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Octob. the 4th 1622. almost ad midnight.
SIR,
ALL our moralities are but our out∣works, our Christianity is our Citadel; a man who considers duty but the dignity of his being a man, is not easily beat from his outworks, but from his Christianity never; and therefore I dare trust you, who contemplates them both. Every distem∣per of the body now, is complicated with the spleen, and when we were young men
we scarce ever heard of the spleen. In our declinations now, every accident is accom∣panied with heavy clouds of melancholy; and in our youth we never admitted any. It is the spleen of the minde, and we are affe∣cted with vapors from thence; yet truly, even this sadnesse that overtakes us, and this yeelding to the sadnesse, is not so vehement a poison (though it be no Physick neither) as those false waies, in which we sought our comforts in our looser daies. You are able to make rules to your self, and our B. Saviour continue to you an ability to keep within those rules. And this particu∣lar occasion of your present sadnesse must be helped by the rule, for, for examples you will scarce finde any, scarce any that is not encombred and distressed in his fortunes. I had locked my self, sealed and secured my self against all possibilities of falling into new debts, and in good faith, this year hath thrown me 400l lower then when I entred this house. I am a Father as well as you, and of children (I humbly thank God) of
as good dispositions; and in saying so, I make account that I have taken my com∣parison as high as I could goe; for in good faith, I beleeve yours to be so: but as those my daughters (who are capable of such considerations) cannot but see my desire to accommodate them in this world, so I think they will not murmure if heaven must be their Nunnery, and they associated to the B. virgins there: I know they would be content to passe their lives in a Prison, rather then I should macerate my self for them, much more to suffer the mediocrity of my house, and my means, though that cannot preferre them: yours are such too, and it need not that patience, for your for∣tune doth not so farre exercise their pati∣ence. But to leave all in Gods hands, from whose hands nothing can be wrung by whining but by praying, nor by pray∣ing without the Fiat voluntas tua. Sir, you are used to my hand, and, I think have lei∣sure to spend some time in picking out sense, in ragges; else I had written lesse, and
in longer time. Here is room for an Amen; the prayer—so I am going to my bedside to make for all you and all yours, with
Your true friend and servant in Chr. Jesus J. Donne.