Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 15.djvu/237

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Donne
231
Donne

the discourse, but no sign of failing powers. Donne gave it the title of 'Death's Duel;' it was not printed till some time after his death, and then it appeared in the usual quarto form, with an extremely brilliant engraving by Martin of the portrait, which he caused to be painted of himself, decked in his shroud as he lay waiting for the last summons. The anonymous editor of the sermon, probably his executor, Bishop Henry King, tells us: 'It hath been observed of this reverend man that his faculty of preaching continually increased, and that as he exceeded others at first so at last he exceeded himself.' This sermon is, like the first impressions of the others, very rarely to be found. Donne lingered on, dying slowly, for some five weeks after he had preached his last sermon, and fell asleep at last on 31 March 1631. He was buried in St. Paul's; he wished that his funeral might be private, but it could not be. He was too dearly and too widely loved and honoured to allow of his being laid in his grave without some of the pomp of sorrow. The affecting testimonies of love and regret which his friends offered when he was gone, and all the touching incidents which Walton has recorded, must be read in that life which stands, and is likely to remain for ever, the masterpiece of English biography. The monument which the generosity of a friend caused to be raised to him, and which represents him, as he had been painted, in his shroud, is almost the only monument that escaped the fury of the great fire of London, and has survived to our day. It may be seen in the crypt of St. Paul's, and has been reverently set up again after having been allowed to remain for two centuries neglected and in fragments.

Donne's funeral certificate, now in the Heralds' College, sets forth that 'he had issue twelve children. Six died without issue, and six now living—two sons and four daughters. John Donne, eldest son, of the age of about twenty-six years; George Donne, second son, aged 25 [he was baptised at Camberwell 9 May 1605], captain and sergeant-major in the expedition at the isle of Rhé, and chief commander of all the forces in the isle of St. Christopher; Constance, eldest daughter, married to Samuel Harvey of Abrey Hatch in the county of Essex; Bridget, second daughter, Margaret, third, and Elizabeth, youngest daughter, all three unmarried.' Concerning John Donne the younger see infra (s.n.); George Donne married, and had a daughter, baptised at Camberwell 22 March 1637-8; Bridget married Thomas Gardiner of Burstowe, son of Sir Thomas Gardiner, knight, of Peckham; Margaret married Sir William Bowles of Camberwell, and was buried in the church porch at Chislehurst 3 Oct. 1679. Of Elizabeth nothing has been discovered.

As no attempt has yet been made to give anything like a bibliographical account of Donne's works, the following may prove useful to collectors. 1. The first work published by Donne was 'Pseudo-Martyr, wherein out of Certain Propositions and Gradations this conclusion is evicted. That those which are of the Romane Religion in this Kingdome may and ought to take the Oath of Allegeance,' London, printed by W. Stansby for Walter Burre, 1610, 4to, pp. 392, with an 'Epistle Dedicatorie to James I,' 4 pp. An 'Advertisement to the Reader,' 3pp. A table of corrections drawn up with unusual care, and 'A Preface to The Priests and Jesuits, and to their Disciples in this Kingdome,' 27 pp. The work as originally planned was to have consisted of fourteen chapters, each dealing with a distinct proposition. Only twelve of these are handled; the last two were left as if for future consideration. The book ends with chapter xii. Each chapter is divided into paragraphs. 2. 'Conclave Ignatii: sive eius in nuperis Inferni comitiis Inthronizatio; Vbi varia de Jesuitarum Indole, de novo inferno creando, de Ecclesia Lunatica instituenda, per Satyram congesta sunt. Accessit & Apologia pro Jesuitis. Omnia Duobus Angelis Adversariis qui Consistorio Papali, & Collegio Sorbonæ præsident dedicata,' 12mo. No printer's name or date. The little book was printed but a short time after the publication of the 'Pseudo-Martyr,' as appears from the address 'Typographus Lectori;' it must be assigned to the date 1610 or 1611. It was reprinted, with the errata corrected, but with one or two slight mistakes left, with some other tracts under the title 'Papismus Regiæ potestatis Eversor,' by Robert Grove, S.T.B., in 1682. Only two copies of the original Latin edition are known to exist; one of these is in the possession of the Rev. T. R. O'fflahertie. Concurrently with the appearance of the Latin original was published 'Ignatius his Conclave; or his Inthronization in a late Election in Hell.…' 12mo, 1611, printed by N. O. It was reissued with a new title in 1626, 'printed by M. F.,' and reprinted by John Marriott in 1634. It does not profess to be a translation. John Donne the younger reprinted it in 1653, pretending that it was a recently discovered work of his father's, and lately translated by Jasper Maine. This was a gratuitous falsehood. He had himself procured the suppression of the 1634 edition as far back as 1637 (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1637-8). 3. 'An