sons stood, their qualities, their incomes, their dependencies, must be considered, necessary and emergent occasions inevitably occurring." On her insisting on a more particular answer as to herself, what would be fit and becoming her to do, the minister, who was no stranger to her circumstances, suggested, "that a seventh part, he supposed, would be a fit proportion of her substance for charitable uses. Before he could assign his reasons, she replied, "that she would never give less than the third part." Accordingly she kept her resolution to the full, and with advantage, laying aside constantly that proportion for charity, and even sometimes borrowing from the other proportions to add to it, but never making free with that to serve her own occasions, though sometimes pressing enough.

When she came to the possession of the very large estate her lord bequeathed her for her life, she in good measure realized what a great person was reported to say, "That the Earl of Warwick had given all his estate to pious uses;" intending, that, by giving it to his countess, it would be converted to these purposes. All the satisfaction, as she declared, that she took in such large possessions being put into her hands, was the opportunity they afforded her of doing good; and she averred that she would not ac

cept of, or be encumbered with, the greatest estate in England, if it should be offered her, were it clogged with this condition, that she was not to do good to others with it.

Such was the amiable and exemplary life of the Countess of Warwick. It remains that some account be given of her death.

This excellent lady was far from being among their number, whose consciences are such bad and unquiet company that they hate solitude, and dare not be alone; for she loved retirement, and found in it her greatest satisfaction; though when she was called from it, she would deny her particular inclination, to comply with a duty of pressing necessity or of larger extent. Thus she cheerfully sustained the hurry of business, which was inevitable, in discharging herself of the trust reposed in her by her lord's last will.

But never did bird more joyfully clap its wings when disentangled from a net, or delivered from the prison of its cage, than she solaced herself upon her withdrawment from the bustle and crowd of terrene concerns. And when her dearest sister was, in the beginning of the winter before she died, about to leave her, she took her farewell of her in these words: "Now I have done my drudgery," (intending her attention to worldly affairs,) "I will set to the renewVOL. I.-7

ing my preparations for eternity;" and accordingly, she made it the repeated business of the following winter.

In the beginning of March, 1678, she set to the making of her will anew, and signed and sealed it on the twelfth day of the same month; and on the Tuesday, March 26, was taken with some indisposition, loss of appetite, and aguish distemper, and had four or five fits, which yet, in that season, were judged, both by her physicians and friends, more beneficial to her health, than threatening to her life. She continued afterwards free from her fits till Friday the twelfth of April; on which day she rose in tolerable strength, and after sitting up some time, being laid upon her bed, she discoursed cheerfully and piously. One of the last sentences she spoke, having turned back the curtain with her hand, was this most friendly and Divine one: "Well, ladies, if I were one hour in heaven, I would not be again with you, as much as I love you."

Having then received a kind visit from a neighbouring lady, at her departure she rose from her bed to her chair; in which being set, she said she would go into her bed, but first would desire one of the ministers then in the house to pray with her; and asking the company which they would have presently resolved

herself to have him who was going away, because the other would stay and pray with her daily. He was immediately sent to, and came. Her ladyship, sitting in her chair on account of her weakness, (for otherwise she always kneeled,) and holding an orange in her hand, to which she smelt, almost in the beginning of the prayer was heard to fetch a sigh, or groan, which was esteemed devotional; but a gentlewoman who kneeled by her, looking up, saw her look pale, and her hand hang down; at which she started up affrighted, and all applied themselves to assist her ladyship, the minister catching hold of her right hand, which had then lost its pulse, nor ever recovered it more.

Thus died, in the fifty-fourth year of her age, this right honourable lady, this most eminent pattern of zeal for the glory of God and charity for the good of men! She died in the actual exercise of prayer, according to her own desire; for there were many that could witness that they had often heard her say, That if she might choose the manner and circumstances of her death, she would die praying.

Lady Rachel Russell.

LADY RACHEL WRIOTHESLEY was born about the year 1636, and was the daughter of Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton.

It is an event which can never be forgotten, that the husband of this lady, William, Lord Russell, was beheaded July 21, 1683. He was a most worthy man, a true friend to the liberties of his country, undeserving of his bitter treatment, and with an invincible fortitude met his cruel doom.

We are not furnished with any considerable materials for our memoirs of her before the dismal period of her illustrious husband's sufferings. At this juncture, she conducted herself with a mixture of the most tender affection and the most surprising magnanimity. She appeared in court at the trial of her husband; and when the attorney-general told him, "he might use the hands of one of his servants in waiting to take notes of the evidence for his use," Lord Russell answered, "That he asked none, but that of the lady that sat by him." The spectators at these words turning their eyes, and beholding the daughter of the virtuous Southamp