In the name of the blessed and glorious Trinity, Amen. IJohn Donne, by the mercy of Chrift Jefus, and by the calling of the Church of England, Prieft, being at this time in good health and perfect understanding, (praifed be God therefore) do hereby make my laft Will and Teftament, in manner and form following: First, I give my gracious God an entire facrifice of body and foul, with my most bumble thanks for that assurance which his blessed Spirit imprints in me now of the falvation of the one, and the refurrection of the other; and for that conftant and cheerful resolution, which the fame Spirit hath established in me, to live and die in the religion now professed in the Church of England. In expectation of that refurrection, I defire my body may be buried (in the most private manner that may be) in that place of St. Paul's Church, London, that the now refidentiaries have at my request defigned for that purpose, &c. -And this my laft Will and Teftament, made in the fear of God, (whofe mercy I humbly beg, and conftantly rely upon in Jefus Chrift) and in perfect love and charity with all all the world (whose pardon 1 ask, from the lowest of my fervants, to the highest of my fuperiors) written all with my own band, and my name fubfcribed to every page, of which there are five in number. Sealed December 13, 1630. Nor was this bleffed facrifice of charity expreffed only at his death, but in his life also, by a cheerful and frequent visitation of any friend whofe mind was dejected, or his fortune neceffitous; he was inquifitive after the wants of prifoners, and redeemed many from prifon, that lay for their fees or fmall debts; he was a continual giver to poor scholars, both of this and foreign nations. Befides what he gave with his own hand, he usually fent a fervant, or a discreet and trusty friend, to distribute his charity to all the prisons in London, at all the feftival times of the year, especially at the birth and resurrection of our Saviour. He gave an hundred pounds at one time to an old friend, whom he had known live plentifully, and by a too liberal heart and careleffness became decayed in his eftate; and when the receiving of it was denied, by the gentleman faying, "He wanted not;❞—for the reader may note, that as there be fome fpirits fo generous as to labour to conceal and endure a fad poverty, rather than expose themselves to those blushes that attend the confeffion of it; fo there be others, to whom nature and grace have afforded fuch fweet and compaffionate fouls, as to pity and prevent the diftreffes of mankind; which I have mentioned because of Dr. Donne's reply, whose answer was; "I know you want not what will "fuftain nature; for a little will do that: "but my defire is, that you, who in the days of your plenty have cheered and "raifed the hearts of fo many of your "dejected friends, would now receive this "from me, and ufe it as a cordial for the "cheering of your own;" and upon these terms it was received. He was an happy - reconciler of many differences in the families of his friends and kindred, (which he never undertook faintly; for fuch undertakings have usually faint effects) and 66 they they had such a faith in his judgment and impartiality, that he never advised them to any thing in vain. He was even to her death a moft dutiful fon to his mother, careful to provide for her supportation, of which he had been deftitute, but that God raised him up to prevent her neceffities; who having fucked in the religion of the Roman Church with her mother's milk, spent her estate in foreign countries, to enjoy a liberty in it, and died in his house but three months before him. And to the end it may appear how just a fteward he was of his Lord and Mafter's revenue, I have thought fit to let the reader know, that after his entrance into his deanery, as he numbered his years, he (at the foot of a private account, to which God and his angels were only witneffes with him) computed first his revenue, then what was given to the poor, and other pious uses; and laftly, what refted for him and his; and having done that, he then blessed each year's poor remainder with a thankful prayer; which, for that they discover a more than common devotion, the "So that this year God hath blessed 66 me and mine with "Multiplicatæ funt fuper "Nos mifericordiæ tuæ "Domine. "Da Domine, ut quæ ex immenfa "Bonitate tua nobis elargiri "Dignatus fis, in quorumcunque "Manus devenerint, in tuam "Semper cedant gloriam. "Amen." "In fine horum fex annorum manet "Quid habeo quod non accepi a Domino? |