Now have I done; now are my thoughts at peace;
And now my Joyes are stronger than my grief:
I feel those Comforts, that shall never cease,
Future in Hope, but present in Belief:

[35] Thy words are true, thy promises are just,

And thou wilt find thy dearly bought in Dust.
H. WOTTON.

[VARIATIONS in the copy printed by Sir E. Brydges. 3.‘Infolds'-' restless story'-. 4. 'the proudest'—. 6. ‘The world's contracted sun'-. 8. 'What are our vaunts?'. 11. 'receive more inward light'-. The third stanza is omitted altogether.— 19. 'pure notes'-. 24. 'That none but thine'—. 25. ‘Therefore, my soul'. 26. 'That Christ'-. 31. 'joys at peace'. 34. 'Future in hopes, but present in relief'. 36. And thou wilt know thy marked flock in dust'. In Rel. Wotton. ed. 1651 and 1654, line 11 is, 'Only our Souls was left an inward Light'—. The signature is varied in all three editions; "HEN. WOTTON." ed. 1651. "H. W." ed. 1654.]

[INTRODUCED by Mr. Campbell (Specimens, p. 158, second ed.) with the following title and remark: "A Meditation. From Sanscroft's Collection. (Mr. Malone, from whose handwriting I copy this, says, 'not, I think, printed.")" This is a singular oversight; for the verses are in every edit. of Rel. Wotton.; and though they are arranged among the letters, they immediately precede the "Poems" in the first edition, and in the second and third, only a few pages intervene. They had been reprinted in Biogr. Brit. (vi. 4351), in Zouch's edit. of Walton's Lives (p. 187, ed. 1796), and elsewhere.

They were enclosed in the following letter to Izaak Wal

66

'Since I last saw you, I have been confined to my Chamber by a quotidian Fever,—I thank God, of more contumacy than malignity. It had once left me, as I thought;

E

but it was only to fetch more company, returning with a surcrew of those splenetick Vapours that are called Hypochondriacal; of which, most say, the Cure is good Company; and I desire no better Physician than your self. I have in one of those fits endeavoured to make it more easie by composing a short Hymn: and since I have apparelled my best Thoughts so lightly as in Verse, I hope I shall be pardoned a second vanity, if I communicate it with such a Friend as your self; to whom I wish a chearful Spirit, and a thankful heart to value it, as one of the greatest Blessings of our good God; in whose dear love I leave you, remaining

Your poor Friend to serve you,

H. WOTTON."

This letter has no date; and the one which precedes it in Rel. Wotton. could not be written till after Feb. 6: 1638-9:* but I think there is a little evidence to shew that the letter containing the verses was written nearly a year before that time; for the expressions in the following extract so closely resemble those quoted above, that they can scarcely relate to any other poem; "I send you a few poor Lines, which my pains did beget: I pray keep them under your own favorable Judgment, and impart them tenderly to others; for I fear that even the best of our thoughts may be vainly clothed." (Rel. Wotton. p. 376.) This other letter is undated, like the former; but Wotton observes in it, that Sir Thomas Roe was "to take his leave on Sunday next at Court," in order to go to Hamburgh; and Garrard mentions his departure in a letter dated May 10: 1638: (Strafforde Letters, ii. 167.)

The Variations are from four copies of the piece; viz. A =Sancroft's,-MS. Tann. 465. p. 137.-B=MS. Rawl. Poet. 147. p. 101.-C=MS. Ashm. 38. No. 172.—D=

See Nicolas's Life of Walton, p. xiii. and Biogr. Not. of Bp. Henry King, 1843, p. xxxii.

Campbell's copy, as above. It will be seen, that Malone's transcript does not exactly agree with any of the MSS. The title which he gives it is taken from the Rawl. MS.]

[5]

H thou great Power! in whom I move,
For whom I Live, to whom I Die,
Behold me through thy beams of Love,
Whilst on this Couch of Tears I lie;
And cleanse my sordid Soul within
By thy Christs Blood, the Bath of Sin.

No hallowed Oyls, no grains I need,
No Rags of Saints, no purging Fire;
One Rosie drop from David's Seed
[10] Was Worlds of Seas to quench thine Ire.
O precious Ransome! which once paid,
That Consummatum est was said;

And said by him that said no more,
But seal'd it with his Sacred Breath :
[15] Thou, then, that hast dispong'd my Score,
And dying wast the Death of Death,

Be to me now, on Thee I call,

My Life, my Strength, my Joy, my All!

H. WOTTON.

[VARIATIONS.-1.' wee move'-A B C D.-2. By whom wee live, to whom wee die'-A B C D.-4. While in'—A C.-7. 'no gums I need'-D.-8. 'No new-borne drams of'—B D.—13. 'who said no more'-A C.-15. wch hast'-A. 'who hast'-C. 'that hast dispurged our score'-D. 'our score' also in A B C. -16. 'wert'-A B C D.-17. 'Bee now, while on thy name wee call' A C. So also B D, except 'whilst on'-18. Our life, our Strength, our Joy, our All.'-A B C D.]