who upon all occasions speakes highly of you;* and is to be held to the fleet by encouragement and preferment: for I would not have him leave the sea, which otherwise probably he might, having parts to make himself considerable by divers other wayes. Mr. I. told mee you were compleately constituted to do your country service, honour, and reputation, as being exceeding faythfull, valiant, diligent, generous, vigilant, observing, very knowing, and a scholar. How you behaved yourself in the Foresight, at the hard service at Bergen, in Norway, captain Brookes, the commander, expressed unto many before his death, not long after, in Suffolk; and particularly unto my lord of Sandwich, then admiral, which thoughe you would not tell me yourself, yet was I informed from a person of no ordinary qualitie, C. Harland, who when you came aboard the admiral after the taking of the East India shippes, heard my lord of Sandwich, to speak thus unto you. "Sir, you are a person whom I am glad to see, and must be better acquainted with you, upon the account which captain Brooke gave mee of you. I must encourage such persons and give them their due, which will stand so

*There is evidently some omission here, either in the original or the copy; the following sentence appears to be Sir Thomas Allen's remark, the beginning of which is apparently wanting.

firmely and courageously unto it upon extremities, wherein true valour is best discovered. Hee told mee you were the only man that stuck closely and boldly to him unto the last, and that after so many of his men and his lieutenant was slayne, hee could not have well knowne what to have done without you." Butt beside these I must not fayle to tell you how well I like it, that you are not only Marti but Mercurio, and very much pleased to find how good a student you have been at sea, and particularly with what success you have read divers bookes there, especially Homer and Juvenal with Lubines notes. Being much surprised to find you so perfect therein that you had them in a manner without booke, and could proceed in any verse I named unto you. I am glad you can overcome Lucan. The other bookes which I sent, are, I perceive, not hard unto you, and having such industrie adjoined unto your apprehension and memorie, you are like to proceed [not only] a noble navigator, butt a great schollar, which will be much to your honour and my satisfaction and content. I am much pleased to find that you take the draughts of remarkable things where ere you go; for that may bee very usefull, and will fasten themselves the better in your

memorie.

To his Daughter, Mrs. Lyttleton.

Sept. 15, [1681.] EARE BETTY, Tho it were noe

wonder this very tempestious and stormy winter, yet I am sorry you had such an uncomfortable sight as to behold a ship cast away so neer you; this is noe strange tho unwelcom sight at Yarmouth, Cromer, Winterton, and sea towns: tho you could not saue them, I hope they were the better for your prayers, both those that perishd and those that scapd. Some wear away in calmes, some are caried away in storms: we come into the world one way, there are many gates to goe out of it. God giue us grace to fit and prepare our selues for that necessity, and to be ready to leaue all when and how so ever he shall call. The prayers of health are most like to be acceptable; sickness may choak our devotions, and we are accepted rather by our life then our death: we have a rule how to lead the one, the other is uncertain, and may come in a moment. God, I hope, will spare you to serve him long, who didst begin early to serve him..... Your self is not impatient, you will haue noe cause to be sad: giue no way unto melancholy, which is purely sadnes without a reasonable cause. .....

RESOLVES.

[FOUND IN ONE OF SIR THOMAS BROWNE'S
COMMONPLACE-BOOKS.]

O be sure that no day pass, without calling upon God in a solemn formed prayer, seven times within the compass thereof; that is, in the morning, and at night, and five times between ; taken up long ago from the example of David and Daniel, and a compunction and shame that I had omitted it so long, when I heedfully read of the custom of the Mahometans to pray five times in the day.

Το pray and magnify God in the night, and my dark bed, when I could not sleep: to have short ejaculations whenever I awaked; and when the four-o'clock bell* awoke me, or my first dis

* A bell which tolls (or ought to toll, if the old sexton does not oversleep himself) in pursuance of the will of a person who, after wandering about for a considerable time on Mousehold

covery of the light, to say the collect of our liturgy, Eternal God, who hath safely brought me to the beginning of this day, &c.

To pray in all places where privacy inviteth; in any house, highway, or street; and to know no street or passage in this city which may not witness that I have not forgot God and my Saviour in it and that no parish or town where I have been may not say the like.

To take occasion of praying upon the sight of any church, which I see or pass by, as I ride about.

Since the necessities of the sick, and unavoidable diversions of my profession, keep me often from church, yet to take all possible care that I might never miss sacraments upon their accustomed days.

To pray daily and particularly for sick patients, and in general for others, wheresoever, howsoever, and under whose care soever; and at the entrance into the house of the sick, to say, The peace and mercy of God be in this place.

Heath, having lost his way in a winter-night's storm, at length was directed to the city by the tolling of a bell in the Church of St. Peter, Mancroft, the residence of Sir Thomas Browne.