HER HUSRAND DIES.                               19

baptizing with her own hand children in danger to mis¬
carry in the birth, and, which the great St. Denys aver-
reth to be of all divine offices superlative, and most pleas¬
ing to the Highest Majesty, converting souls to the true
faith with success so prosperous that many, above a
hundred, were reconciled by her endeavours. All which
as a pious mother shee took care privately to nourish with
spirituall food abroad, when within her own doors shee
could not do it. After divers years thus spent, like a
Nicodei^us, by night and stealth in the service of God,
it pleas'cl his supreme goodness to visite her husband
with a perilous sickness att London; who fearing it
would, as indeed it did, bring him to the universall
period of morfallity, sent for her with all speed; and shee,
tho' with child, in obedience to his commands, and im¬
pregnated with the grace of that spiritt that knows not
delays, took journey the next day after the receit of his
message, in a winter season, unreasonable for a woman in
those circumstances.

Shee no sooner finish'd that troublesome journey, but
after a short passage of some tender greetings uppon their
first meeting, he desir'd her to procure him a priest,
which presently shee went about with incomparable
alacrity, not pretending any difficulty or weariness, by
her travail brought him that night, who with all the
rites and ceremonies of the Catholick Church prepair'd
him for a happy passage out of this world into the next.
During the time of his extremity, which endur'd a
fortnight, shee neither spared cost in her purse, nor pains
in her body, which was weak, of a tender constitution,
and inclining to a consumption ; nor never came in bed,
but watch'd each night witliout inter vail or rest, but what
shee gott in a chair, being overtoil'd and exigented
thereunto by debility of nature.

In fine, nothing could be expected from a dutifull loving
wife, which shee did not execute for his recovery, with
the whole extent of her power. And when God's merci-
full  hand  made  him   a  generall  acquittance  of those