was his friend; and, to testify it, did always use him with much courtesy, appointing him a place at his own table, to which he esteemed his company and discourse to be a great ornament.

He continued that employment for the space of five years, being daily useful, and not mercenary to his friend. During which time, he,—I dare not say unhappily-fell into such a liking, as, with her approbation,-increased into a love, with a young gentlewoman that lived in that family, who was niece to the Lady Ellesmere, and daughter to Sir George More, then Chancellor of the Garter and Lieutenant of the Tower.

*

Sir George had some intimation of it, and, knowing prevention to be a great part of wisdom, did therefore remove her with much haste, from that to his own house at Lothesley, in the County of Surrey; but too late, by reason of some faithful promises which were so interchangeably passed, as never to be violated by either party.

These promises were only known to themselves; and the friends of both parties used much diligence, and many arguments, to kill or cool their affections to each other: but in vain; for love† is a flattering mischief, that hath denied aged and wise men a foresight of those evils that too often prove to be the children of that blind father, a passion, that carries us to commit errors with as much ease as whirlwinds move feathers, and begets in us an unwearied industry to the attainment of what we desire. And such an industry did, notwithstanding much watchfulness against it,

* Sir George was the only son and heir of Sir William More, and was born Nov. 28th, 1552; educated at Exeter College, Oxford, whence he removed to the Inns of Court. About 1597, he was knighted, in 1610, was made Chancellor of the Garter, and in 1615, Lieutenant of the Tower. He frequently sat in Parliament for the Borough of Guildford, and he died Oct. 16th, 1632. His sister, the Lady Ellesmere, was the eldest daughter of Sir William More, and was born April 28th, 1552. She was thrice married, the last of her husbands being Chancellor Egerton; and the second Sir John Wolley of Pirford, Knt. Losely House, the seat of the More family, is situate in the Hundred of Godalming, and County of Surrey, about two miles south-west of Guildford. It consists of a main body, facing the north, and one wing extending northward from its western extremity; the whole being built of the ordinary country stone. + This fine passage on the rashness of youthful passion was not inserted till Walton's second edition.

bring them secretly together, I forbear to tell the manner how —and at last to a marriage too, without the allowance of those friends, whose approbation always was, and ever will be, necessary, to make even a virtuous love become lawful.

And, that the knowledge of their marriage might not fall, like an unexpected tempest, on those that were unwilling to have it so; and that pre-apprehensions might make it the less enormous when it was known, it was purposely whispered into the ears of many that it was so, yet by none that could affirm it. But, to put a period to the jealousies of Sir George,—doubt often begetting more restless thoughts than the certain knowledge of what we fear the news was, in favour to Mr. Donne, and with his allowance, made known to Sir George, by his honourable friend and neighbour Henry, Earl of Northumberland ;* but it was to Sir George so immeasurably unwelcome, and so transported him, that, as though his passion of anger and inconsideration might exceed theirs of love and error, he presently engaged his sister, the Lady Ellesmere, to join with him to procure her lord to discharge Mr. Donne of the place he held under his Lordship. This request was followed with violence; and though Sir George were remembered, that errors might be over punished, and desired therefore to forbear, till second considerations might clear some scruples; yet he became restless until his suit was granted, and the punishment executed. And though the Lord Chancellor did

* Henry Percy, ninth Earl of Northumberland, born in April, 1564; succeeded to the title in June, 1585. In 1588, he was one of those gallant young noblemen who hired ships at their own charge, and joined the fleet despatched against the Spanish Armada; and in 1593, he was made Knight of the Garter. He was greatly attached to the House of Stuart, and was active in the interests of James I.; but as one of the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot was related to his Lordship, he was prosecuted, fined £30,000. by Sir Edward Coke in the Sar-Chamber, and sentenced to imprisonment in the Tower during life. The Earl's fine was reduced to £20,090. and his liberty restored after fifteen years confinement, in July, 1621. He died, Nov. 5th, 1632. Wood calls him "a learned man himself, and the generous favourer of all good learning;" during his imprisonment he allowed salaries for eminent scholars to attend upon him, and he also enjoyed the converse of Sir Walter Raleigh, then a prisoner in the Tower. He had a peculiar talent for mathematics; and on account of his love for the occult sciences, he was sometimes entitled Henry the Wizard.

not, at Mr. Donne's dismission, give him such a commendation as the great Emperor Charles the Fifth did of his Secretary, Eraso, when he parted with him to his son and successor, Philip the Second, saying, “That in his Eraso, he gave to him a greater gift than all his estate, and all the kingdoms which he then resigned to him" yet the Lord Chancellor said, "He parted with a friend, and such a Secretary as was fitter to serve a king than a subject."

Immediately after his dismission from his service, he sent a sad letter to his wife, to acquaint her with it: and after the subscription of his name, writ,

John Donne, Anne Donne, Un-done ;

And God knows it proved too true;* for this bitter physic of Mr. Donne's dismission, was not enough to purge out all Sir George's choler; for he was not satisfied till Mr. Donne and his sometime com-pupil in Cambridge, that married him, namely, Samuel Brooke,† who was after Doctor in Divinity, and Master of Trinity College-and his brother Mr. Christopher Brooke, sometime Mr. Donne's chamber-fellow in Lincoln's Inn, who gave Mr. Donne his wife, and witnessed the marriage, were all committed to three several prisons.

Mr. Donne was first enlarged, who neither gave rest to his body or brain, nor to any friend in whom he might hope to have an

* The passage beginning " and though the Lord Chancellor"-down to"it proved too true," is not entire in either of Walton's first two editions.

+ Son of Robert Brook, an eminent merchant, and Lord Mayor of York, in 1582 and 1595. He was admitted of Trinity College in Cambridge, in 1596, and Sept. 26th, 1612, was chosen Divinity Professor in Gresham College, being then Chaplain to Prince Henry. In 1615, he was made D.D.; in 1618, Rector of St. Margaret's Lothbury, in London; in 1629, Master of Trinity College; and Archdeacon of Wells, in 1631, in which year he died. Of his writing there remains one Latin discourse, and a Latin Pastoral, called Melanthe, acted before King James at Cambridge. Christopher Brook was a Bencher and Summer Reader at Lincoln's Inn, and is much commended as a poet by Ben Jonson, Drayton, &c. He wrote an Elegy to the never-dying memory of Henry, Prince of Wales, Lond. 1613, 4to.; and he also published a volume of Eclogues, Lond. 1614. In Dr. Donne's Poes are two addressed to this gentleman, "the Storme." and "the Calme."

interest, until he had procured an enlargement for his two impris oned friends.

:

He was now at liberty, but his days were still cloudy and being past these troubles, others did still multiply upon him; for his wife was,—to her extreme sorrow-detained from him; and though with Jacob* he endured not a hard service for her, yet he lost a good one, and was forced to make good his title, and to get possession of her by a long and restless suit in law; which proved troublesome and sadly chargeable to him, whose youth, and travel, and needless bounty, had brought his estate into a narrow compass.

It is observed, and most truly, that silence and submission are charming qualities, and work most upon passionate men; and it proved so with Sir George; for these, and a general report of Mr. Donne's merits, together with his winning behaviour, which, when it would entice, had a strange kind of elegant irresistible art; these, and time had so dispassionated Sir George, that as the world had approved his daughter's choice, so he also could not but see a more than ordinary merit in his new son; and this at last melted him into so much remorse,-for love and anger are so like agues, as to have hot and cold fits; and love in parents, though it may be quenched, yet is easily re-kindled, and expires not till death denies mankind a natural heat, that he laboured his son's restoration to his place; using to that end, both his own and his sister's power to her lord; but with no success; for his answer was, "That though he was unfeignedly sorry for what he had done, yet it was inconsistent with his place and credit, to discharge and re-admit servants at the request of passionate petitioners."

Sir George's endeavour for Mr. Donne's re-admission, was by all means to be kept secret:-for men do more naturally reluct for errors, than submit to put on those blemishes that attend their visible acknowledgement-But, however, it was not long before Sir George appeared to be so far reconciled, as to wish their happiness, and not to deny them his paternal blessing, but yet refu

* The first edition has this allusion to Genesis, chap. xxix.; and similar references placed in the margin.

sed to contribute any means that might conduce to their live.

lihood.

Mr. Donne's estate was the greatest part spent in many and chargeable travels, books, and dear-bought experience: he out of all employment that might yield a support for himself and wife, who had been curiously and plentifully educated; both their natures generous, and accustomed to confer, and not to receive, courtesies: these and other considerations, but chiefly that his wife was to bear a part in his sufferings, surrounded him with many sad thoughts, and some apparent apprehensions of want.

But his sorrows were lessened and his wants prevented, by the seasonable courtesy of their noble kinsman, Sir Francis Wolly,* of Pirford, in Surrey, who intreated them to a cohabitation with him; where they remained with much freedom to themselves, and equal content to him, for some years; and as their charge increased she had yearly a child,—so did his love and bounty.

It hath been observed by wise and considering men, that wealth hath seldom been the portion, and never the mark to discover good people; but that Almighty God, who disposeth all things wisely, hath of his abundant goodness denied it-he only knows why-to many, whose minds he hath enriched with the greater blessings of knowledge and virtue, as the fairer testimonies of his love to mankind and this was the present condition of this man of so excellent erudition and endowments; whose necessary and daily expences, were hardly reconcileable with his uncertain and narrow estate. Which I mention, for that at this time, there was a most generous offer made him for the moderating of his worldly cares; the declaration of which shall be the next employment of my pen. God hath been so good to his Church, as to afford it in every

* Or Wolley, only son of Sir John Wolley, Knight, Dean of Carlisle, and Latin Secretary to Queen Elizabeth; was born March 18th, 1582-83, and was a Member of Merton College, Oxford. In 1600, he represented the borough of Haslemere, in Parliament, and was afterwards knighted, but he died unmarried in the flower of his age in 1610. He was buried in the same grave with his father, and the Lady Egerton his mother, in the church of Pirford, in Surrey; but in 1614, their bodies were all removed, and re-interred under a beautiful monument of black and white marble, bearing their effigies, and a Latin Epitaph, in St. Paul's Cathedral, which was destroyed in the great fire