith. This conversion it attributed partly to the affecting discourses of St. Ambrose, whose lectures he was induced to attend through mere curiosity, and partly to the tears and tender entreaties of his mother Monica. He hath so freely acknowledged and censured the impropriety of his former conduct, in his books of Confessions, that it is justly deemed "tyranny to trample on him that prostrates himself." Erasmus, who hath written his life, exhibits him as the most finished pattern of goodness—“ quasi Deus voluerit in Augustino tanquam in una tabula vividum quoddam exemplar Episcopi repræsentare omnibus virtutum numeris absolutum."

+ Bishop of Milan, from the persuasive powers of his eloquence, and the charming sweetness of his language, called "the Mellifluous Doctor." The effects which his discourses produced on St. Augustin are described in Confessionum, lib. v. cap. 14.

John King was born at Wornal in Bucks, about 1559, educated in Westminster School, and sent to Christ-Church in 1576. He was chaplain to Queen Elizabeth, arch-deacon of Nottingham in 1590, doctor of divinity in 1601, dean of Christ-Church in 1605, and Bishop of London in 1611. Besides his "Lectures upon Jonah," printed in 1594, he published several sermons. He was so constant in preaching, after he was a bishop, that he never missed a Sunday, when his health permitted. He died March 30, 1621, and was interred in St. Paul's Cathedral. Soon after, the papists reported, that he died a member of their church, in a pamphlet entitled "The Bishop of London his Legacy;" but the falsity of this story was sufficiently exposed by his son Henry, in a sermon at St. Paul's Cross, Nov. 25, 1621, and by Bishop Godwin, in the appendix to his "Commentarius de Præsulibus Angliæ." He is afterwards noticed in the Life of Dr. Sanderson.

Now the English Church had gained a second St. Austin; for I think none was so like him before his conversion, none so like St. Ambrose after it and if his youth had the infirmities of the one, his age had the excellencies of the other; the learning and

holiness of both.

:

And now all his studies which had been occasionally diffused, were all concentered in Divinity. Now he had a new calling, new thoughts, and a new employment for his wit and eloquence. Now, all his earthly affections were changed into Divine love; and all the faculties of his own soul were engaged in the conversion of others; in preaching the glad tidings of remission to repenting sinners, and peace to each troubled soul. To these he applied himself with all care and diligence: and now such a change was wrought in him, that he could say with David, "O how amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord God of Hosts!" Now he declared openly, "that when he required a temporal, God gave him a spiritual blessing." And that "he was now gladder to be a door-keeper in the House of God, than he could be to enjoy the noblest of all temporal employments."

Presently after he entered into his holy profession, the King sent for him, and made him his Chaplain in Ordinary, and promised to take a particular care for his preferment.

And, though his long familiarity with scholars and persons of greatest quality, was such, as might have given some men boldness enough to have preached to any eminent auditory; yet his modesty in this employment was such, that he could not be persuaded to it, but went usually accompanied with some one friend to preach privately in some village, not far from London; his first Sermon being preached at Paddington. This he did, till his Majesty sent and appointed him a day to preach to him at Whitehall; and, though much were expected from him, both by his Majesty and others, yet he was so happy-which few are—as to satisfy and exceed their expectations: preaching the Word so, as showed his own heart was possessed with those very thoughts and joys that he laboured to distil into others: a preacher in earnest ; weeping sometimes for his auditory, sometimes with them; always preaching to himself, like an angel from a cloud, but in none; carrying some, as St. Paul was, to heaven in holy raptures,

and enticing others by a sacred art and courtship to amend their lives here picturing a Vice so as to make it ugly to those that practised it; and a Virtue so as to make it be beloved, even by those that loved it not; and all this with a most particular grace and an unexpressible addition of comeliness.

There may be some that may incline to think—such indeed as have not heard him—that my affection to my friend hath transported me to an immoderate commendation of his preaching. If this meets with any such, let me entreat, though I will omit many, yet that they will receive a double witness for what I say, it being attested by a gentleman of worth,-Mr. Chidley,* a frequent hearer of his Sermons-in part of a Funeral Elegy writ by him on Dr. Donne; and is a known truth, though it be in verse.

Each altar had his fire—

He kept his love, but not his object; wit
He did not banish, but transplanted it ;

Taught it both time and place, and brought it home
To piety which it doth best become.

For say, had ever pleasure such a dress?
Have you seen crimes so shap'd, or loveliness
Such as his lips did clothe Religion in ?
Had not reproof a beauty passing Sin?
Corrupted Nature sorrow'd that she stood
So near the danger of becoming good.

And, when he preach'd, she wish'd her ears exempt
From piety, that had such power to tempt.

How did his sacred flattery beguile

Men to amend ?

More of this, and more witnesses, might be brought; but I forbear and return.t

* John Chudleigh, M.A. of Wadham College, Oxford, and eldest son of Sir John Chudleigh, Bart. of Ashton, in Devonshire.

+ The character of Dr. Donne's Sermons is faithfully delineated by his son in the Dedication of them to Charles I. "They who have been conversant in the works of the holiest men of all times, cannot but acknowledge in these