to Nature, he may, perhaps, be to fome an Example therein. For his Diet, it was ra ther plentiful and liberal, as his Stomach would bear, than low or reftrained ; which he elsewhere commended in his Hiftory of Life and Death. In his younger Years he fed chiefly upon the finer and lighter Meats (as Fowls, and the like) but, upon fur ther Experience, he approv'd rather the ftronger Meats, fuch as the Shambles afford; as thofe Meats which bred the ftronger and more folid, and (to ufe his own Words) the lefs diffipable Juices of the Body; and would often eat nothing elfe, though there were other Dishes upon the Table. You may be fure he would by no means neglect that himself, which you find fo much extol'd in his Writings; that is, the frequent ufe of Nitre, whereof he took the Quantity of about three Grains, in thin, warın Broth, every Morning, for thirty Years, more or less, next before his Death. As for Medicine, it is true, that he lived Medicinally, but not Miferably, for he conftantly took half a Dram, and no . more, of Rhubarb, infufed in a Draught of White-Wine and Beer mingled together, for the space of half an Hour, once in fix or feven Days: And that a little before Meat (whether Dinner, or Supper) that it might dry the Body the lefs; which (as himfeif afferted) carried away frequently the groffer Humours of the Body, without causing the

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Spirits

Spirits to exhale, which repeated Sweatings do. And for other Phyfick, (whatsoever hath been commonly faid) he ufed none, The Receipt for the Gout, which himself was the Author of, and which, upon frequent Experience, eafed his Pain within two Hours, is extant in the End of the Natural Hiftory.

It may feem that the Moon had fome principal Place in the Figure of his Nativity, For as often as the Moon was eclipfed, he waş feiz'd with a fudden Fit of Fainting and that tho' he had no previous Knowledge of the Lunar Defect: And the Eclipfe no fooner ceas'd, but he recover'd, and came to himself again.

He died on the 19th Day of April, in the Year 1626, early in the Morning of the Day celebrated for our Saviour's Refurrection, in the 66th Year of his Age, at the Earl of Arundel's Houfe, in High-Gate, near London ; to which Place he cafually repaired eight Days before, for Diverfion, and not with defign to ftay; God fo ordaining, that he should dye there of a gentle Fever, accompanied with a violent Defluxion, whereby the Rheum fell fo plentifully upon his Breaft, that he dyed by Suffocation. He was buried in St. Michael's Church, at St. Albans, the Place appointed for his Burial by his laft Will and Teftament, both because the Body of his Mother was inter'd there;

and

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and because it was the only Church remaining from the Ruins of old Verulam. Where he hath a noble Monument of White Mar ble erected for him (by the Care and Gratitude of Sir Thomas Meautys, Kt. his Executor, and formerly his Lordship's Secretary, and afterwards Clark of the Privy-Council, under two Kings representing his Effigies fitting in a Chair, and ftudying; together with an Epitaph compofed out of Love and Admiration, by that accomplish'd Gentleman, and bright Wit, Sir Henry Wotton.

But how foever his Body, which he depofited, was mortal, yet his Works and Memory will undoubtedly live, and endure as long as the World endures. In order to which, I have thought good (according to my poor Ability) to make this Collection, fuch as it is, by way of contributing (after a fort) to the propagating of his Name to Pofterity.

The

December 23. 1710. No. 267.

The TATLER,

Qui genus humanum ingenio fuperavit, et omnes Reftinxit fellas, exortus uti Ethereus Sol. Lucr.

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Have heard, that it is a Rule among the Conventuals of feveral Orders in the Romish Church, to fhut themfelves up at a certain Time of the Year, not only from the World in general, but from the Members of their own Fraternity, and to pafs away fe veral Days by themfelves, in fettling Accounts between their Maker and their own Souls, in cancelling unrepented Crimes, and renewing their Contracts of Obedience for the future. Such ftated Times for particular Acts of Devotion, or the exercife of certain religious Duties, have been enjoin'd in all civil Government, whatever Deity they worshipped, or whatever Religion they profeffed. That which may be done at all Times, is often totally neglected and for

gotten,

gotten, unless fixed and determined to fome Time more than another; and therefore, tho' feveral Duties may be fuitable to every Day of our Lives, they are moft likely to be perform'd, if fome Days are more particularly fet apart for the Practice of them. Our

Church has accordingly inftituted feveral Seafons of Devotion, when Time, Custom, Prefcription, aud (if I may fo fay) the Fa fhion it felf, call upon a Man to be ferious and attentive to the great End of his Being.

I have hinted in fome former Papers, that the greateft and wifeft of Men in all Ages and Countries, particularly in Rome and Greece, were renowned for their Piety and Virtue. It is now my Intention to fhow how those in our own Nation, that have been unquestionably the most eminent for Learning and Knowledge, were likewife the moft eminent for their adherence to the Religion of their Country.

I might produce very fhining Examples among the Clergy; but because Prieftcraft is the common Cry of every cavilling, empty Scribbler, I fhall fhew, that all the Laymen who have exerted a more than ordinary Genius in their Writings, and were the Glory of their Times, were Men whofe Hopes were filled with Immortality, and the Profpect of future Rewards, and Men who lived in a dutiful Submiffion to all the Dotrines of Revealed Religion.

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