Sermons (LXXX Sermons etc.); Holy Sonnets

out, yet it contributes, though not to the being, yet to the verdure, and freshness thereof. Letters bave truly the saine office, as oaths. As these amongst light and empty men. are but fillings, and pauses, and interjections; but with weightier, they are sad attestations; so are letters to somc, compliment, and obligation to others. For mine, as I never authorised my servant to lle in my bellalf, (for if it were ofllcious in hinl, it raight be worse iii me) so I allow my letters mueh less that civil dishonesty, both beeause they go from lne more eonsiderately, and beeause they are permanent; for ill them I may speak to you in your ehamber a ye-r henee, before I knov hot whom, and llOt llear myself. They shall therefore ever keep the sineerity and intemerateness of the fountain, whenee they are deri'ed. And a wheresoever these leaves fall, the root is in my heart, so sh,ll they, a that sucks good affections towards you there, h.ve ever true impressions thereof. Thus mueh information is in -ery lea'es, that they ean tell what the tree is, and these Call tell you I ara a friend, and an honest man. Of what general use, the fruit sllould speak, and I llar none: and of what particular profit to you, your application and experimenting should tell you, and you tan make none of such a nothing; yet even of barren sycamores, such as I, there were use, if either any light flashings, or scorching vehemencies, or sudden showers ruade you need so shadowy an example or remembrancer. But (sir) your fortune and mind do you this happy injury, that they make ail kind of fruits useless ltlltO yOU; tllerefore I have placed my lo'e wisely where I need colnmunicate nothing. All this, though perchance you read it hot till 1Michaelmas, was told you at Michanl, 15th August, 1607.

Because in your last letter, I have an invitation to corne to you, though I never thought myself so fallen from nly interest, which, by your favour, I prescribe in, in you, and therefore when in the spring I hoped to haro strenh enough, to corne into those parts, upon another occasion, I always resolved to put myseLf into your presence too, yet now I ask you more particularly how you dispose of yourself; for though I bave heard, that you puIpose a journey to the Bath, and from thence hither, yet I can hOl)e, that my service at Lincoln's Inn being ended for next terln, I may bave intermission enough to wait upon you at Polesworth, before the season call you to Bath. I was no easy apprehender of the fear of your departing from us; neither ara I casy in the hope of seeing you entirely over suddely. God loves your soul, if he be Ioth to let it go inehmeal, and hot by swallowings; and he loves it too, if he build it up again stone after stone; his will is hot done except his way and his leisure be observed. In my particular, I ara sorry, if my ingenuity and candour in delivering myself in those points, ofwhich you spa]e fo me, bave defaced those impressions which were in you belote: if my freedom have occasioned your captivity, I ara miserably sorry. I went unprofitably and improvidently, to the utmost end of truth, because I wouhl go as far as I couhl to meet peace; if my going so far in declaring myself, brought you where you could hot stop. But I was as confident ix your strength, as in mine own, so ara I still, in him who strenhens all out infirmities, and will, I doubt hot, bring you and me together, in all those particulars, so as we shall hot part in this world, nor the next. Sir, your own soul cannot be more zealous of your peace, dmn I ara: and God, who loves that zeal in me, will not surfer)'ou to suspect it. I ara surprised with a necessity of writing now, in a minute; for I sent fo Beford-house to inform myself of means to write, aud your daughter sent me word, of a present messenger, and therefore the test of this, I shall make up in my prayers to out blessed Saviour, for all happinesses to you. ¥our poor servant in Christ Jesus, Drury-house, the 22d of J. ])ecember, 1607'.

I have bespoke you a new-year's-gift, that is, a good new year, for I bave offered your naine with my seul heartily te God in my morninïs best sacrifice: if for custom you will de a particular office in recompense, deliver this letter te your lady, new, or when the rage of the mask is past. If you make any haste into the country, I pray let me know it. I would kiss your hands before you go, which I de new, and continue Your affectionate servant and lever, lIitcham, the last of 1607, as I remember. J. DONNE.

I would net omit this, net commodity, but advantago of writing te you. This emptiness in London, dignifies any letter from hence, as in the seasons, earliness and lateness, make thc sourness, and after, the sweetness of fruits, acceptable and graclous. SVe often excuse and advance mean authors, by the age in which they lived, 8o will your love do this letter; and you will tell yourself, that if he which writ it knew wherein he might express his affection, or anything which might bave ruade his letter welcomer, he would have donc it. As it is, you may cept it so, as we do many china manufactures, of which when we know no use, yet we satisfy our curiosity in considering them, because we know hOt how, nor of what matter they were ruade. Near great woods and quarries it is no wonder to sec fait bouses, but in Holland which wants both, itis. So wero it for me who am as far removed from court, and knowledge offoreign passages, as this city is new from the face and furniture of a city, te build up a long letter and te write of myself, were but te inclose a poor handful of straw for a token in aletter: yet I will tell you, that I ara at London only te provide for Monday, when I shall use that faveur which my Lady Bedford bath afforded me, of giviug her * l'robably Sir James Harrington,—E».

pa os or ooua. 311 naine te my daughtor; which I mention te you, as well te show that I covet any occasion of a greatful spealdng of ber favours, as that, because I bave thought the day is likely te bring you te London, I might tell you, that my poor bouse is in your way and you shall there find such company, as (I tbink) you will net be loth te accompany te London. Your very true friend, Augttst 6, 1608. J. Do.s.

This letter hath more merit, thon one of more diligence, for I wrote it in my bed, and with much pain. I bave occasion te sit late seine nights in my study (which your books make a pretty library), and new I find that that room bath a wholesolne emblematic use: for having under it a -ault, I make that promise me, that I shall die reading, since my book and a grave are se near. But it hath another as uuwholesome, that by raw vapeurs rising frein thence (for I tan impute it te notbing else), I have contracted a sickness which I canner naine ner describe. For it hath se much of a continual cramp, that wrests the sinews, se much of a tetane, that it withdraws and pulls the lnouth, and se much of the gout (which they whose counsel I use, say it is), that it is net like te be cured, though I ara too hasty in three davs te pronounee it. If it be the gout, I am miserable; for that affccts dangerous parts, as my neck ami breast, and (I think fearfully) my stomach, but it will net kill me yet; I shall ho in this world, like a porter in a great bouse, ever nearest the door, but seldomest abroad: I shall bave many things te make me weary, and yet net get leave te be gone. If I go, I will provide by my best mneans that you surfer net for me, in your bonds. The estate which I should leave behind me of any estimation, is my poor faine, in the memory of my friends, and therefore I would be curious of it, and pro,zide that they repent net te bave lo,zed me. Since my imprisonment in my bed, I hve ruade a meditation in verse, 'hich I call a Litany*; the word)'ou know imports no other than supplication, but ail churches bave one form of supplication, by that naine. Amongst ancient annals, I mean some eight hundred years, I have met two Litanies in Latin verse, 'hich gave me hOt the reason of my meditations, for in good falth I thoufht hOt upon them then, but they give me a defence, if any man, to a layman, and a private, impute it as a fault, to take such divine and public names, to his own little thoughts. The first of these was ruade by Ratpetus, a monk of Suevia; and the other by St. llotker, of whom I will give you this note by the way, that he is a private saint, for a few parishes; they were both but monks, and the Litanies poor and barbarous enough;)'et Pope Nicho]as V. valued their devotion so much, that he canonized both their poems, and commanded them for public service in their churches: mine is for lesser chapels, 'hich al"e my friends, and though a copy of it vere due to you, now, yet I am so unable to serve myself with writing it for you at this time (being some thirty staves of nine lines), that I must entreat you to take a promise that you shall h3ve the first, for a testimony of that duty which I owe to your love, and to myself, 'ho ara bound to cherish it by my best offices. That by which it will deserve best acceptation, is, that neither the Roman church need call it defective, because it abhors hot the particular mention of the blessed t'imnphers in heaven; nor the ]eformed can discreetly accuse it, of attributing more than a rectified de'otion ought to do. The day belote I lay down, I wa at-London, -here I delivered your letter for Sir Edward Conway, and received another for you, with the copy of my book, of which it is impossible for me to give you a copy so soon, for it is hot of much less than three hundred pages. If I die, it shall corne to you in that fashion that your ]etter desires it. If I warm again (as I bave often seen such beggars as my indisposition is, end themselves soon, and the patient as soon), you and I sha]l speak together of that, belote it be too late to serve you in that commandment. At this time I only assure you, that I bave not appointed it upon any person, nor ever purposed to print it: which latter perchance you thought, and grounded your request

thereupon. A gentleman that visited me yesterday, told me that our church hath lost Mr. Hugh Broughton, who is gone to the loman side. I bave known before, that Serarius the Jesuit, was an instrument from Cardinal Baronius to draw him t ttome, to accepta stipend, only to serve the Christian churches in controversies with the Jews, without endangering himself to change ofhis persuasion in particular deductions between these Christian churches, or being inquired of, or tempted thereunto. And I hope he is no otherwise departed from us. If he be, we shall hot escape scandal in it; because, though he be a man of many distempers, yet when he shall corne to eat assured bread, and fo bo removed from partialities, to which want drove him, to make himself a re.putation, and raise up favourers; you shall see in that course of opposing the Jews, he will produce worthy things: and out church svill perchance blush to bave lost a soldier fit for that great battle; and to cherish only those single duellisms, between lome and England, or that more single, and almost self-homicide, between the unconformed ministers, and bishops. I wrote to you last week that the plague increased; by which you may see that my letters * opinion of the song, not that I make such trifles for praise; but because as long as you speak comparatively of it with mine own, and hot absolutely, so long I am ofyour opinion even at this time; when I humbly thank God, I ask and have, his comfort of sadder meditations, I do hot condenm in myself, that I have given my vit such evaporations, as those, if they be free from profaneness, or obscene provocations. Sir, you would pity me if you saw me write, and therefore will pardon me if I write no more: my pain hath drawn my head so much awry, and holds it so, that mine eye cannot follow mine hand: I receive you therefore into my prayers, with mine own weary soul, and commend myself to yours. I doubt not but next week I shall be good news to you, for I have mending or dying on my side, which is two fo one. If I continue thus, I shall bave comfort in this, that my blessed Saviour exercising his justice upon my two worldly parts, my fortune, and body, reserves all his mercy for that which bes tasts it, and most needs it, my oul. I plfes to you truly, that my lothnes to give over now, svems to myself an iii ign,.that I shall write no more . • Your poor friend, and God's poor patient, J. DosN..

I ara sory, if your care of me bave maAe you importune to anybody else; yet I cannot be very sortit because it gives new testimonies of your favour to me, of which I shall ever be very glad, and (chat which is my only virtue) thankful: so desperate fortunes a mine, may well make friends loth to do courtesies, because an inability in deserving or requiting, takes from them the honour of having done a courtesy, atd leaves it but the poor naine of an altos; and altos may be given in easier proportions, and more meritoriously. But, sir, by what naine or weight soever you esteem this kindness whicll you bave done me, I value it so, as might alone persuade me of your care of me in recompense of which, you must be pleased to accept new a surances that I ara Your very affectionate servant, J. DoNN, I pray let my service be presented by you to Mr. Roope.

I was loth te be the only man who should have no part in this great festival; I thought therefore te celebrate that welI, by spending ome part of if in your company. This ruade ma seek you aguin this aftcrnoon, though I were guilty te myself of having donc so every day sinee you ¢oming. I eonfess such an importunity is worthy to ho punished with sueh a missing; yet, because it is the likeliest reparation of my fortunes to hope upon reversions, I would ho glad of that title in you: that, after solemnities, and businesses, and pleasures be passed over, my time may corne, and you may afford some of your last leisures to Your affectionate and humble servant, ]'OV. 4. JOHN DONNE.

I make aecount that this writing of letters, when it is with any seriousness, is a kind of ecstacy, and a departure and sceession and suspension of the seul, whieh doth then eommunieate itself te two bodies: and as I would every day provide for my soul's last convoy, though I know net when I shall die, and perchance I shall never die; se for these ecstacies in lettmu, I ofteutimes deliver myself over in writing when I know net when those letters shall be sent te you, and many rimes they never are, for I haro a little satisfaction in seeing a letter vritten te)'ou upon my table, though I meet no opportunity of sending it. Especially this summer, when either by my early retiring home, or your irresolutions of your own purposes, or seine other possessions of yours you did less reveal te me your progresses, and stations, and where I might cross you by letters, than heretofore; I make shift te lav little fault upon you, beeause my pardon mlght be easier, if I transgress into a longer and busier letter than your country sports adroit; but you may read it in winter: and by that rime I may more elearly express myself for those things which haro entered into me, concerning your seul: for as the greatest advantage whieh man's sou1 is thought te bave beyond others, is that which they call actum reflexum, and iteratum, (for bcasts de tho saine things as wo de, but they de net consider ner remember tho circumstances and inducements; and by what Imwer, and faculty, it la that they de them) se of those which they call actum re)qe.rum the noblest is that which reflects upon the seul itself, and considers and meditates it. Into which con- ideration when I walk after my slow and imperfect pce, I begin te think that as litigious men, tired with suits, adroit any arbitrement; and as princes, travailed with long and wasteful war, descend te such conditions of peace, as they are soon after ashamed te ha-e embraced: o philosophers, and se ail sects of Christians, after long disputations aud controversies, bave allowed many things for positive and donatical truths which are net worthy of that dignity; and se many doctrines have gro'«n te be the ordinary diet and food of our spirits, and bave place in tbe pap of catechisms, which were admitted but as physic in that present distemper, or accepted in a lazy weariness, when men, se they might bave something te rely upon, and te excuse themselves frein more painful inquisition, never examined what that was. Te which indisposition of ours the casuists are se indulgent, as that they allow a conscience te adhere te any probable opinion against a more probable, and de never bind him te seek out which is the more probable, but give him leave te dissemble it and te depart frein it, if by mischance he corne te know it. This, as it appears in ail sciences, se most mauifestly in physic, which for a long rime considering nothing but plain curing, and that but by example and precedent, the world at last longed for seine certain canons and rulcs, how these cures might be accomplished; and when men are inflamed with this desire, and that such a tire breaks out tbat rages and consumes infinitely by heat of argument, except seine of authority interpose. This produced Hippocrates's Aphorisms; and tbe world slumberetl or took brea,h in his resolution divers hundreds of years. And then, in Galen's rime, which was net satisfied with the effect of curing, ner with-the knowledge how te cure, broke out another desire of finding out the causes why those simples wrought those effects. Then Galen, rather te stay their stomachs than that he gave them enough, taught them the qualifies of the four elemeuts, and arrested them upon this, that ail differences of qualities proceeded frein them. And after (net much before out time) men perceiving that ail effects in physic could net be derived frein these beggarly and impotent properties of the elements, and that therefore they were lriveu ofteu te that miserable refuge of specific ferre, and of anti- pathy and sympathy, we see the xvorld hath turned upon new principles which are attributed to Paracelsus, but indeed too mueh to his honour. Certainly itis also so in the physic of our soul's divinity, for in the primitive church, when amongst the fathers there were so divers opinions of the state of the sou1, presently after this life, they easily inclined to be content to do as much for them dead as when they were alive, and so coneurred in a charitable disposition to pray for them; which manner of prayer then in use, no Ch ristian church at this day, having received better light, xvill allow of. So also when in the beginning of St. Augustine's rime, grace had been so much advanced, that man's nature was scaree admitted tobe so much as any means or instrument (hot only no kind of cause) of his osvn good xvorks. And soon after, in St. Augustine's rime also, man's ïree will (by tierce opposition and arguing against the former error) was too much overvalued, and admitted into too near degrees of fellowship with grace. Those rimes admitted a doctrine and fonu of reconeiliation whieh, though for reverenee to the rime, both the Dominicans and Jesuits at this day, in their great quarrel about graee and ïl'ee-will, would yet seem to maintain; yet indiflèrent and dispassioned men of that church see there is no possibility in it, and therefore accuse it of absurdity and almost of heresy. I think it ïalls out thus also in the matter of the soul: for Christian religion presuming a sou1, and intending prineipally her happiness in the liïe to corne, hath heen content to aecept any way whieh hath been obtruded, how this soul is begun in us. Henee it is that whole Christian dmrches arrest themselves upon propagation from parents; aud other whole Christian ehurehes allow only infusion from God. lu both which opinions there appear sueh infirmities, as it is time to look for a better: for whosoever will adhere to the way of propagation, can ever eviet necessarily and certainly a natural immortality in the soul, if the soul resnlt out of matter; nor shall he ever prove that ail mankind hath any more than ode soul: as certainly of all beasts, if they receive such souls as they have from their parents, every species can bave but oue-soul. And they which follow the opinion of infusion from God, and of a new ereation (whieh is now the more colnmon opinion), as they tan very hardly defend the doctrine of original sin (the aoul is forced to take this infection, anti cornes hot into the body of ber own disposition), so shall they never be able to prove that ail those whom we see in the shape of men, bave an immortal and reasonable soul, because our parents are as able as any other species is to give us a soul of growth and of sense, and to perform ail vital and animal functiouoe. And so without infusion of such a sou] may produce a ereature as wise, and well disposed as any horse or elephant, of which degree man)- whom,ve see corne far short; nor bath God bound or declared himself that ho will ahvays create a soul for every embryon, there is yet therefore no opinion in philosophy, nor divinity, so well established as constrains us to believe, both that the soul is immortal, and that every particular man bath suoh a sou]: which since out of the great mercy of out God we do constantly believe, I ara ashamed that we do hot also know it by searching farther. But as sometimes we had rather believe a traveller's lio than go to disprove him; so mon rather cleave to theso ways than seek new. Yet because I bave meditated therein, I will shortly acquaint you with what I think; for I would not bo in danger of that law of Moses, that if a man dig a pit, and cover it hot, ho must recompense those which are damnified by it: which is often interpreted of such as shake o]d opinions, and do hot establish new as certain, but leave consciences in a worse danger than they found them in. I belleve that law of Moses bath in it some mystery and appliableness; for by that law mon are only tllen bound to that indemnity and compensation, if an ox or an ass (that is, such as are of a strong constitution and accustomed fo labour) fall therein; but it is hot said so, if a sheep or a goat fMI: no more are we, if mon in a silliness or wantonness will stumble or take a scandal, bound to rectify them st ail times. And therefore because I justly presume),ou strong sud watchful enough, I make account that I ara hot obnoxious to that law, since my meditations are neither too wide nor too deep for you, except only that my way of expressing them may be extended beyond your patience and pardon, which I will therefore tempt no longer st this time. S'out very affectionate friend and servant and loyer, From 51itcham, my close prison over JoHn I)oE. mince I saw you.—Oct. 9.

As you are a great part of my business, when I corne te London, go are you when I send. More than the office of a visitation brlngs this letter te you new; for I remember that about this rime you purposed a journey te fetch, or meet the lad, Huntington. If you justly doubt any long absence, I pray senti te n.y lodging my written books: and if you may stay very long, I pray send that letter in which I sent you certain heads which I purposed te enlarge, for I have them net in any other paper: and I may find time in your absence te de it, because I know no stronger argument te more)'ou te love me, but becauso you have done se, de se still, te make my ressort better, and I shall st last prescribe in you, Yours, Mitcham, Wedneaday. J. DoE.

Lest you should think yourself too much beholden to your fortune, and so rely too much upon ber hereafter, I ara bold te tell you, that it is net only your good fortune that bath preserved you frein the importunity of my visit all this rime. For my ill fortune, which is stronger than any mau's good fortune, bath concurred in the plot te keep us asunder, by infecting one in my bouse with the measles. But all that is se safely overworn, that I date, net only desire te put myself into your presence, but by your mediation, a little farther. For, esteeming myself, by se good a title, as my Iord's own words, te be under his providence, and care of my fortune, I make it the best part of my studies how I might esse his lordship by finding out something for myself. Vhich, becauso I think I bave done, as though I had done him a service therein, I adventure te desire te speak with him, which I beseech you te advance, in addition te your many favours and benefits to me. And if you haro occasion to send any of your servants to tbls tortu, to give me not/ce, what t/mes are fittest for me to wait, to enjoy your favour herein. My business /s of that nature, that loss of time may make it much more diflicult, and may gh'e courage to the iii fortune of Your humble servant,

Every Tuesday I make aceount that I turn a great hourglass, and eonsider that a week's lire is run out since I writ. But if I ask myself what I have done in the last wateh, or would do in the next, I can say nothing; if I say that I bave passed it vithout hurting any, so may the spider in my window. The primitive monks were exeusable in their retirings and enclosures of themselves: for even of them every one eultivated his own garden and orehard, that is, his soul and body, by meditation, and manufactures; and they sought the xvorld no more sinee they eonsumed none of her sweetness, nor begot others to burden ber. But for me, if I were able to husband all my rime so thriftily, as hOt on]y hot fo wound my soul in a minute by aetual sin, but hOt to rob and eozen her by giving any part to pleasure or business, but bestow it all upon her in meditation, yet evin in that I should wound her more, and eontraet another guiltiness: as tho eaglc were very unnatural if beeause she is able to do it, sho should pereh a wbole day upon a tree, staring in eontemplation of the majesty and glory of the sun, and let her young eaglets starve in the nest. Two of the most preeious things whieh God hath arforded us here, for the agony and exercise of our sense and spirit, whieh are a thirst ad inhiation after the next lire, and a frequeney of prayer and meditation in this, are often envenomed, and putrefed, and stray into a eorrupt disease: for as God doth thus occasion, and positively eoneur to evil, that when a man is purposed to do a great sin, God infuses some good thoughts whieh make him chose a less sin, or leave out some eircumstaneo whieh aggravated that; so the devil doth not only surfer but provoke ts to some things natnrally good, upon condition that we shall omit some other n|ore neeessary and more ohligatory. And this is his greatest subtlety; because herein sve have the deceitful comfort of having donc well, and can very hardly spy out error hecause it i. but an iusensihle omission, and no accusing act. Vith the tiret of these I have often suspected |uyseif fo he overtaken, which is, with a deslre of the next lire: which thouh I know it is hot merely out of a weariness of thls, beca|se I had the saine desires when I weut witll the tide, and enjoyed fairer hopes than now: ver I doubt wor|dly encmnbraces havc increased it. I wo,hi hot that death shonld take me a.leep. I would hot have him merely seize me, and ouly declare me to be dead, but win me, and overcome me. Vhen I nm.t shipwreck, I would do it in a sca, wherc mine impotency might bave some excuse; hot in a snilen weedv lake, where I could hot have so nmeh as exereise for my swin|ming. Therefore I would fain do son|ethiug; bat that I eaunot tell what, la no wonde|.. For to ehoose, is to do: but to be no part of any body, is to be nothing. At n|ost, the greatest persons, are but great -«ens, and exereseenees; nen of wit aud delightful conversation, but as noles for ornament, exeept they be so iacorporated into the body of the worhi, that they contrib,te something to the sustentation of the whole. This I ruade aceouut that I begun early, when I understood the study of our laws; lmt was diverted bs" the worst voluptuousness, which is an hydroptic immoderate desire of hnman learning and lauguages: beautiful oruaments to great fortunes; but mine needed an occupation, and a course which I thought I entered well into, when I submitted mysel[" to sueh a service, as I thought might have employed those poor advantages, xs'hich! had. And there I stmubled too,)'et I xx'ould try agaiu: for to this hour I ara nothing, or so little, that I ara searce subjeet and argument good enough for one of nfiue owu letters:)'et I fear, that doth hot ever proeeed from a good root. that I ara so well content to he less, that is dead. ¥ou, sir, are far enougll from these descents, your virtue keeps you seeure, and your natural disposition to mirth will preserve you; but lose none of these holds, a slip is often as dangerous as a bruise, and though.vou cannot fall to ny lowness, yet in a mueh less dis- ,'01.. ,'1. "

". LETTEs TO traction you may meet my sadness; for he is no saler which falls from an high tower into the leads, than he which falls fmm thence to the ound: make therefore to yuurself me mark, and go towards it aegrement. Though I be in euch a planetary and erratic foune, that I can do nothing constantly, yet you may find some constancy in my constant advising you  it. Your hearty truc friend,

I came this evening from Mr. Jonea' bouse in Essex, where Mr. blartin bath been, and left a relation of Capmin Vhhcoe'a death, pemhance it is no news to you, but it wa to nm; without doubt want broke him; for when Mr. Holland' company by reason of the plague broke, the captain ught to be at Joaes's house,.who in ber hband's absence decllning it, he went in the night, hi boy carrying his cloak-bag, on foot to the lord of Sussex, who going next day to hunt, the captain hot then sick, told h]m he would see him no more. A chaplain came up fo him, to whom he delivered an account of hi understanding, and I hope, of hi belief, and soon after died; and my lord bath buried him with his own ancestors. Peoehance his lire needed a longer sickness, but a man may go faster and saler, when he enjoys that dayllght of a clear and sound undcrstanding, than in the night or twilight of an ague or other d]sease. And the grace of Almighty God doth everything suddenly and hastily, but depart from us: it enlightens us, warms us, heats us, ravh at once. Such a medicine, I fear, his inconsiderat]on need; and I hope as confidently that he had it. As our sotd is infud when it is created, and coeated when it is infused, so at her going out, God's memy ]s had by asking, and that is ased by having. Lt your Poleswoh carrier should cozen me, I send my man with this letter early to London, whither ths Tuesday a the court corne to a christening at Arundel-hoe, and y in to; so that I will sup with the good lady, and write again tomoow to you, if anything be occasioned there, which concerns you, and I will tell ber so; next day they are to retum to Hampton» and upon Friday the king to Roysn * • No date; but probably from Iim dg  tr and wt of occupation i 16041609.—v.

To my honourable Friend, 81r Henry Goodyere*.

To you that are not easily scandalized, and in whom, I hope, neither my religion nor morality ean surfer, I date write my opinion of that book in whose bowels you left me. It bath refreshed, and given new justice to my ordinary eomplaint, that the divines of these rimes, are beeome mere advoeates, as though religion were a temporal inheritanee; they plead for it with ail sophistications, and illusions, and forgeries: and herein are they likcst advocates, that though they be fed by the way, with dignities, and other reeompenses, yet that for which they plead is none of theirs. They write for religion, without it. In the main point in question, I think truly there is a perplexity (as far as I see)'et) and both sides may be in justice, and innocence; and the wounds which they infliet upon the adverse part, are ail se defendedo: for, elearly, out state eannot be sale without the oath; sinee they profess, that elergymen, though traitors, are no subjects, and that ail the rest may be none to-morrow. And, as clearly, the supremacy which the loman church pretend, were tihuinished, if it were limlted; and will as iii abide that, or disputation, as thc prerogative of temporal kings, who being the only judges of their prerogative, why may hot loman bishops, (so enlightened as they are presumed by them) be good witnesses of their owu supremacy, which is now so mueh impugned. But for this particular author, I looked for more prudence, and human wisdom in him, in avoiding ail miscitings, or misinterpretings, bccause at this time, the watch is set, and everybody's hammer is upon that anvil  and to date off`end in that kind now, is, for a thief to leave the covert, and meet a strong hue and cry in the teeth: and yet truly this man is extremely obnoxious in that kind; for, though he bave answered many things fully, (as no book ever gave more advantage than that which he undertook) anti abound in delicate applications, and ornameuts, from the divine and profane authors, yet being chiefly conversant about * Before 16o9.—E».

two points, ho prevaricates in both. For, for the matter, which is the first, he refers it entirely, and namely, to that which Dr. Morton hath said therein before, and so leaves it.roundly: and for the person (which is the second) upon whom he amasses as many opprobries, as any other eould deserve, he pronounceth, tbat be will account any answer from his adversary, slander, except he do (as he hath donc) draw whatsoever he saith of him, ri'oto authors of the samc religion, and iii print: and so, he having madc use of all the quodlibetaries, imputations against the other, cannot be obnoxious himself in tbat kind, and so bath provided safely. It were no service to you, to send you my notes upon the book, because they are sandy, and incoherent rags, for my memory, hot for your judgment; and to extend them to an easiness, and perficuit.v, would make them a pamphlet, not a letter. I will therefore defer them till I sec you; and in the meantime, I will adventure to say to you, without inseioEing one unnecessary word, tbat the book is full of falsifications in words, and in sense, and of falsehoods in matter of fact, and of inconsequent and unscholarlike arguings, and of relinquishing the king, in many points of defence, and of contradiction of himself, and of dangerous and suspected doctrine in divinity, and of silly ridiculous triflings, and of extreme flatteries, and of neglecting better and more obvious answers, and of letting slip some euormous advantages which the other gave, and he spies hot. I know (as I begun)I speak to)'ou who cannot be scandalized, and that ueither measure religion (as it is now callcd) by unity, nor suspect unity, for these interruptions. Sir, hot only a mathematie point, which is the most indivisible and unique thing which art tan present, flows into every line wbich is derived from the centre, but onr soul which is but one, bath swallowed up a negatire, and feeling soul; which was in the body before it came, and exercises those faeulties yet; and God hinselt', who only is one, seems to have been eternally delighted, with a disunion of persons. They whose active function it is, must endeavour this unitv in religion: and we at out lay altars (which aie our tables, or bedside, or stools, wheresoever we dare prostrate ourselves to God in prayer) must beg it of hiln: but we must take heed of Inakin 7 m;«Olclu.-ions upon the want of it: for, whethcr the mayor and aldermen fall out, (as with us and the purltans; bishops against priests) or the commoners' voices differ who is mayor, and who aldermen, or what their jurisdiction, (as with the bishop of Rome, or whosoever) yet it is still one corporation. Your very affectionate servant and loyer, Mitchmn, Thursday, late. J. DONNE. Never leave the remembrance of my poor service unmentionœed when you sec the good lady.

I reeeive this lCth, your letter of the 10th, yet I mn hot eome to an understanding how these carriers keep days: for I would fain think that the letters which I sent upon Thusdty last might bave given you such an aecount of the state of my family, that you needed hot bave asked by this. But ir, it bath p]eased God to add thus mueh  my aiction, that my wiçe hath now eonfessed herself to be extremely sick; she bath held out thus long to assist me, but is now overturned, and here we be in two beds, or graves; so that God bath marked out a great many of , but taken none yet. I bave passed ten days without taking anything o that I think no man tan lire more thriftily. I bave purged and vexed my by much since I writ to you, and this day I have missed my fit: and this is the first rime, that I could diseern any iutermission. This is enough, the test I will spend upon the pas of your ]etter: your ]etter at PauYs is delivered. In the history of that remove, this on]y perchance may bc news to you, that Mr. Alabter bath got of the king tho dean's best living worth ave three hundred unds, whieh tho deau had good hope to bave held awhi]e. OF that which you writ eoneerniug a book of the ullity, I have heard no syllable any other way. If you have received it by good hauds, I believe it with you: otherwis the repo is naturay very incredible. * Before