A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Burnett, (Elizabeth)
At eleven years of age she began to have a true sense of religion, and read, with great application, the books that were put into her hand; but was not quite satisfied, aspiring after more solid and sublime notions than what she found in them. On this account, more than ordinary care was taken to make her think meanly of herself, she being bred up in the greatest privacy possible.
At little more than seventeen, she was married to Robert Berkley, of Spetchley, in the county of Worcester, Esq; grandson of Sir Robert Berkley, who was a judge in the time of king Charles I. This match was procured chiefly by the means of doctor Fell, lord bishop of Oxford, who was that gentleman's guardian, and had taken care of his education. That great prelate, so famous for his piety and learning, thought the forwarding this match the greatest service he ever rendered his pupil.
When she came into Mr. Berkley's family, she found that gentleman's mother, who had great interest with him, a pious woman, but a zealous Papist. This induced her to study her own religion more, in order to understand the controversies between it and the church of Rome. But, considering the particular turn of his mind, and the great deference he paid to his mother, she found herself obliged to be very tender and careful, that he might not be disturbed with unnecessary disputes about religion, in which, and in her whole management in this respect, she shewed admirable discretion.
At the same time, she obliged herself to more than ordinary strictness in her whole conduct, that she might adorn her own profession by a suitable practice; and, living in the country, where she had much leisure, she spent great part of her time in devotion and reading; and, when she would divert herself with work, she generally had some person to read to her. When her poor neighbours came to visit her (which, encouraged by her, they often did), that she might instruct them without seeming to take too much upon her, she would frequently read good books to them.
In this manner she lived for six years, esteemed even by those, who, on account of different opinions in religion, were likely to be prejudiced against her.
In king James's time, on the death of bishop Fell, who had great influence over Mr. Berkley, and visited him once a year, to prevent his being wrought upon by his relations, at a time when they had hopes of seeing their religion established by law, she prevailed with him to go to Holland, and travelled with him over the seventeen provinces, where, on account of his relations, they met with an unusual kind reception; letters being sent, without their knowledge, to Brussels, Ghent, Liege, and other considerable places, recommending Mrs. Berkley in a very particular manner, as one who, had she been of the catholic church, would have deserved the title of saint.
After this, they were both fixed at the Hague, where she was soon known, and acquired the friendship of persons of the highest rank, till about the time of the revolution, when they returned into England, and retired to Spetchley, his country seat.
Her knowledge and virtue made her, everyday, more acquaintance in that country. She contracted an intimate friendship with doctor Stillingfleet, bishop of Worcester, who said, upon several occasions, that he knew not a more considerable woman in England. Nor was she less esteemed by many other excellent persons. Mr. Berkley dying in the year 1693, she applied herself wholly to devotion, reading, 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, providing for them, even at her death, and was also very kind and obliging to all the rest of his family.
While she continued at Spetchley, she kept an hospitable table, to which the neighbouring clergy were always welcome. She paid true respect to those who were in low circumstances, heartily esteeming them for the sake of their functions and labours. She frequently made them presents of the most useful books, and to some generously lent money, expecting only to be paid when, by the providence of God, they might be put into more easy circumstances.
Mr. Berkley ordering, in his will, a great sum of money to be raised out of his estate, to erect an hospital at Worcester for poor people; she had it much at heart to see his plan brought to perfection. Besides the care of this, she took upon her several charges in relation to his affairs, more than the law required, in the payment of debts and legacies; and continued still one eminent instance of charity, which is now spread almost all over England; the setting up schools for the "instruction and education of poor children" which she afterwards increased to a much greater number.
She had early an inclination to employ her pen in several sorts of compositions, in which she was encouraged by the approbation of her friends: and while she was a widow, made the first draught of a Method of Devotion, for her own use only; consisting of such rules and directions as she resolved to conduct herself by, and which, indeed, had been all along the measure of her practice. The original manuscript was lately in the library of that celebrated antiquary, Mr. Ralph le Thoresby, of Leeds, who, in the catalogue of his MSS. gives the following account of it: "Rules for the Lord's day; days of humiliation and fasting, public and private; concerning the Lord's Supper; Christmas meditations; upon death, &c.—This is the original; writ by the ingenious and pious author, Mrs. Elizabeth Burnet. In this are also a soliloquy upon her ladyship's return to her closet at Salisbury, April 9, 1703; and, a prayer for my lord bishop, her husband, whose acceptable present it was."
She continued a widow near seven years, and then married the Rev. Gilbert (Burnet) lord bishop of Salisbury, where she found a family of children, whom she treated not with a false indulgence; hut with the care and true concern of a real mother, and was loved and respected by them as if she had been so in reality; of which the bishop was so sensible, that he, by his will then made, left them entirely under her care and authority; and judging rightly, that she brought blessing and happiness enough into his family, by bringing herself into it, desired to secure all her own estate and income to herself, with a power of making such a will as she pleased, to which he bound himself to consent. Thus she continued mistress of all that was her own; but allowed to him, for her expenditure, a sum not exceeding the rate of a boarding house, that so she might have more for charitable purposes; an allowance which the bishop accepted of, though he was desirous, and often told her so, that nothing should be deducted on that account. She was uneasy at using even a fifth part of her income for herself; seldom going beyond, often within it. The number of children taught at her expence, in and about Worcester and Salisbury, were above an hundred.
Notwithstanding the interruptions which a more general acquaintance gave her, she spent as much time as she could, in writing upon divine and moral subjects, and was prevailed upon to consent to printing the first edition of the Method of Devotion. This being very much approved of by many of her friends, she thought she could make it more useful by adding a great deal to it out of many other papers she had by her; and accordingly printed a second edition of it at her own expence, which she disposed of amongst those whom she thought most likely to be profited by it.
She had no skill in the learned languages; but having made the scriptures her chief study, by the help of English commentators, and the clergy, with whom she frequently conversed, she attained a great degree of knowledge in them. Though her mind was naturally inquisitive, her apprehensions quick, and her judgment solid, she confined her inquiries to a few things. Therefore, when she had made some progress, both in geometry and philosophy, she laid these studies aside, though she had both a genius and a relish for them. Her chief care was to govern her passions, to subdue her affections, and to obtain an entire resignation and conformity to the will of God. She was constant in reading the scriptures daily. She used to say, that as to the practical parts, the reading them with a spirit of humility and simplicity of heart, together with earnest prayer to understand the will of our heavenly Father, was the best way to know whether any doctrine was of God, or not.
In her general discourse, she suited herself to the company she was in, as far as was consistent with the rules of propriety and charity. She was generally cheerful, but set a most strict guard over her lips, without seeming to do so. Her design, indeed, was to render a strictness in religion as agreeable as possible, and to show that it did not take away that ease and freedom which is the life of conversation.
Nobody despised more the pomps of the world, yet she conformed to the apparel and way of life, which was suitable to her rank, without affecting singularity in any thing.
Her constitution was always very tender; but in the year 1707, it declined so fast, that she was advised to go to Spa, for the recovery of her health. By this means she retrieved it a little while; but in January, 1707, fell sick of a pleuritic fever, which proved fatal; but she shewed all along a full resignation of mind to the will of God, and a patient enduring of pain. After her voice quite failed her, as things were spoken in her hearing, she shewed, by the lifting up of her hands, and other signs, in what a happy calm she then possessed her soul; how easy and comfortable her passage was, and how earnestly she recommended the practice of true religion to all about her. She was buried at Spetchley, by the side of her former husband, agreeable to a promise she had made him.