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a very unreasonable credulity in others to believe it. All the while I was with him, after he had flept out the disorders of the fit he was in the first night, he was not only without ravings, but had a clearnefs in his thoughts, in his memory, in his reflections on things and perfons, far beyond what I ever faw in a perfon fo low in his strength. He was not able to hold out long in a difcourfe, for his fpirits failed; but once for half an hour, and often for a quarter of an hour, after he awaked, he had a vivacity in his difcourfe that was extraordinary, and in all things like himself. He called often for his children, his fon (afterwards earl of Rochefter), and his three daughters, and fpake to them with a fenfe and feeling that cannot be expreffed in writing. He called me once to look on them all, and faid, "See how << good God has been to me, in giving me fo many "bleffings, and I have carried myfelf to him like "an ungracious and unthankful dog." He once talked a great deal to me of public affairs, and of many persons and things, with the fame clearness of thought and expreffion that he had ever done before: so that by no fign but his weakness of body, and giving over discourse so soon, could I perceive a difference between what his parts formerly were and what they were then.

And that, wherein the prefence of his mind appeared moft, was in the total change of an ill habit

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grown fo much upon him, that he could hardly govern himself, when he was any ways heated, three minutes without falling into it: I mean swearing. He had acknowledged to me, the former winter, that he abhorred it as a base and indecent thing, and had fet himself much to break it off; but he confeffed, that he was fo overpowered by that ill cuftom, that he could not fpeak with any warmth without repeated oaths, which, upon any fort of provocation, came almoft naturally from him; but in his laft remorses, this did fo fenfibly affect him, that, by a refolute and conftant watchfulness, the habit of it was perfectly mastered.; fo that, upon the returns of pain, which were very fevere and frequent upon him the last day I was with him, or upon fuch difpleasures as people fick or in pain are apt to take on a sudden at thofe about them, on all these occafions he never fwore an oath all the while I was there.

Once he was offended with the delay of one he thought made not hafte enough with fomewhat he called for, and said, in a little heat," that damned "fellow :" foon after I told him, I was glad to find his style fo reformed, and that he had fo entirely overcome that ill habit of swearing: only that word of calling any damned, which had returned upon him, was not decent. His answer was: "Oh! "that language of friends, which was fo familiar

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"to me, hangs yet about me: fure none has de"ferved more to be damned than I have done." And, after he had humbly asked God pardon for it, he defired me to call the perfon to him, that he might ask him forgiveness: but I told him that was needless; for he had said it of one that did not hear it, and fo could not be offended by it.

In this difpofition of mind did he continue all the while I was with him, four days together: he was then brought fo low, that all hopes of recovery were gone. Much purulent matter came from him with his urine; which he paffed always with fome pain, but one day with inexpreffible torment: yet he bore it decently, without breaking out into repinings or impatient complaints. He imagined he had a stone in his paffage; but, it being searched, none was found. The whole fubftance of his body was drained by the ulcer, and nothing was left but skin and bɔne; and, by lying much on his back, the parts there began to mortify: but he had been formerly fo low, that he feemed as much past all hopes of life as now: which made him one morning, after a full and sweet night's reft, procured by laudanum given him without his knowledge, to fancy it was an effort of nature, and to begin to entertain fome hopes of recovery: for he faid, he felt himself perfectly well, and that he had nothing ailing him but an extreme weakness, which might go off in

time and then he entertained me with the scheme he had laid down for the rest of his life; how retired, how ftrict, and how ftudious, he intended to be: but this was foon over; for he quickly felt that it was only the effect of a good fleep, and that he was still in a very defperate state.

I thought to have left him on Friday; but, not without fome paffion, he defired me to ftay that day. There appeared no fymptom of preient death; and a worthy phyfician, then with him, told me, that, though he was fo low that an accident might carry him away on a fudden, yet, without that, he thought he might live yet fome weeks. So, on Saturday, at four o'clock in the morning, I left him, being the 24th of July. But I durft not take leave of him; for he had expreffed fo great an unwillingnefs to part with me the day before, that, if I had not prefently yielded to one day's ftay, it was like to have given him fome trouble, therefore I thought it better to leave him without any formality. Some hours after he afked for me; and, when it was told him I was gone, he seemed to be troubled, and faid, "Has my friend left me? Then I fhai! die thortly." After that he fpake but once or twice till he died: he lay much filent: once they heard him praying very devoutly. And, on Monday about two of the clock in the morning, he died without any convulfion, or fo much as a groan.

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CONCLUSION.

THUS he lived, and thus he died in the three and thirtieth year of his age. Nature had fitted him for great things, and his knowledge and obfervation qualified him to have been one of the most extraordinary men, not only of his nation, but of the age he lived in; and I do verily believe, that, if God had thought fit to have continued him longer in the world, he had been the wonder and delight of all that knew him: but the infinite wife God knew better what was fit for him, and what the age deferved for men, who have fo caft off all fenfe of God and religion, deferve not fo signal a bleffing as the example and conviction which the reft of his life might have given them. And I am apt to think that the Divine Goodnefs took pity on him; and, feeing the fincerity of his repentance, would try and venture him no more in circumstances of temptation, perhaps too hard for human frailty. Now he is at reft; and, I am very confident, enjoys the fruits of his late, but fincere, repentance. But fuch as live, and ftill go on in their fins and impieties, and will not be awakened, neither by this nor the other alarms that are about their ears, are, it seems, given up by God to a judicial hardness and impenitency.

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