Sermons (LXXX Sermons etc.); Holy Sonnets

The saine hour that I received the honour of your commandments, by your letter left at my poor house, I put myself upon the way hither. So that I ara here in the habit of a traveller, and (suitable to the test of my unworthinesses) unfit for great presences. Therefore, I abstain front waiting upon you presently; besicles that in this abstinence, (except 1 misinterpret the last words of your letter to my advantage) I obey your directions, in sending before I corne to you. Howsoever, sir, I ara entirely at your disposing, if you will be pleased to add this favour to the rest, that I may understand, wherein you will use your authority and power, which you have over ¥our poor and humble servant, J.

Your letter was the more welcome to nie, because it brought your commandment with it, of sending you perfurnes: for it is a service somewhat like a sacrifice. But yet your commandment surprised me, when neither I had enough fo send, nor had means to recover more; that lady being out of town which gave them me. But sir, if I had ten millions, I could send you no more than I do; for I senti ail. If any good occasion present itself fo you, fo send to my Lord Clifford, spare my naine a room, there where you offer him rnost of your service. I dare contend with you, that you cannot exceed me, in desiring to serve him. It is a better oce from me to you, that I go to bed, VOL.  I. 2 E than that I write a longer letter. For if I do mine eyes a littlo more injury, I shal| |ose the honour of seeing you at 31ichaelmas; for by my truth I ara almost b!ind: you my be content, to believe that I ara a|ways disposed to your service, without exception of any time, since now just at midnlght, when it is both da)" and night, and neither, I tell you that I ara Your affectionate ïriend and servant, J. Do,NE.

I thank you for expresing yor love to me, by this diligence, I know you tan distinguish between the voiees of my love, and of mv necessity, if anything in my letters sound like an intportunity. Desides, I will add thus ranch out of council to you, that you tan do nothing so thrit'tily as to keep in your purpose the payment of the test of this year's rent, (though at your conveniency) for Sir E. H—'s curio.ity being so served at first, I shall be no farther cause, but that the test be related, and vou in as good possession of hi. love, and to as gvod use, as your love deserves of him. ¥ou mock u when you ask news from llence. Ail is created there, or relates thither where you are. For that book which you cotnmand me to send, I held it but hall an bout: which served me to read those few leaves, which were directed upon some few lines of my book. If you "conte to town quic.kl.v, you may get a fait widow: for Mrs. Brown is fallen to that statc by death of her husband. No man desires your coming more, nor shall be readier to serve you, than ¥our affectionate friend and servant, J. Do.Ne.

i do no make aeeount that I ara to eome to London. when I get wlthin the wall: that whch makes it London is the meeting oï ïriends. I canno therefi)re otherwise hid myselï welcome to London, than b)" seeking of you, which both Sir II. Goodyere and I do, with so much diligence, as that this me sengcr cornes two days before to entreat vou from us both, to reserve yourself upon Saturdav: so that I may, at ont coming to London that night, nnderstand at mv bouse where 1 may send you word of our supping-place that night, and bave the honour of  company. So you lay more obligations upon Your poor unprofitable servant, 5. DoxE.

LTTEtt CII. To the I[onourable Itnigld, Sir Itobert Itarre, Gentleman of Iris tIiyhness's Bedchamber*.

I ara corne to that tenderness of conscience, that I need a pardon for meaning fo corne to N'ewmarket in this weather. If I had corne, I must have asked you many real pardons, for the many importunities that I should bave used towards you. But since I have divers errands thither, (except I belle myself in that phrase, since it is ail one errand to promove mine own business, and to receive your commands) I shall give you but a short respite, since I shall follow this paper within two days. And (that I accuse myself, no farther than I am guilty)the principal reason of my breaking the appointment of waiting upon Mr. lawlins, was, that I understood the king was îrom Newmarket; and for coming thither in the king's absence, I never heard of excuse; except when Butler sends a desperate • Probably written in 1¢,!4, the year of Donne'a receiving D.D. at Cambridge.En.

J'0 LETTERS 2"0 EVEII.,L patient lu a consumption thither for /ood air, which is an iii errand new. Besides that I could net well corne till new, (for there are very fev days past, since I took orders) there can be no loss in my absence except whcn I corne, my Lord should have thereby the less latitude, te procure the king's letters te Cambridge. I beseech you therefore, take somo occasion te refresh that business te his Lordship, by presenting my naine, and purpose of coming very shortly: and ho content te receivo me, who bave been ever your servant, te the addition of Your poor chaplain, 7th January. J. DoNE.

I'o my vêry much ttonoured Friend, George Garret,

When we think of a friend, we de net count that a lest thought, though that friend nevor know of it. If wo writo te a fi'iend, we must net call it a lest letter, though it never find him te whom it was addressed: for we owe ourselves that office, te be mindful of our friends. In payment of that debt, I send out " this letter, as a sentinel perdue; if it find you, it cornes te tell you, that I was possessed with a fever, se late in tho year, that ara afraid I shall net recover confidence te corne te London till the spring be a little advanced. Because you did out poor family the faveur, te mention out Georgo in your letters te Spain, with seine earnestness, I should vonder if you never had anything frein thenco concerning him; he having been new, divers months, in Spain. If you bo in London and the lady of tho jowel thero too, at your conveniency inform me, what is looked for at my hands, in that business; for, I would be loth te leave anything in my house, when I die, that were net absolutely mine own. I have a servant, Roper, at PauI's house, who will receivo your commandments, at all times. God bless you and your son, with tho saine blessings which I beg for the children, and for tho person of Your poor friend and humble servant in Christ Jesus, J. Do, 'E. ° Vritten I)robably in the winter of 1629.Ev.

To the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount of Roche»ter, My most Honourablo good Lord, After I was grown to be your Lordship's, by all the titles that I could think upon, it hath pleasœed your Lordship to mako another title to me, by buying me. You may bave many better bargains in your puœechases, but never a better title than to me, nor anything which you may call yours more absolutely and entirely. If therefore I appear before your Loœedsllip sometimes in these letters of thankfulness, it may be an excusable boldness, because they are part of your evidences by which you hold me- I know there nmy be degœeees of importunity even in thankfulness: but your Lordship is got above the danger of suffering that fœeom me, or my letters, both because my tllankfulness cannot reach fo the benefits already received, and because the favour of receiving my letters is a new benefit. And since good divines bave ruade this argument against denieœes of the resurrection, that itis easier for God to recollect the pœeinciples, and elements of out bodies, howsoever they be scattered, than it was at first to cœeeate them of nothing, I cannot doubt, but that any distractions or diversions in the ways of my hopes, will be easier to your Lordship to reunite, than it was to create them. Especially since you are alœeeady so near peœefecting them, that if it agreed with your Lordship's purposes, I should never wish other station, than such as might make me still, and only Your Lordship's most humble and devoted servant, J. Do, ..

I make shift to think that I promised you this book of French Satires. IfI did hot, yet itm%v bave the grace ofacceptation, both as it is a very forward and early fruit, since if cornes before it was looked for, and as it cornes from a good root, whieh is an itnportune desire to serve you. Whieh siuee I saw from the beginning, that I.,:hould never do lu any great thing, itis time to begin to try now, xvhether by often doing little services, I can corne towards any equivalence. For, except I tan make a rule of natural phylosophy, serve alto in moral offices, that as the strongest bodies are ruade of the smallest particles, so the strongest friendships may be ruade of olicn iterating small officiousnesses, I ce I tan be good tbr nothing. Ecept you know reason to the contrary, I pray deliver this letter according to the address. It hath no business, nor importunity; but as by our law, a man may be.fdo de se, if he kill himself, so I think  man may befur de se, if he steal himself out of thc memory of them which are content to harbour him. And now l begin to bc loth tobe lost, since I have afforded myself some valuation and price, ever sinee I received the stamp and impression of beiug Your ver)" hmnble aud affectiouate servant, J. Dox'.r.

I sought)'ou yesterday with a 1)urpose of accomplishing my health, by the honour of kis«ing yo:r hands. But I find by my «oirr_o-abroad, that as the first Chri»tians were forccd to adroit oeme Jewih ceremolfies, onl.v to bury the synagogue with honour, so my lever xvill have so lnuch revereuce and respect, as that I must keep sometim«s at home. I lnust therefore be bold to put you to the pain of considering me. If tlmrefore lny Lord upoa your delivery of my la-t letter, -aid nothiug to you of the purpose thereof; let lne tell you now, that it was, that in obedience of his connnandment, to acquaiut him with anything which might advantage me, I was bo]d to present that which I heard, which was that Sir D. Carlton was likely to be removed from Venice to the States; of whieh if my Lord said nothing fo you, I beseech you add thus nmch to your many otller favours, to entreat my Lord at his best Colnntodity, to afford inc tbe favour ofpeaking gith bim. But if he l,.ave already opened himself so far to j'ou, as that you may take knowledge thereof to him, then j'ou may case him of that trouble of giving me an audience, by troubling yourself thus mueh more, as to tell him in my behalt; and from me, that though Sir D. Carlton be hot removed, j'et that place with the States lying opet, there is a tair field of exercising his favour towards me, and of constituting a fortune to me, and (that whieb is more) of a means for nm to do him particular services. An,! sir, as I do thoroubly submit the end and eflbct of ail l»rojects to his Lordship's will, so do I this begiuning tbereof, to your advice and counsel, if vou thiuk nm capable of it: as, for your own sake, I beseech you to do, since j'ou have admitted me for Your humble serrant, J. Dos.

I amend te no lmrpose, ner have any use of thi ineboation of health, x'hieh I find, except I preserve my room, and tation in j'ou. I begin te be past hope of dying: and I feel that a littl rag of llone lla.qor, which I read last rime I was in your chamber, bath wrought prnphetically upon me, which is, that death came se fast towards nie, that the overjoy of that reeovered me. Sir, I measure net my health by my appetite, but only by my ability te coule te kiss your hauds: xvhieh shlce I cnnot hope in the eompass of a few days, I beseech you pardon me both thes¢ intrusions of this letter, and of that xx'ithin it. And though sehoolmen dispute, whether a married man dying, and being by miracle raised again, must be re-married; yet let your friendship, (which is a nobler learning)be content te adroit me, after this resurreetion, te be still that xs-hieh I s-as belote, and shall ever continue, Your most humble and thankfu| servant, lOth Match. J. Do.xt¢z.

3,Vhen I was almost at court, I met the priuce's coach: I think I obeyed your purposes best therefore, in coming hither. I ara sure I provided best for myself thereby; siuce my best degree of understanding is to be governed by you. I beseech you give me au assignation where I may wait upou you st your commodity this eveuiug. Till the performance of which commaudmeut from you, I rest here in the Red Lion. Your very thaukful and aflctionate servant, J. Do. ..