destroy no man for his wealth, nor take any thing from the poor; for the cry thereof will pierce the heavens and it is most deteftable before God, and most difhonourable before worthy men, to wrest any thing from the needy and labouring foul: God will never profper thee, if thou offendeft therein; but ufe thy poor neighbours and tenants well.' A moft worthy faying. But he adds, Have compaffion on the poor and afflicted, and God will blefs thee for it: make not the hungry foul forrowful; for if he curfe thee in the bitterness of his foul, his prayer fhall be heard of him that made him. Now, for the world, dear child, I know it too well to perfuade thee to dive into the practices of it; rather ftand upon thy own guard against all those that tempt thee to it, or may practise upon thee; whether in thy confcience, thy reputation, or thy eftate: refolve, that no man is wife or fafe, but he that is honest. Serve God; let him be the author of all thy actions: commend all thy endeavours to him, that must either wither or profper them: please him with prayer; left if he frown, he confound all thy fortune and labour, like the drops of rain upon the fandy ground. Let my experienced advice and fatherly inftructions fink deep into thy heart: fo God direct thee in all thy ways, and fill thy heart with his grace.'

Sir Walter Raleigh's letter to his wife, after his condemnation.

You fhall receive, my dear wife, my last

words, in these my last lines. My love I fend you, that you may keep when I am dead; and my counfel, that you may remember it when I am no more. I would not, with my will, prefent you forrows, dear Befs; let them go to the grave with me, and be buried in the duft: and, feeing that it is not the will of God, that I fhall fee you any more, bear my deftruction patiently, and with an heart like yourself. First, I fend you all the thanks which my heart can conceive, or my words express, for your many travails and cares for me; which, though they have not taken effect, as you wifhed, yet my debt to you is not the lefs; but pay it I never fhall in this world. Secondly, I beseech you, for the love you bear me living, that you do not hide yourself many days; but by your travails feek to help my miferable fortunes, and the right of your poor child: your mourning. cannot avail me, who am but duft. Thirdly, you fhall understand, that my lands were conveyed, bona fide, to my child; the writings were drawn at Midfummer was a twelvemonth, as divers can witnefs; and I truft, my blood will quench their malice who defired my flaughter, that they will not feek to kill you and yours with extreme poverty. To what friend. to direct you, I know not, for all mine have left me, in the true time of trial: most forry am I, that being furprized by death, I can leave you no better eftate; God hath prevented all my determinations, that great God, which worketh all in all. If you can live free from want, care for no more, for the reft is

you, for my When I am

but a vanity. Love God, and begin betimes; in him fhall you find true, everlasting, and endless comfort: when you have travailed and wearied yourself with all forts of worldly cogitations, fhall you fit down by forrow in the end. Teach your fon alfo to ferve and fear God, whilft he is young, that the fear of God may grow up in him; then will God be an husband to you, and a father to him; an hufband and a father that can never be taken from you. Dear wife, I beseech foul's fake, pay all poor men. dead, no doubt but you will be much fought unto; for the world thinks I was very rich; have a care of the fair pretences of men; for no greater mifery can befal you in this life, than to become a pray unto the world, and after to be defpifed. As for me, I am no more yours, nor you mine: death has cut us afunder, and God hath divided me from the world, and you from me. Remember your poor child, for his father's fake, who loved you in his happieft eftate. I fued for my life, but, God knows, it was for you and yours that I defired it for know it, my dear wife, your child is the child of a true man, who in his own refpect defpifeth death, and his mishapen and ugly forms. I cannot write much; God knows how hardly I fteal this time, when all are afleep and it is alfo time for me to separate my thoughts from the world. Beg my dead body, which living was denied you; and either lay it in Sherborne, or in Exeter church, by my father and mother. I can fay no more;

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time and death call me away.

The ever

lafting God, powerful, infinite, and inscrutable, God Almighty, who is goodness itself, the true light and life, keep you and yours, and have mercy upon me, and forgive my perfecutors, and falfe accufers; and send us to meet in his glorious kingdom. My dear wife, farewell; blefs my boy, pray for me; and let my true God hold you both in his arms.

Yours that was, but not now mine own, "Walter Raleigh.'

Behold wisdom, refolution, nature, and grace! How ftrong in argument, wife in counsel, firm, affectionate, and devout. O that your heroes and politicians would make him their example in his death, as well as magnify the great actions of his life. I doubt not, had he been to live over his days again, with his experience, he had made lefs noife, and yet done more good to the world and himself. It is a fad thing to confider, that men hardly come to know themselves, or the world, till they are ready to leave it.

§. XIII. Henry Wotton, knight, thought it the greatest happiness in this life, to be at leifure to be, and to do, good;' as in his latter end he was wont to fay, when he reflected on past times, though a man efteemed fober and learned, How much time have I to repent of, and how little to do it in.'

§. XIV. Sir Chriftopher Hatton, a little before his death, advised his relations to be ferious in the fearch after the will of God in v word: for,' faid he, it is defervedly

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accounted a piece of excellent knowledge, to understand the law of the land, and the customs of a man's country: how much more to know the statutes of heaven, and the laws of eternity; thofe immutable and eternal laws of justice and righteousness; to know the will and pleasure of the great Monarch, and universal King of the world: I have seen an end of all perfection, but thy commandments, O God, are exceeding broad.'

Whatever other knowledge a man may be endued withal, could he by a vaft and imperious mind, and an heart as large as the fand upon the fea-fhore, command all the knowledge of art and nature, of words and things; could he attain a mystery in all languages, and found the depth of all arts and fciences; could he difcourfe of the interest of all states, the intrigues of all courts, the reafon of all civil laws and conftitutions, and give an account of all hiftories; and yet not know the author of his being, and the preferver of his life, his fovereign, and his judge; his furest refuge in trouble his best friend, or worst enemy; the fupport of his life, and the hope of his death; his future happiness, and his portion for ever; he doth but Sapienter defcendere in infernum, with a great deal of wisdom go down to hell.

§. XV. Francis Bacon, lord high chancellor of England, fome time before his death, confeffed, that to be religious, was to live strictly and feverely; for if the opinion of another world be falfe, yet the sweetest life in this world is piety, virtue, and honesty: if it were true, there be none fo wretched and miferable, as loofe, carnal, and profane perfons.'

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