Who God doth late and early pray,
More of his grace than gifts to lend;
And entertains the harmless day

With a religious book or friend.

This man is freed from servile bands
Of hope to rise, or fear to fall;
Lord of himself, though not of lands,
And having nothing yet hath all.

"HYMN MADE BY SIR H. WOTTON WHEN HE WAS AN AMBASSADOR AT VENICE IN THE TIME OF THE GREAT SICKNESS THERE."

ETERNAL Mover! whose diffusèd glory,

To show our grovelling reason what Thou art,

Unfolds itself in clouds of Nature's story,

Where man, Thy proudest creature, acts his part:
Whom yet, alas! I know not why, we call
The world's contracted sum, the little all.

For what are we but lumps of walking clay?

Why should we swell? Why should our spirits rise? Are not brute beasts as strong, and birds as gay, Trees longer lived, and creeping things as wise?

Only our soul was left an inward light

To feel our weakness, and confess Thy might.

Thou then, our strength, Father of life and death,
To whom our thanks, our vows, ourselves we owe,

From me, Thy tenant of this fading breath,

Accept these lines which from Thy goodness flow; And Thou that wert Thy royal prophet's muse, Do not Thy praise in weaker strains refuse.

Let these poor notes ascend unto Thy throne,
Where majesty doth sit, with mercy crowned;
Where my Redeemer lives, in whom alone

L

The errors of my wandering life are drowned; Where all the quire of heaven resound the same, That only Thine, Thine is the saving name.

Well then, my soul, joy in the midst of pain;
Thy Christ that conquered hell, shall from above
With greater triumph yet return again,

And conquer His own justice with His love;
Commanding earth and seas to render those
Unto His bliss, for whom He paid His woes.

Now have I done, now are my thoughts at peace,
And now my joys are stronger than my grief;
I feel those comforts that shall never cease,

Future in hope, but present in belief:

Thy words are true, Thy promises are just,

And Thou wilt fin Thy dearly-bought, in dust.

GEORGE HERBERT was born at Montgomery Castle on April 3, 1593. He belonged to a branch of the family of the earls of Pembroke. He lost his father when he was four years old, and was brought up under the watchful care of a pious mother. Having been sent by her to Westminster School, he was from it elected a scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge, of which he afterwards became a fellow. In 1619, he was chosen orator of the University. The duties of this office brought him into connexion with King James I. who entertained the highest opinion of his learning and wisdom, and delighted to have him at court. He seemed thus to be in the way for high preferment. But on the death of the King, he retired from court, and, after much solemn consideration, determined to give up the brilliant prospect before him, and to enter the ministry. The spirit in which his resolution was formed may be seen in his answer to a friend, who wished to dissuade him from entering on a course of life which he thought unworthy of his birth and

talents: "Though," he says, "the iniquity of the late times have made clergymen meanly valued, and the sacred name of priest contemptible, yet I will labour to make it honourable, by consecrating all my learning, and all my poor abilities, to advance the glory of that God that gave them; knowing that I can never do too much for Him that hath done so much for me, as to make me a Christian. And I will labour to be like my Saviour-by making humility lovely in the minds of all men, and by following the merciful and meek example of my dear Jesus."

In 1626, he was made prebend of the church of Leighton, in Bedfordshire. The edifice was in a ruinous condition, and he rebuilt it at his own cost, aided by contributions which he obtained from his friends.

In the year 1630, he married, and

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three months after was appointed to the rectory or Bemerton, near Salisbury. Here for the remaining two years of his life he laboured as a devoted servant of Christ, diligently discharging all those duties which he has so beautifully set forth in his Country Parson." His character, in its simplicity and holiness, is vividly depicted in the pages of Isaac Walton, who describes the earnestness of his preaching, the fidelity of his catechising, his kindly intercourse with his parishioners, his faithful dealing with them in private conversation, the spirit of devout prayerfulness in which his work was carried on, his sympathy with those in trouble, and his selfdenying charity. His chief recreation was music, and twice a week he used to