friend is gone to her account." Hereupon she hurried me
through the same passages by which we had come, and bidding me God-speed
at the hidden door of my chamber, told me to keep what I had seen a
secret from all men, yea, if possible, to forget it myself, as there
might be danger in having it spread abroad.

Tormented with many thoughts, and uneasy at the great risk I ran of
bringing guilt on my own soul by having made sponsorial promises which I
could not execute, I rested but indifferently that night. The next day I
pursued my journey home in the manner I had proposed, and was glad to
avoid the chance of being interrogated by Mr Waller as to what had
occurred. In a short time my good constitution and home restored me to
my former strength, and the memory of that strange incident grew more
faint as other things came to pass which made deeper impressions on my
heart and mind. Among these is not to be forgotten the death of my
father, which happened on the 14th of June in the following year,
_videlicet_ 1673; and the goodness of the lord bishop of Oxford in
giving me priests' orders on my college Demyship, whereby I was enabled
to present myself to this living, and hold it, having at that time
attained the canonical age. My courtship also and marriage, which befell
in the year 1674, had great effect in obliterating past transactions. I
was married on Thursday, the 24th day of June.

* * * * *

(Here several pages are omitted as irrelevant, containing family
incidents for some years.)

Howbeit things did not prosper with us so much as we did expect; for the
payers of tithes were a stiff-necked generation, as were the Jews of
old, and withheld their offerings from the priest at the very time when
Providence sent a plentiful supply of mouths to which the offerings
would have been of use. Charles was our only son, and was now in his
third year--the two girls, Henrietta and Sophia, were six and seven--my
eldest girl was nine years past, and I had named her, in commemoration
of my father's ancient friend, by the prenomen of Waller. It hath been
remarked by many wise men of old, and also by our present good bishop,
that industry and honesty are the two Herculeses that will push the
heaviest waggon through the mire; and more particularly so, if the
waggoner aids also by putting his shoulder to the wheel. And easy was it
to see, that the wheel of the domestic plaustrum--wherein, after the
manne