miferable, or wretchedly fo, that has no joy here, nor hopes for any hereafter. I I believe it may be near Christmas before my Lord Bedford removes for the winter, but I have not yet difcourfed him about it, nor how long he defires our company; fo whether I will come before him, or make one company, I know not; he fhall please himself, for I have no will in these matters, nor can like one thing or way better than another, if the ufe and conveniencies be alike to the young creatures, whofe fervice is all the business I have in this world; and for their good I intend all diligence in the power of, Sir, your obliged friend to ferve you.

I am mightily in arrear; pray let me know what, and if I fhall direct the paying it, or stay till I fee you.

LETTER X.
Dr. Tilletfon to Lady Ruffell.
[From Birch's Life of Tillotfon.]
Canterbury, Nov. 21st, 1685.

Honoured Madam, HEN I look back upon the date of W your Ladyship's letter, I bluth to fee it hath lain by me fo long unanfwered. And yet I affure you no day paffeth, in which your Ladyfhip and your children are not in my mind. But I know not how, in the hurry I am in in London, one bufinefs preffeth fo hard upon another, that I have lefs time for the things to which I have most inclination. I am now for a while got out of the torment and noife of that great city, and do enjoy a little more repofe.

It was a great trouble to me to hear of the fad lofs your dear friend fuftained during his fhort ftay in England. But in fome circumftances, to die is to live. And that voice from heaven runs much in my mind, which St. John heard in his vifion of the laft (as I think) and moft extreme perfecution, which fhould befal the faithful fervants of God, before the final downfal of Babylon, "Bleffed are "the dead that die in the Lord from "henceforth;" meaning, that they were happy, who were taken away before that

The death of her coufin, niece of Monf. Ruvigny, mentioned in the letter of 11th Ctober,

to Dr. Fit.william.

terrible and utmoft trial of the faith and patience of the faints. But however that be, I do greatly rejoice in the preservation of your children from the great danger they were in upon that occafion, and thank God heartily for it, because, whatever becomes of us, I hope they may live to fee better things.

Juft now came the news of the prorogation of the parliament to the 10th of February, which was furprising to us. We are not without hopes, that in the mean time things will be difpofed to a better agreement against the next meeting. But when all is done, our greatest comfort must be, that we are all in the hands of God, and that he hath the care of us. And do not think, Madam, that he loves you the lefs for having put fo bitter a cup into your hand. He, whom he loved infinitely beft of all mankind, drank much deeper of it.

I did hope to have waited upon my Lord of Bedford at my return to London; but now I doubt this prorogation will carry him into the country before that time. I intreat you to prefent my moft humble fervice to his Lordship, to dear little mafter, and the I am not worthy the confideration you ladies. are pleased to have of me; but I pray continually for you all, and ever fhall be, Madam, your Ladyship's most faithful and humble fervant,

I

young

LETTER XI. Lady Rafell to Dr. Fitzwilliam. 15th January 1685-6. PRESUME, Doctor, you are now fo fettled in your retireinent (for fuch it is in comparison of that you can obtain at London) that you are at leifure to perufe the inclofed papers; hereafter I will fend them once a week, or oftener if you defire it.

Yesterday the Lord Delamere paffed his trial, and was acquitted †. I do blefs God that he has caufed fome stop to the effufion of blood has been fhed of late

Henry Booth, Lord Delamere, tried for par taking in Monmouth's rebellion. Finch, SoliSaxon, the only pofitive evidence, appearing percitor General, was very violent against him, but jured, he was acquitted by his Peers. He after wards ftrenuously promoted the Revolution; in 1690, was created Earl of Warrington; and died 1693.

in this poor land. But, Doctor, as difeafed bodies turn the best nourishments, and even cordials, into the fame four humour that confumes and eats them up, just fo do I. When I fhould rejoice with them that do rejoice, I feek a corner to weep in I find I am capable of no more gladness; but every new circumftance, the very comparing my night of forrow after fuch a day, with theirs of joy, does, from a reflection of one kind or other, rack my uneafy mind. Though I am far from withing the elofe of theirs like mine, yet I cannot refrain giving fome time to lament mine was not like theirs; but I certainly took too much delight in my lot, and would too willingly have built my tabernacle here; for which I hope my punishment will end with life.

The accounts from France are more and more aftonishing; the perfecting the work is vigorously pursued, and by this time completed it is thought; all, without exception, having a day given them; only thefe I am going to mention have found fo much grace as I will tell you. The Countefs de Roy is permitted with two daughters to go within fourteen days to her husband, who is in Denmark, in that King's fervice; but five other of her children are put into monafteries. Marefchal Schomberg + and his wife are commanded to be prifoners in their houfe, in fome remote part of France appointed them. My uncle and his wife are permitted to come out of France. This I was told for a truth last night, but I hope it needs a confirmation,

Counters du Roy, wife of Frederic Charles du Roy, Knight of the Elephant, and Generalimo to the King of Denmark; his daughter, Henrietta, was the fecond wife of William Wentworth, Earl of Strafford.

† Frederic de Schomberg, Marthal of France, was created by King William, Duke Schomberg, &c. 1689; killed at the battle of the Boyne, ift July 1690. He was fon of Count Schomberg, by Lord Dudley's daughter. The Count was killed, with feveral fons, at the battle of Prague, 1620. The Duke was a man of great calmnefs, application, and conduct; of true judgment, exa& probity, and an humble, obliging temper. The perfecution of the Protestants induced him to leave France and enter into King William's fervice. He was 82 years old at his death.-Rapin. His death, fays Raph, was indeed an irreparable lofs. The hiftorian fays, we cannot do too much honour to his memory, which will make a confiderable figure in hiftory, whilft the world lafts. His fon Charles was mortally wounded at the battle of MarSiglia, 24th September 1693.

It is enough to fink the strongest heart to read the relations are fent over. How the children are torn from their mothers, and fent into monafteries; their mothers to another; the husband to prison, or the gallies. These are amazing provi dences, Doctor! God out of infinite mercy ftrengthen weak believers. I am too melancholy an intelligencer to be very long, fo will haften to conclude, first telling you Lord Talbot ‡ is come out of Ireland, and brought hufbands for his daughters-in-law; one was married on Tuesday to a Lord Roffe, the other Lord is Dungan; Walgrave that married the King's daughter, is made a Lord §. The brief for the poor Proteftants was not fealed on Wednesday, as was hoped it would be; the Chancellor bid it be laid by, when it was offered him to feal. I am very really, Doctor, your affectionate friend and fervant.

I

XII.

LETTER
From the fame to the fame.

228 January 1685-6. HAVE received and read your letters,

good Doctor. As you never fail of performing a juft part to your friend, so it were pity you fhould not confider enough to act the fame to yourself. I think you do; and all you fay that concerns your private affairs, is juftly and wifely weighed; fo I let that reft. I acknowledge the fame of the diftinct paper which touches more nearly my fore; perhaps I ought to do it with fome shame and confufion of face; and perhaps I do fo, Doctor, but my weakness is invincible, which makes me, as you phrase it, excellently poffefs paft calamities: but he who took upon him our nature, felt our infirmities, and does pity us; and I fhall receive of his fulness at the end of days, which I will filently wait for.

If you have heard of the difmal accident in this neighbourhood, you will eafily believe Tuesday night was not a quiet one with us.

About one o'clock in the night I heard a great noise in the square,

Lord Richard Talbot, afterwards Earl of Tyrconnel; a Papift.

Henry, Lord Waldgrave, of Chewton, married the Lady Henrietta Fitz-James, natural daughter to King James 11. by Arabella Churchill, filter to John Duke of Marlborough; he retired to France in 1689, and died at Paris the fame year.

fo

fo little ordinary, I called up a fervant, and fent her down to learn the occafion. She brought up a very fad one, that Montague-house was on fire; and it was fo indeed; it burnt with fo great violence, the whole houfe was confumed by five o'clock. The wind blew ftrong this way, fo that we lay under fire a great part of the time, the fparks and flames continually covering the houfe, and filling the court. My boy awaked, and faid he was almost ftifled with fmoke, but being told the reason, would fee it, and fo was fatiffied without fear; took a ftrange bedfellow very willingly, Lady Devonshire's youngest boy, whom his nurse had brought wrapt in a blanket. Lady Devonthire came towards morning, and lay here; and had done fo ftill, but for a fecond ill accident: Her brother, Lord Arrant, who has been ill of a fever twelve days, was defpaired of yesterday morning, and fpots appeared, fo the refolved to fee him, and not to return hither, but to Somerfethoufe, where the Queen offered her lodgings. He is faid to be dead, and I hear this morning it is a great blow to the family; and that he was a moft dutiful fon and kind friend to all his family.

Thus we fee what a day brings forth! and how momentary the things we fet our hearts upon! OI could heartily cry out, "When will longed-for eternity come!" but our duty is to poffefs our fouls with patience.

I am unwilling to fhake off all hopes about the brief, though I know them that went to the Chancellor fince the

refufal to fal it, and his anfwer does not encourage one's hopes. But he is not a lover of imooth language, fo in that refpect we may not fo foon defpair §.

*Mary, daughter to James Butler, Duke of

Ormand; married to William Cavendish, Earl,

afterwards Duke of Devondire.

He died January 26th, 1685-6. Gerge, Lord Jefferies, Baron of Wem, very inveterate against Lord Rufell; he was, fays Burnet, fcandaloufly vicious, drunk every day, and

furiously paffionate, and, when Lord Chief Justice,

he even betrayed the decencies of his poit, by not affecting to appear impartial, as became a judge, and by running upon all occations into noify declamations. He died in the Tower, April 18th,

16S9.

Dr. afterwards Bishop Beveridge, objected to the realing the brief in the cathedral of Canterbury, as contrary to the rubric. Tillotfon replied, "Doctor, Doctor, Charity is above rubrics." Birch,

I fancy I faw the young man you mentioned to be about my fon. One brought me fix prayer-books as from you; alfo diftributed three or four in the houfe. I fent for him, and asked him if there was no mistake? He faid, No. And after fome other queftions I concluded him the fame perfon. Doctor, I do affure you I put an entire truft in your fincerity to advife: but, as I told you, I fhall ever take Lord Bedford along in all the concerns of the child. He thinks it early yet to put him to learn in earneft; fo do you I believe. My Lord is afraid, if we take one for it, he will put him to it; yet I think perhaps to overcome my Lord in that, and affure him he fhall not be preffed. But I am much advised, and indeed inclined, if I could be fitted to my mind, to take a Frenchman, fo I fhall do a charity, and profit the child alfo, who should learn French. Here are many fcholars come over, as are of all kinds, God knows.

I have till a charge with me, Lady Devonshire's daughter, who is just come into my chamber; fo must break off. I am, Sir, truly, your faithful fervant.

The young Lady tells me Lord Arran is not dead, but rather better.

LETTER XIII, Lady Ruffell to

My Lord,

July 1689. FOR my part I think the man a very

indifferent reafoner, that to do well, he must take with indifference whatever

happens to him. It is very fine to fay, "Why should we complain that is taken "back which was but lent us, and lent us "but for a time, we know ;" and so on.

They are the receipts of philofophers I have no reverence for, as I have not for any thing which is unnatural. It is infincere, and I dare fay they did diffemble and felt what they would not own. I know I cannot difpute with Almighty power; but yet if my delight is gone, muft needs be forry it is taken away, according to the meafure it made me glad.

I

portunities of fo many great men, in whom I difcern too much of court art and contrivance for the preferment of their friends; yea, even in my good Lord Nottingham, more than I could with. This is a melancholy confideration to one in my station, in which I do not fee how it is poffible fo to manage a man's felf between civility and fincerity, between being willing to give good words to all, and able to do good to very few, as to hold out an honest man, or even the reputation of being fo, a year to an end.

I promised a short account, but I am long before I come to it. The Dean of St. Paul's, the Bishop of Worcester; the Dean of Peterborough, of Chichefter. An humble fervant of yours, Dean of St. Paul's. The Dean of Norwich is Dean of Canterbury; and Dr. Stanley, Clerk of his Majesty's clofet, is Refidentiary of St. Paul's; and Dr. Fairfax, Dean of Norwich. The Warden of All Souls § in Oxford, is Prebendary of Canterbury; and Mr. Nixon hath the other Prebend there, void by the death of Dr. Jeffreys. These two laft merited of the King in the Weft, Mr. Finch by going in early to him, and Mr. Nixon, who is my Lord of Bath's Chaplain, by carrying meffages between the King and my Lord of Bath, as the King himfelf told me, with the hazard of his life. St. Andrew's and Covent Garden are not yet difpofed. Dr. Birch (which I had almoft forgot) is Prebendary of Wefminfter; and, which grieves me much, Monf. Allix put by at prefent; but my Lord Privy Seal || would not be denied. The whole is as well as could cafily be in the prefent circumftances.

But now begins my trouble. After I had kiffed the King's hand for the Deanery of St. Paul's, I gave his Majefty my most humble thanks, and told him, that now he had fet me at eafe for the remainder of my life. He replied, "No fuch matter,

I affure you ;" and fpoke plainly about a great place, which I dread to think of, and faid, "It was neceffary for his fervice, and he muft charge it upon my "confcience." Jutt as he had faid this, he was called to fupper, and I had only

Dr. Stillingfleet. + Dr. Si. Patrick. Dr. John Sharp. Leonard Wm. Finch, fifth fon of Heneage, Earl of Winchelfca. Birch. || Marquis of Halifax,

time to fay, that when his Majefty was at leifure, I did believe I could fatisfy him that it would be most for his fervice, that I fhould continue in the station in which he had now placed me. This hath brought me into a real difficulty. For on the one hand it is hard to decline his Majefty's commands, and much harder yet to ftand out against fo much goodnefs, as his Majesty is pleafed to ufe towards me. On the other, I can neither bring my inclination nor my judgment to it. This I owe to the Bishop of Salifbury, one of the worst and best friends I know: beft, for his fingular good opinion of me and the worst, for directing the King to this method, which I know he did as if his Lordship and I had concerted the matter how to finish this foolish piece of diffimulation, in running away from a Bishopric to catch an Archbishopric. This fine device hath thrown me fo far into the briars, that, without his Majefly's great goodness, I fhall never get off without a fcratched face. And now I will tell your Ladyfhip the bottom of my heart. I have of a long time, I thank God for it, devoted myfelf to the public fervice without any regard for myfelf; and to that end have done the best I could in the best manner I was able. Of late God hath been pleafed by very fevere ways **, but in great goodness to me, to wean me perfectly from the love of this world; fo that worldly greatnefs is now not only undefirable, but diftafteful to me. And I do verily believe, that I fhall be able to

Tillotson wrote before to a nobleman (fuppofed the Earl of Portland) begging he might be excused from accepting a Bishopric. Birch remarks, intances of this kind of felf-denial will perhaps be able one under Herry the Eighth of another Dean thought rare in any age; but there was a remark of Canterbury, well known by his embaffies and public negotiations, Dr. Nicholas Wotton, great uncle of Sir Henry Wotton; this great politician, as well as divine, being informed of an intention to advance him to the mitre, wrote to Dr. Bellis from Duffeldorp, November 11th, 1539, requesting him, for the paffion of God, to convey that Bifhopric from him. So I might (adds he) avoid it without difpleafure, I would furely never medle with it; there be enough that be meet for it, and will not refuse it, I cannot marvel enough, carstrudatur non cupienti immo ne idanes quidem. My mind is as troubled as my writing is. Your's ta his little power, Nicholas Wotton; add what. ever you will more to it, if you add not Bishop.

** The lofs of his children, and having been feized with an apoplectic diforder.

do