now, that he would mercifully accept of my death-bed repentance, and perform that promise that he hath been pleased to make, that at what time soever a sinner doth repent, he would receive him. Put up these prayers, most dear doctor, to almighty God for your most obedient and languishing servant,

ROCHESTER.

He told me when I saw him, that he hoped I would come to him upon that general insinuation of the desire he had of my company: and he was loth to write more plainly, not knowing whether I could easily spare so much time. I told him, that on the other hand, I looked on it as a presumption to come so far, when he was in such excellent hands; and though perhaps the

• Such excellent hands.] Besides the helps mentioned by Burnet, it appears he acknowledged himself under special obligations to Dr. Thomas Pierce, afterwards dean of Salisbury. This, we learn, from a letter, the original of which is in the Bodleian Library, at Oxford; as follows:

"The earl of Rochester to Dr. Thomas Pierce, of Magdalen college, Oxon.

My indisposition renders my intellectuals almost as feeble as my person; but, considering the candour and extream charity your natural mildness hath always shewed me, I am assured at once both of a favorable construction of my present lines, which can but faintly express the sorrowful character of an humble and afflicted mind, and also those great comforts, your inexhaustible goodness, learning, and piety plenteously affords to the drooping spirits of poor sinners; so that I may truly say, holy man, to you I owe what consolation I enjoy, in urging God's mercyes against despair; and holding me up under the weight of those high and mountainous sins my wicked and ungovernable life hath heaped upon me.

"If God shall be pleased to spare me a little longer here, I have unalterably resolved to become a new man, so as to wash out the stains of my lewd courses with my tears, and weep over the profane and unhallowed abominations of my former doings; that the world may see how I loth sin, and abhor the very remembrance of those tainted and unclean joys, I once delighted in; these being, as the apostle tells us, the things whereof I am now ashamed. Or, if it be his great pleasure now to put a period to my days, that he will accept of my last gasp; that the smoak of my death-bed offering may not be unsavoury to his nostrils, and drive me, like Cain, from before his presence. Pray for me, dear doctor; and all you that forget not God, pray for me fervently. Take heaven by force, and lett me enter in with you, as it were in disguise; for I dare not appear before the dread Majesty of that Holy One I have so often offended.

"Warn all my friends and companions to a true and sincere repentance, to day, while it is called to-day before the evil day come, and they be no

freedom formerly between us, might have excused it with those to whom it was known; yet it might have the appearance of so much vanity, to such as were strangers to it; so that till I received his letter, I did not think it convenient to come to him. And then not hearing that there was any danger of a sudden change, I delayed going to him till the 20th of July. At my coming to his house an accident fell out not worth mentioning, but that some have made a story of it. His servant being a Frenchman, carried up my name wrong, so that he mistook it for another, who had sent to him, that he would undertake his cure; and he being resolved not to meddle with him, did not care to see him. This mistake lasted some hours, with which I was the better contented, because he was not then in such a condition, that my being about him could have been of any use to him; for that night was like to have been his last. He had a convulsion fit, and raved; but opiates being given him, after some hours rest, his raving left him so entirely, that it never again returned to him.

I cannot easily express the transport he was in, when he awoke and saw me by him. He brake out in the tenderest expressions concerning my kindness in coming so far to see such an one, using terms of great abhorrence concerning himself, which I forbear to relate. He told me, as his strength served him at several snatches, (for he was then so low, that he could not hold up discourse long at once,) what sense he had of his past life; what sad apprehension for having so offended his Maker, and dishonoured his Redeemer: what horrors he had gone through, and how much his mind was turned to call on God, and on his crucified Saviour: so that he hoped he should obtain mercy, for he believed he had sincerely repented; and had now a calm in his mind after that storm that he had been in for some weeks.

more.

He

Let them know that sin is like the angeles book in the Revelations; it is sweet to the mouth, and bitter in the belly. Lett them know that God will not be mocked: that he is an holy God, and will be served in holiness and purity; that he requires the whole man, and the early man. Bid them make haste, for the night cometh when no man can work. Oh! that they were wise, that they would consider this, and not with me, with wretched me, delay it untill their latter end. Pray, dear sir, continually pray for your poor friend,

"Ranger's Lodge in Woodstock Park,

July, 1680."

"ROCHESTER."

had strong apprehensions and persuasions of his admittance to heaven of which he spake once not without some extraordinary emotion. It was indeed the only time that he spake with any great warmth to me: for his spirits were then low, and so far spent, that though those about him told me, he had expressed formerly great fervour in his devotions; yet nature was so much sunk, that these were in a great measure fallen off. But he made me pray often with him; and spoke of his conversion to God as a thing now grown up in him to a settled and calm serenity.

He was very anxious to know my opinion of a death-bed repentance. I told him, that before I gave any resolution in that, it would be convenient that I should be acquainted more particularly with the circumstances and progress of his repentance.

Upon this he satisfied me in many particulars. He said, he was now persuaded both of the truth of Christianity, and of the power of inward grace, of which he gave me this strange account. He said, Mr. Parsons, in order to his conviction, read to him the 53d chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah, and compared that with the history of our Saviour's passion, that he might there see a prophecy concerning it, written many ages before it was done; which the Jews that blasphemed Jesus Christ still kept in their hands, as a book divinely inspired. He said to me, "that as he heard it read, he felt an inward force upon him, which did so enlighten his mind, and convince him, that he could resist it no longer for the words had an authority which did shoot like rays or beams in his mind; so that he was not only convinced by the reasonings he had about it, which satisfied his understanding, but by a power which did so effectually constrain him, that he did ever after as firmly believe in his Saviour, as if he had seen him in the clouds." He had made it be read so often to him, that he had got it by heart; and went through a great part of it in discourse with me, with a sort of heavenly pleasure, giving me his reflections on it. Some few I remember: Who hath believed our report? (ver. 1.) Here, he said, was foretold the opposition the Gospel was to meet with from such wretches as he was. hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him (ver. 2). On this he said, the meanness of his appearance and person has made vain and foolish people disparage him, because he came not in such a fool's coat as they delight in. What he said on the other parts I do not well remember: and indeed I was so affected with what he said

He

then to me, that the general transport I was under during the whole discourse, made me less capable to remember these particulars, as I wish I had done.

He told me, that he had thereupon received the sacrament with great satisfaction, and that was increased by the pleasure he had in his lady's receiving it with him; who had been for some years misled in the communion of the church of Rome, and he himself had been not a little instrumental in procuring it, as he freely acknowledged. So that it was one of the joyfullest things that befel him in his sickness, that he had seen that mischief removed, in which he had so great a hand: and during his whole sickness, he expressed so much tenderness and true kindness to his lady, that as it easily defaced the remembrance of every thing wherein he had been in fault formerly, so it drew from her the most passionate care and concern for him that was possible: which indeed deserves a higher character than is decent to give of a person yet alive. But I shall confine my discourse to the

dead.

He told me, he had overcome all his resentments to all the world; so that he bore ill will to no person, nor hated any upon personal accounts. He had given a true state of his debts, and had ordered to pay them all, as far as his estate that was not settled, could go and was confident that if all that was owing to him were paid to his executors, his creditors would be all satisfied. He said, he found his mind now possessed with another sense of

7 Another sense.] Dr. Birch, in his Life of Archbishop Tillotson (p. 73, note), speaking of this narrative, says: "The credit of the doctor's book, and the sincerity of the earl's repentance, would be fully established, if they wanted any additional evidence, by the publication of five letters, still extant, of his mother Anne, countess dowager of Rochester, and sister of sir Walter St. John, of Battersea, bart., to that gentleman's lady, Johanna, daughter of the lord chief justice, St. John. These letters were written during her son's last illness; and shew him to have been, during the course of it, fully possessed of his understanding. One particular in them deserves to be mentioned here, that when one of the earl's physicians thinking to please him, told him, that the king drank his health some days before, he looked earnestly upon him, and said never a word, but turned his face from him."-These letters were printed by bishop Jebb, in the year 1833, in his edition of “Lives, Characters, &c. by Gilbert Burnet, D. D., Lord Bishop of Sarum" 8vo. London.

I subjoin a few extracts.

"O sister, I am sure, had you heard the heavenly prayers he has made, since this sickness; the extraordinary things he has said, to the wonder of all that have heard him, you would wonder, and think that God alone must

things, than ever he had formerly. He did not repine under all his pain; and in one of the sharpest fits he was under while I

teach him; for no man could put into him such things as he says. He has, I must tell you, converted his wife to be a Protestant again. Pray, pray for his perseverance, dear sister; and pardon me, that I can say no more." p. *269.

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Many messages and compliments his old acquaintance send him: but he is so far from receiving of them, that still his answer is, Let me see none of them: and I would to God I had never conversed with some of them.' One of his physicians, thinking to please him, told him," &c. (as above) p. 271.

"I do believe, if any has reported that he should speak ridiculous, it has been the popish physician; who, one day, listened at the door, whilst my son was conversing with a divine: but my son spoke so low, that he could hear but half words; and so he might take it for nonsense, because he had a mind so to do. But, I thank God, my son lays hold on the merits of his saviour, Jesus Christ, for all his comfort from God: in whose arms, I trust, he will be received, whenever he goes out of this world: which is the greatest comfort she has, who is,

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Madam, your affectionate sister." p. *272. "I cannot omit one passage lately: Mr. Fanshaw, his great friend, has been here to see him, and, as he was standing by my son's bed-side, he looked earnestly upon him, and said,- Fanshaw, think of a God, let me advise you and repent you of your former life, and amend your ways. Believe what I say to you; there is a God, and a powerful God, and he is a terrible God to unrepenting sinners: the time draws near that he will come to judgment, with great terror to the wicked; therefore, delay not your repentance his displeasure will thunder against you, if you do: you and I have been long time acquainted, and done ill together.-I love the man; and speak to him out of conscience, for the good of his soul.' Fanshaw stood, and said never a word to him, but stole away out of the room. When my son saw him go, 'Is he gone?' says he, poor wretch! I fear his heart is hardened.' After that, Fanshaw said to some in the house, that my son should be kept out of melancholy fancies. This was told my son again: upon which says he, I know why he said that; it was because I gave him my advice; but I could say no less to him than I did; let him take it as he pleases.'

"Dear sister, my hope is great; and God is good, on whom I depend for good." p. 273, 4.

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I hear, Mr. Fanshaw reports my son is mad; but I thank God, he is far from that. I confess, for a night and part of a day, for want of rest he was a little disordered; but it was long since Mr. Fanshaw saw him. When he reproved him for his sinful life, he was as well in his head, as ever he was in his life; and so he is now, I thank God . . . . I wish that wretch Fanshaw had so great a sense of sin, as my poor child has; that so, he might be brought to repentance before it is too late: but he is an ungrateful man to such a friend.

"Dear