"You shall receive, my dear wife, my last words, in these my last lines. My love I send you, that you may keep when I am dead; and my counsel, that you may remember it when I am no more. I would not, with my will, present you sorrows, dear Bess; let them go to the grave with me, and be buried in the dust: and, seeing that it is not the will of God that I shall see you any more, bear my destruction patiently, and with a heart like yourself. First, I send you all the thanks which my heart can conceive, or my words express, for your many travails and cares for me; which, though they have not taken effect as you wished, yet my debt to you is not the less; but pay it I never shall in this world. Secondly, I beseech you, for the love you bear me living, that you do not hide yourself many days; but by your travails seek to help my miserable fortunes, and the right of your poor child: your mourning cannot avail me, who am but dust. Thirdly, you shall understand, that my lands were conveyed, _bona fide_, to my child; the writings were drawn at Midsummer was at twelvemonth, as divers can witness: and I trust my blood will quench their malice who desired my slaughter, that they will not seek to kill you and yours with extreme poverty. To what friend to direct you, I know not, for all mine have left me, in the true time of trial: most sorry am I, that, being surprised by death, I can leave you no better estate: God hath prevented all my determinations, that great God, which worketh all in all. If you can live free from want, care for no more, for the rest is but a vanity. Love God, and begin betimes; in Him shall you find true, everlasting, and endless comfort: when you have travailed and wearied yourself with all sorts of worldly cogitations, shall you sit down by sorrow in the end. Teach your son also to serve and fear God, whilst he is young, that the fear of God may grow up in him; then will God be a husband to you, and a father to him; a husband and a father that can never be taken from you. Dear wife, I beseech you, for my soul's sake, pay all poor men. When I am dead, no doubt but you will be much sought unto, for the world thinks I was very rich. Have a care of the fair pretences of men; for no greater misery can befal you in this life, than to become a prey unto the world, and afterwards to be despised. As for me, I am no more yours, nor you mine: death has cut us asunder, and God hath divided me from the world, and you from me. Remember your poor child, for his father's sake, who loved you in his happiest estate. I sued for my life, but God knows, it was for you and yours that I desired it: for know it, my dear wife, your child is the child of a true man, who in his own respect