preffion preferv'd, as fome fay, by Tradition from our Saviour, and mentioned by St. Ferome; Be thou never merry, unless thou fee thy Brother living in Charity) he thought it impoffible to have any true Eafe or Peace, while the World continued round him in fuch Iniquity and Difcord.

His very Labours, as I fhall fhew, were the Effects of his Charity. And I know not, whether I should infert here that other Saying of his; That as the Stars reflect one upon another, fo did the whole Creation of God, I am affured, in the Senfe I now speak of, they ought to do fo: Though it may be alfo very well understood of the Wisdom and Harmony of the entire Universe; and how one Part of it reflects upon, and hath Reference to another.

As to what concerns more Particular Charities, or the Distribution of Alms; he was large and conftant in them. It is impoffible but fo noble and fincere a Heart must be accompanied with as free and munificent a Hand. And fo his own very eminently was ;. and that, if in Wants, to all forts of Perfons whatfoever. In Imitation of the Great Lord of All, he was for his Sun fhining (yet with proper Diftinctions) univerfally upon All. And he had left once the main of what he had to be difpos'd of by Will after this manner, But to let that pass, They were Confiderable Sums, as well as fmaller Parcels, that often went from him in a way of Charity. His very Chamber-Door was a Hofpital to the Needy. And his SeG 3

cret

cret Bounties, through diftant & private Hands, I have been alfo told, were very Confiderable

And thefe Alms-Deeds of his to poor Perfons and Families were but fuitable to the true and Charitable Senfe which he had of the Lower People in general; viz. That they were (as he called them) the Pillars of the Earth; and but Drudges for the Higher. Such reafon indeed have all the Better fort to treat them with a becoming Charity and Humanity. Nay, his Kindnes went fo low as to the very Beafts; Who had the leaft (he faid) and worst of it. And he abhorr'd that Cruelty and Stupidity of Temper with which over-many are apt to treat the Animals of whatsoever kind.

He gave 20l. upon a Motion in which I was my felf concern'd, for the Repairing of the Church of Elton in Nottinghamshire; and would have given more, had he heard of their doing it after the Best Manner,

Very Large Gifts and Kindneffes, he frequently bestow'd upon one or other of his Acquaintance; as there was Occafion. And he obferv'd to a Friend, upon fome Discourse that pafs'd; That he was thought by fome to have a foft Head, but he thank'd God, he had a soft Heart And gave at that time away the Sum of 5cl. to a Clergy-Man's Widow.

To omit his Other Liberalities to Friends & Relations, (which were many and great) I shall only mention his Kindness to his Nephew Gabriel More: Whofe Fortune being a long while Strait, he gave him all that time, and even to his dying day, the Profits of a Farm that he had of good value in Lincolnshire; and the Sum

Sum of 400l. at one time more, left him as a Legacy by the Right Honourable the Lady Viscountefs Conway. And so much for his either Liberality or Charity.

His Humi

FOR what concerns Humility; Never again did any Man carry that Important lity. Point higher than our Author did: And I do verily believe, that he wrote his true Experience in it; how extraordinary foever it may appear. To omit fome others, let us take him chiefly, as to the Defcription of this Virtue in his Enthufiafmus Triumphatus. * By Humility, I understand an entire Submif- Numb. 53. fion to the Will of God in all things; a Deadnefs to all Self-Excellency, and Preheminency before Others; a perfect Privation of all Defire of Singularity, or attracting the Eyes of Men upon a Man's own Perfon, as little to relish a Man's own Praife and Glory in the World, as if he had never been Born into it: But to be wholly Contented with this one thing, that his Will is a fubduing to the Will of God; and that with Thankfulness and Reverence he doth receive whatever Divine Providence brings upon him, be it Sweet or fower, with the hair or against it, it is all one to him; for what he cannot avoid, it is the Gift of God to the World, in order to a Greater Good..

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But what faith the Author afterwards upon this fo Extraordinary Defcription; and as under the juft Senfe and Encomium of it?

But here, I must confefs, that he that is "thus affected, as he feeks no Knowledge to "pleafe himself; fo he cannot avoid being

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"the

Dialogue 2. Numb. 23.

"the most Knowing Man that is. For he is furrounded with the Beams of Divine Wif

dom as the Low deprefs'd Earth with "the Raies of the Stars: His deeply and profoundly Humbled Soul being, as it were, the Centre of all Heavenly Illuminations; as this little Globe of the Earth is of thofe Cœleftial Influences. And then follows, what was before cited, I profefs, I Stand amaz'd while I confider, &c.

What hath been faid here, will be farther haply as well Illuftrated as Confirm'd by a Pallage of this Nature in the Divine Dialogues, Where he calls Humility, that most precious part of Piety, whereby the Soul is fo affected, that she very freely and fenfibly acknowledgeth, that all the Good he doth, or knows, is wholly from God her Maker i and that he is nothing of her felf. Wherefore She is Juft to God, in attributing All to Him; and Mild and Meek-hearted towards Men; even to those that are yet out of the Way, being Confcious to her felf, that the Ordering of her Ways is not from her felf, but that God is the Strength and Light of her Paths. See alfo Numb. 14.

It is faid, I remember, by Valerius Maximus; Nulla eft tanta Humilitas, que dulcer dine Gloriæ non tangatur. There is no Humility fo perfect, as not to be touch'd with a Senfe of Glory; or, with the Sweetnesses of Renown. But our Author, we fee, fo far as it intrencheth in the least upon Humility, or upon the Glory of God, fets us a Higher Leffon and calls us unto a farther Sublimity. I do profefs

(faith he) ex animo, that I could heartily Reply, &c wish, that my felf were the greatest Ignaro in Sect 1. the World, upon Condition I were really no more Ignorant than I am: So little am I touch'd with Precellency, or out-stripping Others. And in another place thus; Affect not Vain-glory and Applaufe in thy outward Actions or Speeches, but modeftly decline it; and Pride Myft. of Godlinefs, B. 9, will fall in thy Soul. In good time thou shalt Ch. 12. find Humility rife in thy Heart; and Sweetly Shine in thee with her mild Light.

You Michief me; faid he once, to one that was fpeaking Magnificently of him. For the Love of God, faid he another time, forbear thefe Expreffions: What do you make of me? 'Tis better for us both to think and to speak more Moderately. He would fay, That he thought no better of himself than of any ordinary and well-meaning Christian: And particularly, that when the Winds were ruffling about him, he made it his utmoft Endeavour to keep Low and Humble; that fo he might not be driven from that Anchor.

I cannot better conclude the whole of this, than with that Aphorifm of his, Part I. 33. That Life or Delight of the Soul (he it never fo Gallant or Glorious) that is not founded upon deep Humility, fhall be ftrongly fhaken with Storms and Tempefts; fhall be shatter'd ; fhall fall down, and perish.

And these things may fufficiently fhew His Humility.

FOR Purity; Doubtless he had arrived His Purity to the Highest Measures and Degrees of it, &c.

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