❝ me. "that I am fo well content to be no"thing, that is, dead. But, Sir, though 66 my fortune hath made me fuch, as that "I am rather a fickness or a disease of "the world, than any part of it, and "therefore neither love it, nor life; yet I "would gladly live to become some such 66 thing as you should not repent loving Sir, your own foul cannot be "more zealous for your good, than I "am; and God, who loves that zeal in 66 me, will not fuffer you to doubt it. "You would pity me now, if you saw "me write, for my pain hath drawn my head fo much awry, and holds it fo, that my eye cannot follow my pen. "I therefore receive you into my prayers "with mine own weary foul, and com"mend myself to yours. I doubt not "but next week will bring you good "news, for I have either mending or "dying on my fide: but if I do con"tinue longer thus, I fhall have comfort "in this, that my bleffed Saviour in ex"ercifing his juftice upon my two world"ly parts, my fortune and my body, re"ferves 66 VOL. I. D "ferves all his mercy for that which "moft needs it, my foul; which is, I "doubt, too like a porter, that is very "often near the gate, and yet goes not out. Sir, I profefs to you truly, that loathnefs to give over writing now "feems to myself a fign that I shall write 66 66 my "no more. "Your poor friend, and Sept. 7. "God's poor patient, JOHN DONNE." By this you have feen a part of the picture of his narrow fortune, and the perplexities of his generous mind; and thus it continued with him for about two years, all which time his family remained constantly at Micham; and to which place he often retired himself, and destined some days to a constant study of fome points of controverfy betwixt the English and Roman Church, and especially thofe of fupremacy and allegiance: and to that place and fuch ftudies he could willingly have wedded himself during his life; but the earnest perfuafion of friends friends became at laft to be fo powerful, as to cause the removal of himself and family to London, where Sir Robert Drewry, a gentleman of a very noble eftate, and a more liberal mind, affigned him and his wife an useful apartment in his own large houfe in Drewry-lane, and not only rent free, but was also a cherisher of his studies, and fuch a friend as fympathized with him and his in all their joy and forrows. At this time of Mr. Donne's and his wife's living in Sir Robert's house, the Lord Hay was by King James fent upon a glorious embaffy to the then French King, Henry the Fourth; and Sir Robert put on a fudden refolution to accompany him to the French court, and to be prefent at his audience there. And Sir Robert put on as fudden a resolution to fubject Mr. Donne to be his companion in that journey. And this defire was fuddenly made known to his wife, who was then with child, and otherwise under fo dangerous a habit of body, as to her health, that she profeffed an unwillingness to allow him any abfence from her; fay ing, Her divining foul boded her fome ill in bis abfence; and therefore defired him not to leave her. This made Mr. Donne lay afide all thoughts of the journey, and really to refolve against it. But Sir Robert became restlefs in his perfuafions for it, and Mr. Donne was fo generous as to think he had fold his liberty, when he received fo many charitable kindneffes from him; and told his wife fo; who did therefore with an unwilling willingness give a faint confent to the journey, which was proposed to be but for two months; for about that time they determined their return. Within a few days after this refolve, the Ambaffador, Sir Robert, and Mr. Donne left London, and were the twelfth day got all safe to Paris. Two days after their arrival there, Mr. Donne was left alone in that room, in which Sir Robert, and he, and fome other friends had dined together. To this place Sir Robert returned within half an hour; and as he left, fo he found, Mr. Donne alone; but in fuch an ecftafy, and fo altered as to his looks, as amazed Sir Ro bert bert to behold him; infomuch that he earnestly defired Mr. Donne to declare what had befallen him in the fhort time of his abfence. To which Mr. Donne was not able to make a present answer: but, after a long and perplexed pause, did at last say, "I have seen a dreadful "vifion fince I faw you: I have seen my "dear wife pafs twice by me through "this room, with her hair hanging about "her shoulders, and a dead child in her "arms this I have feen fince I faw "you." To which Sir Robert replied, "Sure, fir, you have flept fince I faw 66 you; and this is the refult of some me"lancholy dream, which I defire you to "forget, for you are now awake." To which Mr. Donne's reply was, "I can"not be furer that I now live, than that "I have not slept fince I saw you: and I "am as fure, that at her fecond appear"ing the stopped, and looked me in the "face, and vanifhed."-Reft and fleep had not altered Mr. Donne's opinion the next day; for he then affirmed this vifion with a more deliberate, and fo confirmed D 3 |