live in an age that hath more need of good examples than precepts. And I befeech that God, who hath honored me so much as to call me to ferve at his altar; that as by his fpecial grace he hath put into my heart thefe good defires and refolutions, fo he will by his affifting grace give me ghoftly ftrength to bring the fame to good effect; and that my humble and charitable life> may fo win upon others, as to bring glory to my JESUS, whom I have this day taken for my Mafter and Governor; and am fo proud of his fervice, that I will always obferve,, and obey and do his will, and always call him Jefus my Mafter; and I will always contemn nry birth, or any title or dignity that can be conferred upon me, when I fhall compare them with my title of being a Prieft, and ferving at the Altar of Jefus my Master.

And that he did fo, may appear in many parts of his book of Sacred Poems; especially, in that which he calls the Odour. In which he feems to rejoice in the thoughts of that word Jefus, and fay that the adding thefe words. My Mafter, to it, and the often repetition of them, feemed to perfume his mind, and leave an Oriental fragrancy in his very breath. And for his unforced choice, to ferve at God's Altar, he feems in another place of his poems (the Pearl, Mat. 13.) to rejoice, and fay, "He knew the ways of learning; knew what nature does willingly; and what when 'tis forced by fire; knew the ways of honor, and when glory inclines the foul to noble expreffions; knew the Court; knew the ways of Pleasure, of Love, of Wit, of Mufic, and upon what terms he declined all thefe for the fervice of his Master JESUS; and concludes faying,

That, thro' these labyrinths, not my groveling wit,
But thy filk-twift, let down from heaven to me;
Did both conduct, and teach me, how by it,

To climb to thee.

The third day after he was made Rector of Bemerton, and had changed his fword and filk cloaths into a canonical coat; he returned fo habited with his friend Mr. Woodnot to Bainton: and immediately after he had Teen and faluted his wife, he faid to her, "You are now a Minifter's Wife, and must now fo far forget your father's houfe, as not to claim a precedence of any of your parishioners; for you are to know, that a Pricft's Wife can challenge no precedence or place, but that which the purchafes by her obliging humility; and I am fure, places for purchased do beft become them. And let me tell you, That I am so good a herald, as to affure you that this is truth." "And the was fo meek a wife, as to allure him it was no vexing news to her, and that 'he 'fhould fee her obferve it with a cheerful willingness." And indeed her unforced humility, that humility that was in her so original, as to be born with her, made her fo happy as to do fo; and her doing fo begot her an unfeigned tove, and a serviceable respect from all that converfed with her; and this love followed her in all places, as infeparably as fhadows follow the fubftance in sunshine.

Mr. HERBERT had no fooner entered upon his charge' than he hafted to get the Parish Church repaired, to beautify the Chapel which ftands near his houfe, and to repair the Parfonage houfe; the two latter works were performed at his own proper charge, and having completed the last he caufed thefe verfes to be ftuck up in his hall.

To my Succeffor:

"If thou chance for to find
A new Houfe to thy Mind,
And built without thy coft:
Be good to the Poor,
As God gives thee Store,
And then my Labour's not loft."

The following Ember week he was ordained Priest by Dr. Hinchman Bishop of London, who never mentioned him but with veneration for his excellent life and learning. "I laid my hands (faid he) on Mr. HERBERT'S head, and alas! within lefs than three years lent my fhoulder to carry my dear friend to his grave."

He had counted the coft, and being refolved to regulate his conduct with uniform propriety, he fet down his Rules in that order as the world now fees them printed in a little book called the Country Parfon. His behaviour towards God and Man was a practical comment on the Rules he prefcribed in that ufeful book. A book fo full of plain rules that no country parfon can scarcely be excufed for not having it, because it will direct him what to do, and convince him for not having done it.

The text for Mr. HERBERT's firft fermon was from the Proverbs, Keep thy heart with all diligence. In this difcourfe he gave his parishioners many neceffary Rules for the discharge of a good confcience both to GOD and Man, he delivered it in a florid manner with great learning and cloquence, but in the clofe acquainted them, That fhould not be his conftant way of preach"ing, and that he would not fill their heads with unne"ceffary notions; but that for their fake, his language "and his expreffions fhould be more plain and practi"cal in his future fermons " The texts for his future fermons were constantly taken from the Gospel for the day.

He was decent and regular in his public devotions, always appearing with his whole family twice every day at prayers in the chapel. And fuch was the effect of his piety, that most of his parishioners, and many gentlemen of the neighbourhood, conftantly made a part of his congregation, and fome of the labouring clafs would leave their plow when his bell rung to

prayers, that they might join in his adorations to GOD; and would afterward return to the field, thinking themfelves happier for carrying back to their labours the bleffing of their holy and revered (Pastor; fo powerful was his example to perfuade others to a practical piety.

But these public devotions never occafioned any neglect of his private intercourfe with GOD, nor of family worship. Every day's fanctity was made by him a step towards that kingdom where impurity can

not enter.

Thou shalt converfe of them by the way, was a command of the Jewish Lawgiver refpecting his ftatutes. The nobler doctrines of Chriftianity Mr. HERBERT Well knew to be deferving fuch a recommendation, and therefore in his frequent walks, he embraced the opportunity to fpeak on divine fubjects to fuch persons as he met on the road. Entering into free converfation with a gentleman he one day overtook, "I beg to be excused (faid he) if I ask fome account of your faith; and I do this the rather, because though you are not of my pa-rish, yet I receive Tythe from you by the hand of your tenant; and Sir, I am the bolder to do it because 'I know there be fome fermon-hearers that be like thofe fishes that always live in falt-water, and yet are always Fresh.

After this expreffion he propofed to him feveral appofite questions, and having received his answer, gave him fuch rules for the trial of his fincerity, and for a practical piety, and in fuch a meek and winning manner, that the gentleman was entirely won with his difcourfe, and often after contrived to throw himself in his way.

Another pleafing anecdote is related of him. One day meeting a neighbouring Minifter, they entered into conversation on the wickedness of the times, and the

contempt with which the Clergy were treated, on which Mr. HERBERT took occafion to say, "One cure for thefe diftempers would be for the Clergy themfelves to keep the Ember-weeks ftrictly, and beg of their parishioners to join with them in fafting and prayers for a more religious Clergy.

And another cure would be for themselves to reftore the great and neglected duty of catechifing, on which the falvation of fo many of the poor and ignorant lay-people does depend; but principally, that the Clergy themselves would be fure to live unblameably; and that the dignified Clergy efpecially, who preach Temperance, would avoid furfeiting, and take all occafions to exprefs a vifible humility and charity in their lives; for this would force a love and an imitation, and an unfeigned reverence from all that knew them: (and for proof of this, we need no other teftimony than the Life and Death of Dr. Lake, late Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells.) This (faid Mr. HERBERT) would be a cure for the wickedness and growing atheism of our age. And, my dear brother, till this be done by us, and done in earneft, let no man expect a reformation of the manners of the laity: for 'tis not learning, but this, this only that must do it; and till then the fault muft lie at our doors."

Attending the private Music Meeting at Salisbury, he one day faw a poor man with a poorer horse, that was fallen under his load; they were both in distress, and needed prefent help; which Mr. HERBERT perceiving, put off his canonical coat, and helped the poor man to unload, and after to load his horfe: the man bleft him for it and he bleft the poor man, and like the good Samaritan, he gave him money to refresh both himself and his horfe; and told him, That if he loved himself, he Jhould be merciful to his beaft. Coming to his mufical friends at Salisbury, they began to wonder that he caine into company fo foiled and difcompofed; but he told