"his death uncomfortable." To which request their sighs and tears would not suffer them to make any reply, but they yielded him a sad obedience, leaving only with him Mr. Woodnot and Mr. Bostock. Immediately after they had left him, he said to Mr. Bostock, "Pray, Sir, open "that door, then look into that Cabinet, in which "you may easily find my last Will, and give it "into my hand:" which being done, Mr. Herbert delivered it into the hand of Mr. Woodnot, and said, "My old friend, I here deliver you my last Will, in which you will find that I have made you my sole executor for the good of my wife "and nieces; and I desire you to shew kindness "to them, as they shall need it: I do not desire you to be just, for I know you will be so for

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your own sake: but I charge you by the religion "of our friendship, to be careful of them." And having obtained Mr. Woodnot's promise to be so, he said, "I am now ready to die." After which words he said, "Lord, forsake me not, now my strength faileth me; but grant me merey for "the merits of my Jesus. "now receive my soul." he breathed forth his divine soul, without any apparent disturbance, Mr. Woodnot and Mr. Bostock attending his last breath, and closing his eyes'.

Thus died Mr. George Herbert:

And now Lord-Lord
And with those words

"He taught us how to live; and ah, too high
"A price for knowledge! taught us how to die."

Thus he lived, and thus he died like a saint, unspotted of the world, full of alms-deeds, full of humility, and all the examples of a virtuous life; which I cannot conclude better, than with this borrowed observation :

.......................All must to their cold graves;

But the religious actions of the just

Smell sweet in death, and blossom in the dust *.

Mr. George Herbert's have done so to this, and will doubtless do so to succeeding generations. I have but this to say more of him, that if Andrew

I am obliged to the ingenious Author of "The Lives of the "Deans of Canterbury," for pointing out the little poem entitled "Death's final Conquest," from which these lines were probably quoted. It was originally intended for a solemn dirge, in a play composed by James Shirley, a dramatic writer, who flourished in the beginning of the reign of Charles I. and who died in 1666. It was a favourite song with Charles II.; and Oliver Cromwell is said, on the recital of it, to have been seized with great terror and agitation of mind. The following is the third and concluding stanza:

"The garlands wither on your brow;

"Then boast no more your mighty deeds:

"Upon Death's purple altar now

"See where the victor victim bleeds.

"All heads must come

"To the cold tomb:

"Only the actions of the just

"Smell sweet, and blossom in the dust."

Melvin died before him, then George Herbert died without an enemy". I wish (if God shall be so pleased) that I may be so happy as to die like him.

IZ. WA.

THERE is a debt justly due to the memory of Mr. Herbert's virtuous wife; a part of which I will endeavour to pay, by a very short account of the remainder of her life, which shall follow.

She continued his disconsolate widow about six years, bemoaning herself and complaining that she had lost the delight of her eyes; but more that she

"Mr. George Herbert, Esq. Parson of Fuggleston and "and Bemerton, was buried 3d day of March, 1632." (Parish Register of Bemerton.)——It does not appear whether he was buried in the parish church or in the chapel. His letter to Mr. Nicholas Ferrar, the translator of Valdesso, is dated from his Parsonage at Bemerton, near Salisbury, Sept. 29, 1632. It must be remembered, that the beginning of the year, at that time, was computed from the 25th of March. In this year also, he wrote the short address to the Reader, which is prefixed to his " Priest " to the Temple," which was not published till after his death.

We cannot suppose that Andrew Melville could retain the least personal resentment against Mr. Herbert; whose verses have in them so little of the poignancy of satire, that it is scarce possible to consider them as capable of exciting the anger of him to whom they are addressed.

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had lost the spiritual guide for her poor soul; and would often say, "O that I had, like holy Mary, "the mother of Jesus, treasured up all his sayings "in my heart; but since I have not been able to "do that, I will labour to live like him, that "where he now is, I may be also." And she would often say (as the prophet David for his son Absalom) "O that I had died for him!" Thus she continued mourning, till time and conversation had so moderated her sorrows, that she became the happy wife of Sir Robert Cook, of Highnam, in the county of Gloucester, Knight: And though he put a high value on the excellent accomplishments of her mind and body, and was so like Mr. Herbert, as not to govern like a master, but as an affectionate husband; yet she would, even to him, often take occasion to mention the name of Mr. George Herbert, and say, "that name must live in "her memory, till she put off mortality.”—By Sir Robert, she had only one child, a daughter, whose parts and plentiful estate make her happy in this world, and her well using of them gives a fair testimony that she will be so in that which is to come.

Mrs. Herbert was the wife of Sir Robert eight years, and lived his widow about fifteen; all which time she took a pleasure in mentioning and commending the excellencies of Mr. George Herbert. She died in the year 1663, and lies buried at Highnam; Mr. Herbert in his own

Church, under the altar, and covered with a gravestone without any inscription.

This Lady Cook had preserved many of Mr. Herbert's private writings, which she intended to make public, but they and Highnam House were burnt together, by the late rebels, and so lost to posterity.

I. W.