Mrs. Elizabeth Burnet.

THIS lady was born November 8, in the year 1661. She was the eldest daughter of Sir Richard Blake, and of Elizabeth daughter of Doctor Bathurst, a physician in London, a person of distinguished piety, and among the most considerable men of his profession in his time.

At eleven years old, she began to have a true sense of religion, and read with great application the books that were put into her hands; but was not entirely satisfied with them, aspiring after more solid and sublime sentiments than what she met with in them. On this account it was, that more than ordinary care was taken to make her think meanly of herself, she being bred up in the greatest privacy possible.

When she was but little more than seventeen years of age, she was married to Robert Berkely, grandson of Sir Robert Berkely who was a judge in the reign of Charles the Second. The match between this young gentleman and her was procured principally by the means of Doctor Fell, then Bishop of Oxford, who was Mr. Berkely's guardian, and had taken the care of his education. The bishop thought that the assisting his

friend in that match, was the greatest service he ever performed for him.

When the young lady came into the family, she found her husband's mother a zealous Papist, and a woman of a good life. This put her upon taking particular care to study her own religion in a larger compass, in order to understand the controversies between the Protestants and the Papists, that she might be able to preserve her husband and herself from the artifices and insinuations of the Popish priests, and the influence of his mother, who had great interest in him. But yet, considering the particular turn of her husband's mind, and the great deference she owed to his mother, she found herself obliged to be very tender and careful, that she might not be disturbed with unnecessary disputes about religion; in which, and in her whole management in this respect, there appeared a discretion admired by all who knew her. At the same time, this young lady obliged herself to a more than ordinary strictness in all the offices of piety, and in her whole conduct, that she might adorn her own profession by a suitable practice, constantly governing herself by the rules of true religion, and the severest virtue. Accordingly, living in the country, where she enjoyed much leisure, she spent great part of her time in de

votion and reading. When she was inclined to divert herself with work, she generally had some persons to read to her; and when her poor neighbours came to visit her, which, upon her encouragement, they often did, she would frequently read good books to them herself, that she might instruct them without seeming to take too much upon her. In this manner she lived for six years, being esteemed and loved by all who knew her, even by those who, on account of different opinions in religion, were likely to be most prejudiced against her.

In King James's time, when the fears of Popery began greatly to increase, and Bishop Fell died, who had great influence over Mr. Berkely, to prevent his being wrought upon by his relations at the time they conceived mighty hopes of the Popish religion being settled in the kingdom, Mrs. Berkely prevailed upon her husband to go to Holland; and accordingly they travelled together over the seventeen Provinces. In the Popish provinces, on account of his relations, they met with an unusually kind reception, letters being sent, without their knowledge, to Brussels, Ghent, Liege, and other considerable places, recommending Mrs. Berkely in a very particular manner, as one whose piety and virtue, had she been of the Catholic Church, as they called it, were great

enough to entitle her to the character of a saint. After these journeys, Mr. and Mrs. Berkely fixed at the Hague, where she was soon known, and grew into the esteem and friendship of persons of the highest rank. Here they continued till about the time of the Revolution, when they returned into England, and went to Spetchly, their country-seat. Here Mrs. Berkely went on in the happy course of life she had at first engaged in, making continual increase in knowledge and good works. She had generally some young persons in her family, whom she well improved, both by her instructions and example, so that there was quickly a visible alteration made in them.

Her knowledge and virtue made her every day more and more taken notice of in that country. She contracted an intimate friendship with the eminent Doctor Stillingfleet, Bishop of Worcester, who to his death maintained a high esteem of her; and upon several occasions has been often heard to say, "that he knew not a more considerable woman in England than she was." Thus she continued to live with Mr. Berkely till the year 1693, when it pleased God to remove him from her by death.

In her widowhood, as she had more leisure than in her married state, so she applied it wholly to devotion, to reading, to acts of charity, and

the offices of friendship. Particularly, she took upon her the care of her late husband's Protestant relations, as if they had been her own; and indeed, she was a mother to them all as long as she lived, and showed a great concern and kindness for them at her death. She was also very good and obliging to all the rest of his family.

She had then a very plentiful income, which she managed with great prudence, as well as in a large exercise of charity; and indeed she was uneasy at all other kind of expenses but what went in that way. While she continued at Spetchly, she kept a hospitable table, to which the neighbouring clergy were always welcome. She paid true respect to such of them as were in low circumstances, cordially esteeming them for their functions and labours. She frequently made them presents of the most useful books, and to some she generously lent money, without requiring any security, expecting only to be paid when, by the providence of God, they might be put into more easy circumstances.

Mr. Berkely ordering in his will a great sum of money to be raised out of his estate, to erect a hospital at Worcester for poor people, she had it much at heart to see the design brought to perfection as soon as possible; and it pleased God to continue her life till she saw it accom