сп. і It is a truth, viewing fome of 0 pers loofely (God know to in his youth, it wi abortive, or fo for-eyes had witnester though he was no ir..... not fo fallen out wi to forfake that: n age; witnessed the . nets, and other nious compofure mer fick-bed # hymn, expreffing poffeffed his fou... And do run fill, When thou haft Wilt thou forgive the Others to fin, and His marriage was the remarkable error of his life-an error, which, though he had a wit able and very apt to maintain paradoxes, yet he was very far from justifying it; and though his wife's competent years, and other reafons, might be justly urged to moderate severe cenfures, yet he would occafionally condemn himfelf for it; and doubtless it had been attended with an heavy repentance, if God had not bleffed them with fo mutual and cordial affections, as in the midft of their fufferings made their bread of forrow tafte more pleasantly than the banquets of dull and low-fpirited people. The recreations of his youth were poetry, in which he was so happy, as if Nature and all her varieties had been made only to exercise his sharp wit and high fancy; and in those pieces which were facetiously compofed and carelessly scattered (moft of them being written before the twentieth year of his age) it may appear by his choice metaphors, that both Nature and all the Arts joined to affist him with their utmost skill. It is a truth, that in his penitential years, viewing some of those pieces that had been loosely (God knows too loosely) fcattered in his youth, he wished they had been abortive, or fo fhort-lived that his own eyes had witneffed their funerals: but, though he was no friend to them, he was not fo fallen out with heavenly poetry, as to forfake that; no, not in his declining age; witneffed then by many divine fonnets, and other high, holy, and harmonious compofures: yea, even on his former fick-bed he wrote this heavenly hymn, expreffing the great joy that then poffeffed his foul, in the affurance of God's favour to him when he composed it: AN HYMN TO. GOD THE FATHER. WILT thou forgive that fin where I begun, Wilt thou forgive that fin, which I have won Wilt thou forgive that fin which I did fhun I have a fin of fear, that when I've spun I have the rather mentioned this hymn, for that he caused it to be fet to a most grave and folemn tune, and to be often fung to the organ by the chorifters of St. Paul's Church, in his own hearing; efpecially at the evening fervice; and at his return from his cuftomary devotions in that place, did occafionally say to a friend, "The words of this hymn have restored "to me the fame thoughts of joy that poffeffed my foul in my fickness, when "I compofed it. And, O the power of "church-mufic! that harmony added to "this hymn has raifed the affections of "my heart, and quickened my graces of "zeal and gratitude; and I observe that "I always return from paying this pub "lic duty of prayer and praise to God, "with an unexpreffible tranquillity of “mind, and a willingness to leave the "world." After this manner did the difciples of our Saviour, and the best of Chriftians in thofe ages of the Church nearest to his time, offer their praises to Almighty God. And the reader of St. Auguftine's life may there find, that towards his diffolution he wept abundantly, that the enemies of Christianity had broke in upon them, and profaned and ruined their fanctuaries, and because their public hymns and lauds were loft out of their churches. And after this manner have many devout fouls lifted up their hands, and offered acceptable facrifices unto Almighty God, where Dr. Donne offered his, and now lies buried. "But now, O Lord, how is that place "become defolate !"-Anno 1656. Before I proceed further, I think fit to inform the reader, that not long before his death he caused to be drawn a figure of the body of Chrift extended upon an anchor, like those which painters draw when |