cafion to remember him of the re-edifying Layton church, and his many acts of mercy. To which he made answer, faying, "They be good works, if they be sprinkled "with the blood of Chrift, and not other"wife." After this difcourfe he became more restlefs, and his foul feemed to be weary of her earthly tabernacle; and this uneafinefs became fo vifible, that his wife, his three nieces, and Mr. Woodnot, stood conftantly about his bed, beholding him with sorrow, and an unwillingness to lose the fight of him, whom they could not hope to see much longer. As they stood thus beholding him, his wife obferved him to breathe faintly, and with much trouble, and obferved him to fall into a fudden agony; which fo furprised her, that the fell into a fudden paffion, and required of him to know how he did. To which his answer was, "That he had paffed a conflict with his "laft enemy, and had overcome him by

"the merits of his mafter Jefus," After which answer, he looked up, and faw his wife and nieces weeping to an extremity, and charged them, " if they loved him,

"to

"to withdraw into the next room, and "there pray every one alone for him; for "nothing but their lamentations could "make his death uncomfortable." To which request their fighs and tears would not fuffer them to make any reply; but they yielded him a fad obedience, leaving only with him Mr. Woodnot and Mr. Boftock, Immediately after they had left him, he faid to Mr. Boftock, "Pray, Sir, open that "door, then look into that cabinet, in "which you may eafily find my last will, " and give it into my hand :" which being done, Mr. Herbert delivered it into the hand of Mr. Woodnot, and faid, "My "old friend, I here deliver you my laft "will, in which you will find that I have "made you my fole executor for the good "of my wife and nieces; and I defire you "to fhew kindness to them, as they fhall "need it: I do not defire you to be just; "for I know you will be fo for your own "fake; but I charge you, by the religion "of our friendship, to be careful of them," And having obtained Mr. Woodnot's promife to be fo, he faid, "I am now ready

"to die." After which words, he faid, "Lord, forfake me not now my strength "faileth me; but grant me mercy for the "merits of my Jefus. And now, Lord"Lord, now receive my foul," And with those words he breathed forth his divine foul, without any apparent disturbance, Mr. Woodnot and Mr. Boftock attending his last breath, and clofing his eyes.

Thus he lived, and thus he died, like a faint, unspotted of the world, full of almsdeeds, full of humility, and all the examples of a virtuous life; which I cannot conclude better, than with this borrowed obfervation :

-All muft to their cold graves:

But the religious actions of the juft

Smell fweet in death, and bloffom in the duft,

Mr. George Herbert's have done so to this, and will doubtless do so to succeeding generations. I have but this to say more of him; that if Andrew Melvin died before him, then George Herbert died without an enemy. I wish (if God shall be so pleased) that I may be fo happy as to die like him.

Iz. WA.

THERE is a debt justly due to the mez mory of Mr. Herbert's virtuous wife; a part of which I will endeavour to pay, by a very fhort account of the remainder of

her life, which fhall follow.

She continued his difconfolate widow about fix years, bemoaning herself, and complaining, that she had lost the delight of her eyes; but more that she had loft the spiritual guide for her poor foul; and would often say, “Ọ that I had, like holy

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Mary, the mother of Jefus, treasured up "all his fayings in my heart! But fince "I have not been able to do that, I will "labour to live like him, that where he

now is, I may be alfo." And the would often say, (as the prophet David for his fon Abfalom,) "O that I had died for "him!" Thus fhe continued mourning, till time and converfation had fo moderated her forrows, that she became the happy wife

of

of Sir Robert Cook, of Highnam, in the county of Gloucester, Knight, And though he put a high value on the excellent accomplishments of her mind and body, and was fo like Mr. Herbert, as not to govern like a master, but as an affectionate husband; yet she would even to him often take occafion to mention the name of Mr. George Herbert, and fay," that name "must live in her memory till the put off "mortality." By Sir Robert she had only one child, a daughter, whofe parts and plentiful estate make her happy in this world, and her well ufing of them gives a fair teftimony that fhe will be fo in that which is to come.

Mrs. Herbert was the wife of Sir Robert eight years, and lived his widow about fifteen; all which time fhe took a pleafure in mentioning and commending the excellencies of Mr. George Herbert. She died in the year 1663, and lies buried at Highnam; Mr. Herbert in his own church, under the altar, and covered with a gravestone without any infcription.