LETTER XXXV.

Good loves lre to Mrs Berington.

SWEET MRS BERINGTON,

THO I have this three weekes kept my chambre, and run over a multitude of diseases, just

* Herbert Aston, second son of Sir Walter Aston, built a house near Colton, about five miles from Tixall, which he called Belamore, or Good Love, because he was enabled to complete it by the benevolence of his friends. His wife also seems to have borne the same among her familiar acquaintance, as appears by the following elegy in the Tixall poetry:

On the death of my dear sister

Mrs Kath. Aston,

Known by the name of "Good Love."

I've strowed and stuck devoutly on some hearses,
But here I burn and bury all my verses.
Some griefes by sighs, and tears are understood,
But this is writ by the fall of my own blood.

as you may remember I usd to doe every spring, and fall, having lost all sleepe and stomack; yet tis God's will, though so unprofitable a servant to him, that I should have the prairs of so

In other losses, senses bear a part,

Here the close mourner is a silent heart.
And what elsewhere by passion is supplied,
By reason here is better justified.

See reason, justice, honour, virtue, move
To wait the solemn progress of Good Love.
With equal duty, and with paces even,
They lead and guide us after her to Heaven.
To rise with her in glory, thus we must
Bravely with her on earth shake off our dust.
To arrive unto her height, and greatness there,
We must, like her, be low and little here;
And lastly, in our proper sphere to move,
Patterne we must our first idea, love.
Descend, Good Love, or by attraction raise
Our duller souls to sing immortal lays:
Descend, and show how you our offerings prize,
Descend, Good Love, and fire our sacrifice.

AN EPITAPH.

A double dialect speaks this stone,

Our ruin and foundation.

Here is summed up our gaine, our loss,

Here lies our blessing, and our cross.

many affectionate frends joyned for my recovery. I beleive I am now past danger tis only one of his deare regaloes to unfasten me from creatures; to make me see how nothing I am with all theire loving helpes without him: yet this remembrance he findes necessary to give me twice a year. The world, I confes, I never lovd, but some frends, perhaps, too much. In deed, in my sicknes, twas much my pain not to have heard from you soe long, who I soe faithfully and dayly wish all true joys to, and should wth much joy embrace the occasion that would make me instrumentall to give you any comfort, tho I feare I am of late mistaken by you; but if you will show me any way I can give

Behold here, underneath this floor,
The corner stone of Bellamore.
How solid must the fabric prove

That's founded on the rock Good Love!
Ah! who would to this world be wed,
Since that Good Love itself is dead?
Forgive the word, she could not die,

But her mortal dress layd by
To put on immortality.

you comfort: if I doe it not then leave to be

leive me,

Yr most truly affectionate frend,

KATHERIN ASTON.

By all you love let me heare quickly from you my head and eyes are very weake yet. Pray be constant in praying for me, who noe day forget you, nor never will: would for both our you could finde them more pow

sakes

erfull.

LETTER XXXVI.*

DEARE BROTHER,

VERY lately my brother Aston was with me, who spoke much of you to me, desireing, if [ had any powre with you, I would trye if I could obtaine of you to come abroade amongest your frindes. But you have already shew'd, we have all soe little, as I shall not beg no more of you for any ones sake, but hers only deare to you, to alter your resolution of solletrynes, and seeke some deversion from your too deepe sad thoughts; for your owne judgment must needs tell you, elce you are your owne willfull execusioner; and can you thinke that a dischargeing of your obligation to all those deare parts of her she has leaft you? could the utmost enimy

* This, and the three following, are letters of consolation to Herbert Aston on the death of his wife. The first is from his affectionate sister Constantia Fowler, who had now the difficult and melancholy task of attempting to reconcile him to the loss of her, whom she had so great a hand in uniting to him.