Our blessed Saviour, who abounds in power and goodnesse towards us all,
blesse you, and your family, with blessings proportioned to his ends in
you all, and blesse you with the testimony of a rectified conscience, of
having discharged all the offices of a father, towards your discreet and
worthy daughters, and blesse them with a satisfaction, and quiescence, and
more, with a complacency and a joy, in good ends, and ways towards them,
_Amen_. Your man brought me your Letter of the 8 of _December_ this 21 of
the same, to _Chelsey_, and gives me the largenesse till friday to send a
letter to _Pauls_ house. There can scarce be any peece of that, or of
those things whereof you require light from me, that is not come to your
knowledge, by some clearer way, between the time of your Letter, and this.
Besides the report of my death hath thus much of truth in it, that though
I be not dead, yet I am buried. Within a few weeks after I immured my self
in this house, the infection strook into the town, into so many houses, as
that it became ill manners to make any visits. Therefore I never went to
_Knoll_, nor _Hanworth_, nor _Kenton_ [_Keyston_], nor to the Court, since
the Court came into these quarters, nor am yet come to _London_; therefore
I am little able to give you account of high stages. Perchance you look
not so low, as our ordinary Gazetta, and that tells us, (with a second
assurance) that the D[uke] of _Brunswick_, _Christian_, is dead of an
Ague. My L[ord] of _Dorset_ even upon the day, when he should have been
installed with his six fellowes, fell sick at _London_; and at Court
(which does not exalt all men) his Fever was exalted to the plague; but he
is in good convalescence. Of the Navy I hear of no great lim[b] come back
yet, but my L. of _Essex_; something of the disappointing of the designe
they had, is imputed to some difference, in point of command, betweem him
and the M{r} of the Ordinance, my L. of _Valencia_, but as yet there is
little manifested. Already is issued a Proclamation, that there be no
disbanding of the Souldiers, upon their landing, in what part soever, and
that his Majesty hath present imployment for them. What the business at
_Haghe_ [_Hague_] hath been, I know nothing, but I hear, that their offer
of pawning of Jewells to a very very great value, to the States or private
men, hath found no acceptance, at least found no money. Occasionally I
heard from the _Haghe_, that the Queen having taken into her care, the
promoving and advancing of some particular mens businesses, by way of
recommendations to the Duke, expressed her self very royally, in your
behalf. This I tell you not, as though you knew it not, but because I had
the fortune to see it in a Letter of the simple Gentlewoman, from thence;
by which name, if you know her not, I have omitted heretofore to tell you
a good tale. They continue at Court, in the resolution of the Queen
pastorall; when _Q[ueen] Anne_ loved gamboils, you loved the Court;
perchance you may doubt whether you be a thorough Courtier, if you come
not up to see this, The Queen a Shepperdesse; but I speak not this, by
way of counsail, to draw you up, it is not only _Non Dominus, sed ego_,
but _nec Deus nec ego_, to call you hither, but upon fair appearances of
usefull commings. M{r} _George Herbert_ is here at the receipt of your
letter, and with his service to you, tells you that all of _Uvedall_ house
are well. I reserve not the mention of my Lady _Huntington_ to the end of
my Letter, as grains to make the gold weight, but as tincture to make the
better gold, when you finde room to intrude so poor and impertinent a
name, as mine is, in her presence. I beseech you, let her Lad[yship] know,
that she hath sowed her favours towards me, in such a ground, that if I be
grown better (as I hope I am) her favours are grown with me, and though
they were great when she conferred them, yet, (if I mend every day) they
increase in me every day, and therefore every day multiply my
thankfulnesse towards her Ladiship: say what you will (if you like not
this expression) that may make her Ladiship know, that I shall never let
fall the memory, nor the just valuation of her noble favours to me, nor
leave them unrequited in my Exchequer, which is, the blessings of God upon
my prayers. If I should write another sheet, I should be able to serve
your curiosity no more of Dukes nor LL. [Lords] nor Courts, and this half
line serves to tell you, that I am truly
_Your poor friend and humble servant in Chr. Jes._
J. Donne.
[lxxxv.]
_To my honoured friend_ G. G. _Esquire_.
_SIR_,
Neither your Letters, nor silence, needs excuse; your friendship is to me
an abundant possession, though you remember me but twice in a year: He
that could have two harvests in that time, might justly value his land at
a high rate; but, Sir, as we doe not onely then thank our land, when we
gather the fruit, but acknowledge that all the year she doth many motherly
offices in preparing it: so is not friendship then onely to be esteemed,
when she is delivered of a Letter, or any other reall office, but in her
continuall propensnesse and inclination to do it. This hath made me easie
in pardoning my long silences, and in promising my self your forgivenesse
for not answering your Letter sooner. For my purpose of proceeding in the
profession of the law, so farre as to a title you may be pleased to
correct that imagination, wheresoever you finde it. I ever thought the
study of it my best entertainment, and pastime, but I have no ambition,
nor designe upon the style. Of my Anniversaries, the fault that I
acknowledge in my self, is to have descended to print any thing in verse,
which though it have excuse even in our times, by men who professe, and
practise much gravitie, yet I confesse I wonder how I declined to it, and
do not pardon my self. But for the other part of the imputation of having
said too much, my defence is, that my purpose was to say as well as I
could: for since I never saw the Gentlewoman, I cannot be understood to
have bound my self to have spoken just truths, but I would not be thought
to have gone about to praise her, or any other in rime, except I took such
a person, as might be capable of all that I could say. If any of those
Ladies think that Mistris _Drewry_ was not so, let that Lady make her self
fit for all those praises in the book, and they shall be hers. Sir, this
messenger makes so much haste that I cry you mercy for spending any time
of this letter in other imployment then thanking you for yours. I hope
before _Christmas_ to see _England_, and kisse your hand, which shall
ever, (if it disdain not that office) hold all the keyes of the liberties
and affection, and all the faculties of
_Your most affectionate servant_,
J. D.
_Paris_ the 14 of
_Aprill_, here, 1612.
[lxxxvi.]
_To my honoured friend_ G. G. _Esquire_.
_SIR_,
I should not only send you an account by my servant, but bring you an
account often my self, (for our Letters are our selves and in them absent
friends meet) how I do, but that two things make me forbear that writing:
first, because it is not for my gravity, to write of feathers, and
strawes, and in good faith, I am no more, considered in my body, or
fortune. And then because whensoever I tell you how I doe, by a Letter,
before that Letter comes to you, I shall be otherwise, then when it left
me. At this time, I humbly thank God, I am only not worse; for I should as
soon look for Roses at this time of the year, as look for increase of
strength. And if I be no worse all spring, then now, I am much better,
for I make account that those Church services, which I would be very loth
to decline, will spend somewhat; and, if I can gather so much as will bear
my charges, recover so much strength at _London_, as I shall spend at
_London_, I shall not be loth to be left in that state wherein I am now,
after that's done; But I do but discourse, I do not wish; life or health,
or strength, (I thank God) enter not into my prayers for my self; for
others they do; and amongst others, for your sick servant, for such a
servant taken so young, and healed so long, is half a child to a master,
and so truly I have observed that you have bred him with the care of a
father. Our blessed Saviour look graciously upon him, and glorifie himself
in him, by his way of restitution to health; And by his way of peace of
conscience in
_Your very true friend and servant in Chr. Jes._
J. Donne.
[lxxxvii.]
_SIR_,
This advantage you, and my other friends, have by my frequent Fevers, that
I am so much the oftener at the gates of heaven, and this advantage by the
solitude and close imprisonment that they reduce me to after, that I am
thereby the oftener at my prayers; in which, I shall never leave out your
happinesse; and, I doubt not, but amongst his many other blessings, God
will adde to you some one for my prayers. A man would almost be content to
dye, (if there were no other benefit in death) to hear of so much sorrow,
and so much good testimony from good men, as I, (God be blessed for it)
did upon the report of my death. Yet, I perceive it went not through all;
for, one writ unto me, that some (and he said of my friends) conceived,
that I was not so ill, as I pretended, but withdrew my self, to save
charges, and to live at ease, discharged of preaching. It is an
unfriendly, and God knows, an ill grounded interpretation: for in these
times of necessity, and multitudes of poor there is no possibility of
saving to him that hath any tendernesse in him; and for affecting my
ease, I have been always more sorry, when I could not preach, then any
could be, that they could not hear me. It hath been my desire, (and God
may be pleased to grant it me) that I might die in the Pulpit; if not
that, yet that I might take my death in the Pulpit, that is, die the
sooner by occasion of my former labours. I thanke you, for keeping our
_George_ in [in] your memory. I hope God reserves it for so good a friend
as you are, to send me the first good news of him. For the Diamond Lady,
you may safely deliver _Roper_ whatsoever belongs to me, and he will give
you a discharge for the money. For my L[ord] _Percy_, we shall speake of
it, when we meet at _London_; which, as I do not much hope before
Christmas, so I do not much fear at beginning of Tearm; for I have
intreated one of my fellowes to preach to my Lord Maior, at _Pauls_ upon
Christmas day, and reserved Candlemas day to my self for that service,
about which time also will fall my Lent Sermon, except my Lord
Chamberlaine beleeve me to be dead, and leave me out; for as long as I
live, and am not speechlesse, I would not decline that service. I have
better leasure to write, then you to read, yet I will not oppress you
with too much letter. God blesse you, and your sonne, as
_Your poor friend and humble servant
in Christ Jesus_
J. Donne.
[lxxxviii.]
_To the Lady_ G.