THE LIFE OF JOHN DONNE.

MASTER

ASTER JOHN DONNE was born in London, in the year 1573, of good and virtuous parents: and though his own learning and other multiplied merits may justly appear sufficient to dignify both himself and his posterity, yet the reader may be pleased to know, that his father was masculinely and lineally descended from a very ancient family in Wales, where many of his name now live, that deserve and have great reputation in that country.

By his mother he was descended of the family of the famous and learned Sir Thomas Moor', somet.me Lord Chancellor of England; as also from that worthy and laborious Judge Rastall, who left posterity the vast statutes of the law of this nation most exactly abridged.

# Fa'ler'- Charch History, B. x. p. 112.

* Join Rastali, a celebrated printer, married Iz cheth the water of Nr khomas Moor. Willam, their son, w brought up to the bar, and was appointed one of the Justices of the king's Berich in 1558. Upon the demise of Queen Mary, he st y whered to his religion, left England, and spent the realit ka days at Louvain. He published the works of his uncle Sự

He had his first breeding in his father's house, where a private tutor had the care of him, until the tenth year of his age; and in his eleventh year was sent to the University of Oxford; having at that time a good command both of the French and Latin Tongue. This, and some other of his remarkable abilities, made one then give this censure of him; That this age had brought forth another Picus Mirandula"; of whom story says, that he was rather born, than made wise by study.

Thomas Moor in one volume. He also formed a collection of and wrote a comment on the statutes, and a very useful book entituled "Les Termes de la Loy," or " An Explication of certain “difficult and obscure Words and Terms of the common Laws ❝ and Statutes of this realm now in use." The author of several tracts against Bishop Jewell was John Rastall, who left the Church of England, in which he had been ordained priest, went to Rome, and with this his kinsman was admitted into the society of Jesus.

Pices Prince of Mirandula, a duchy in Italy, was born in 1463, and having resigned his sovereignty in favour of his nephew, he died in 1494. He is said to have made so wonderful a progress in study, as to understand twenty-two languages at the age of eighteen years, and at the age of twenty-four years to dispute with great success, de omni scibili. “ Picus Mirandula “ 32 ætatis anno quo obuit omni disciplinarum genere non modò "tinctus, sed plane imbutus erat, ut Encyclopadiam Scientiarum "jure sila vindicare potuerit, longiore vità plane dignissimus “princeps" (Scaligeriana.)—He was honoured with this pompous Epitaph,

"Hie situs est Picus Mirandula: cætera norunt

"Et Tagus et Ganges, forsan et Antipodes."

On

There he remained some years in Hart-Hall', having, for the advancement of his studies, tutors of several sciences to attend and instruct him, till time made him capable, and his learning, expressed in public exercises, declared him worthy to receive his first degree in the schools, which he forbore by advice from his friends, who being for their religion of the Romish persuasion, were conscionably averse to some parts of the oath that is always tendered at those times, and not to be refused by those that expect the titulary honour of their studies.

About the fourteenth year of his age, he was transplanted from Oxford to Cambridge; where,

On which it has been justly remarked, that "his name, then " celebrated in the remotest corners of the earth, is now almost "forgotten, and his works then studied, admired, and applauded,

are now mouldering in obscurity." (Dr. Johnson's Works, end 2. p. 275.)-The life of this prodigy of learning, written with great elegance of language by John Francis Price of Maranxiula, is inserted in Bates's I itær selectorum, &c. p. 90.

He continued for three years at Hart-H 1, which was so * led from Is de Hertford, who lived in the tenth year of - Edward the First, An. Dom. 1282. In 1. 12 it changed its mune to Stapledon Hall, but upon the settlement of Exeter • Coi ege it ret iri ed to its former appellation." (La Nove, j———— In 1740 it was by a royal charter erected into a college by the name of “ Hertford College in the University of Oxford," to conmost of a Principal, four senior, and eight junior Fellows,

To Trinity College in Cambridge, where he was fellow papai with Mr. Sanuel Brook, who succeeded Dr. I conard Maw

that he might receive nourishment from both soils, he stayed till his seventeenth year; all which time he was a most laborious student, often changing his studies, but endeavouring to take no degree, for the reasons formerly mentioned.

About the seventeenth year of his age, he was removed to London, and then admitted into Lincoln's Inn, with an intent to study the law; where he gave great testimonies of his wit, his learning, and of his improvement in that profession: which never served him for other use than an ornament and self-satisfaction.

His father died before his admission into the society; and being a merchant, left him his portion in money. (It was 30007.) His mother and those to whose care he was committed, were watchful to improve his knowledge, and to that end appointed him tutors both in the mathematics, and in all the other liberal sciences, to attend him. But with these arts they were advised to instil into him particular principles of the Romish Church ; of which those tutors profest (though secretly) themselves to be members.

They had almost obliged him to their faith; having for their advantage, besides many opportu

in the mastership of that college.—" And now, like a laborious bee, desirous to gather from more flowers than one, he was translated from Oxford to Cambridge, our other renowned "nursery of learning, where he much improved his studies."

(Wanatanicy's English Worthies, p. 398.)

nities, the example of his dear and pious parents, which was a most powerful persuasion, and did work much upon him, as he professeth in his preface to his Pseudo-Martyr'; a book of which the reader shall have some account in what follows.

He was now entered into the eighteenth year of his age; and at that time had betrothed himself to no religion that might give him any other denomination than a Christian. And reason, and piety had both persuaded him, that there could be no such sin as Schism, if an adherence to some visible church were not necessary.

About the nineteenth year of his age; he being then unresolved what religion to adhere to, and considering how much it concerned his soul to choose the most orthodox, did therefore (though his youth and health promised him a long life), to rectify all scruples that might concern that, presently lay aside all study of the law, and of all other sciences that might give him a denomination;

"I had a longer work to do than many other men: for I was first to blot out certaine impressions of the Romane religion " and to wrestle both against the examples and against the reasons, by which some hold was taken, and some anticipations early “lay de upon my conscience, both by persons who by nature had " a power and superiority over my will, and others who by their * learning and good life seemed to me justly to claime an in"terest for the guiding and rectifying of mine understanding in * these matters." (Preface to the Pseudo-Martyr ; which is pronounced by Mr. Granger in his Biographical History, vol. I. p. 357, to be the most valuable of Donne's prose writings.)