or Self-admiration; which Humility was the more illuftrious by the Acceffion of Politenefs and Complaifance, in a courteous entertaining all Perfons with Civilities proper to their feveral Qualities, so that the oblig'd all, tho' fhe was ever careful that nothing in Converfation might border upon thofe Freedoms that difhonour God and blemish the Chriftian Profeffion; fhe was ftrictly religious, but without Melancholy or Sournefs upon her own Spirit, without Morofenefs and Cenforiousness towards others.

To her particular Friends fhe was endear'd by her Prudence, Fidelity, and fingular Affection; to her Servants and Tenants fhe was neither imperious nor oppreffive, but juft and kind; to her Neighbours, of what Rank foever, fhe was all that they could reafonably defire; fhe was alfo a loyal Subject to her Prince, moft paffionately concern'd for King Charles the Firft, when his Enemies were contriving his horrid Murder; being earnestly defirous that an Hand from Heaven might have prevented that execrable Wickedness, he kept a private Faft in her Clofet on his Behalf; and when fhe heard of his Death, fhe refented it with the Paffions of a Mother, profeffing, That the Loss of one of her dearest Children came not nearer to her Heart. She was a true Mourner under the Sufferings, Exclufion and Exile of King Charles the Second, and fo difgufted at the then ufurping Powers, that he would not joyn in the keeping of either the Fafting or Thanksgiving-Days appointed by them in reference to their Defigns or Succeffes; but the much rejoyc'd in his happy Reftauration. She was alfo conformable to the Church of England, and one of the greatest Ornaments of our Communion. Though the refpected Piety in all forts of Men, and reliev'd fome Nonconformifts with a liberal Hand, yet the much difapprov'd and lamented the Separation from our Church,

She

99 She made the most excellent use of her Riches and Honour, and God was pleas'd to blefs her with Length of Days, for fhe liv'd to the 82d Year of her Age. The Clofe of her Life was a continu'd Languishing for diɣers Months, attended fometimes with great Pains, under which Patience had its perfect Work: when her Body was reftlefs her Mind was calm, and her Confcience witnefs'd to her Integrity; the expir'd almost infenfibly, and had at the laft an easy Paffage to that Happinefs which is the Reward of Faith and Holinefs. If any defire a fuller Account of her, they may read her Life written by Mr. Nath. Parkhurst, from whom I have extracted the Substance of this fhort Narrative.

If this Chapter had not been already of fo great a Length, there might have been added to the preceding Examples feveral others no lefs eminent; I will here only mention the Names of fome few, together with the Authors that have given fome Account of their great Piety and Virtue, notwithstanding all the Temptations that might arife from their Riches and Honour. Of this Number, and highly worthy of Imitation, were,

The Right Honourable William Lord Russel, Baron of Thornhauph in Northamptonshire, defervedly commemorated in Mr. Walker's Sermon at his Funeral, September 16, 1613.

Denzell Lord Holles, in Mr. Reyner's Sermon at his Funeral.

The Honourable Robert Boyle, Efq; in the Sermon at his Funeral preach'd by the Lord Bishop of Sarumi Sir John Gayr, Alderman of London, in Mr. Hardy's Sermon at his Funeral, 1649.

Sir Thomas Adams, Knight and Baronet, and Alderman of London, in Dr. Hardy's Sermon at his Fu neral, March 10, 1667.

Mr. Richard Fishburn, Merchant, in Mr. Shute's Sermon at his Funeral, May 10, 1625.

H 2

Peter

Peter Whalley, Efq; in the Sermon at his Funeral preach'd at Northampton by Dr. Reynolds, who was afterwards Bishop of Norwich.

I

The Right Honourable the Lady Dorothea Helena, Countess Dowager of Derby, in Mr. Hunter's Sermon at her Funeral. ONE

The Right Honourable the Lady Frances Countess of Carbery, in Bishop Taylor's Sermon at her Funeral, 1650.

The Right Honourable the Lady Frances Paget, the religious Confort of William Lord Paget, in Mr. Jenny's Sermon at her Funeral, November 12, 1672.

The Right Honourable the Lady Elizabeth Capel, Dowager, in Mr. Barker's Sermon at her Funeral,

The Right Honourable the Lady Cuts, in Dr. Atterbury's Difcourfe occafion'd by her Death.

The Right Honourable the Lady Ann Holles, the pious Confort of Francis Lord Holles, in Mr. Waters's Sermon at her Funeral, May 4. 1682.

The Right Honourable the Lady Mary Vere, Relict of the pious, noble, and valiant Sir Horace Vere, Baron of Tilbury, in Mr. Gurnal's Sermon at her Funeral, January 12, 1671.

They Lady Maynard, in Dr. Ken's Sermon at her Funeral

The Lady Mary Langham, the religious Confort of Sir James Langham, in Bishop Reynolds's Sermon at her Funeral, where, after the Bishop had much commended her early Piety, her great Knowledge in the holy Scriptures, and the most fubftantial Books of Religion, her unweary'd Conftancy in the Duties of the Closet, as well as devout Attention on God's publick Worship, her honouring Holiness in the poorest and meanest Perfons, her Contempt of this World, and. Preparations for the other, her Meeknefs, Modefty, and Humility, her dutiful Reverence towards her Parents, her Conjugal Affection to her very worthy and

dear

dear Husband, her more than ordinary Care in the Education of her Children, her Affability and Kindnefs to her Servants, whom he greatly encourag'd unto holy Duties, her eminent Charity to poor diftrefled Perfons, in vifiting, edifying, comforting, and liberally relieving them, her patient waiting upon, pleading with, and trufting in God, under her Sicknefs, and Extremities of Travail, and other Pains, alfo that Tincture of Holiness which ftill appear'd even in her disturb'd Expreffions, when the Difcafe affected her Head; he at length concludes his Character of her with thefe Words." Thus liv'd and dy'd this excel"lent Lady, a worthy Pattern for the Great Ones of "her Sex to imitate, fuch Works will follow them in"to another. World, where none of the Vanities of "this, no Pleafures, no Pomp, no, Luxury, no Bravery, no Balls, no Interludes, no amorous or complemental Difcourfes, or other like Impertinences "of the World, will have any Admittance.

Thus we have feen how fincere Religion, Piety and Virtue have been confpicuously exemplify'd in fome of the Great, and Rich, and Honourable, of all Ranks, in Sovereign Princes, Noblemen, Gentlemen, and Ladies, and that too in every Age of their Lives, as well in their Youth, as in their riper Years; may thefe illuftrious Inftances fully convince the Young People of Quality that fhall perufe them how poffible and practicable it is to be truly good as well as great; may the lively and indelible Ideas of fuch noble Examples remain impreft, upon their Minds, fo as to provoke a juft Emulation, and infpire them with a mighty Courage and Refolution for the like excellent Practices, whatever Obftacles they meet with; O let thofe honourable and renown'd Perfons of former Times, that have gone before us in the Paths of Virtue, have an cfficacious Influence upon us that are now living, both to inftruct and excite us by the never dying Memory

of their glorious Actions; O that we may all of us in this Nation, fo far as we can, according to our several Stations and Capacities, diligently tranfcribe the admirable Copies they have fet us, and as fairly represent them to the World as they have done before us; by fuch an Imitation we fhall not only be wife, and good, and happy in our own Perfons, but it is hop'd that our Examples alfo will have the like aufpicious Influence on the Generations that are yet to come.

Such an Imitation, if fincere, tho' lefs perfect, will not be without fome good Effect; for I would not have any Young Perfons of better Rank be difcourag'd, if upon comparing themfelves with the foremention'd Heroes, they fhall perceive, that notwithstanding their earnest Defires and Endeavours they still come short of thofe eminent Degrees of Piety and Virtue which were confpicuous in fome of the excellent Patterns here set before them.

O noble and generous Youth! If you ftudiously follow these great Examples according to your Power, altho' your Zeal for God and Religion be not forthwith all Flame and inexhaustible Activity, as fome of theirs was, tho' you be not at all times fo prompt and forward in every Act of Love to our bleffed Lord, nor fo flow to Anger when hated and affronted by Men, nor fo perfevering in Patience upon continu'd Provocations, nor fo entirely and ardently affected with Divine Things as fome of them were, altho' you as yet want that Pitch of Contempt for this vain World, that exact and regular Command over your Appetites, that Height of Abftinence and Self-denial, that Eafe, Delight and Watchfulness in Prayer, that Affiduity and Pleasure in holy Meditations, that Depth of Humility and Poverty of Spirit, that Fervour of Charity, that Gladness in fhewing Kindness, that Readinefs in forgiving Injuries, to which fome of thofe Worthies did happily arrive, this Defect of fuch high Degrees in your Imitation of their Graces and Virtues will be mercifully pardon'd, and by

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