him with sorrow, and an unwillingness to lose the sight of him, whom they could not hope to see much longer.  As they stood thus beholding him, his wife observed him to breathe faintly, and with much trouble, and observed him to fall into a sudden agony; which so surprised her, that she fell into a sudden passion, and required of him to know how he did.  To which his answer was, “that he had passed a conflict with his last enemy, and had overcome him by the merits of his Master Jesus.”  After which answer, he looked up, and saw his wife and nieces weeping to an extremity, and charged them, if they loved him, to withdraw into the next room, and there pray every one alone for him; for nothing but their lamentations could make 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 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 mercy for the merits of my Jesus.  And now, Lord—­Lord, now receive my soul.”  And with those words he breathed forth his divine soul, without any apparent disturbance, Mr. Woodnot and Mr. Bostock attending his last breath, and closing his eyes.

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.[26]

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 Melvin died before him,[27] then George Herbert died without an enemy.[28] I wish—­if God shall be so pleased—­that I may be so happy as to die like him.

IZ.  WA.

[Sidenote:  Mrs. Herbert]

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.