The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume II.Cibber, Theophilus
History
The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume II.
Cibber, Theophilus
Poets, English -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Poets, Irish -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
"When he went to sea in the year 1665, there happened to be in the
same ship with him, Mr. Montague, and another gentleman of quality;
these two, the former especially, seemed persuaded that they mould
never return into England. Mr. Montague said, he was sure of it; the
other was not so positive. The earl of Rochester and the last of these
entered into a formal engagement, not without ceremonies of religion,
that if either of them died, he should appear and give the other
notice of the future state, if there was any. But Mr. Montague would
not enter into the bond. When the Day came that they thought to have
taken the Dutch fleet in the port of Bergen, Mr. Montague, tho' he had
such a strong presage in his mind of his approaching death, yet he
bravely stayed all the while in the place of the greatest danger. The
other gentleman signalized his courage in the most undaunted manner,
till near the end of the action; when he fell on a sudden into such a
trembling, that he could scarce stand: and Mr. Montague going to him
to hold him up, as they were in each other; arms, a cannon ball
carried away Mr. Montague's belly, so that he expired in an hour
after."
The earl of Rochester told Dr. Burnet, that these presages they had in
their minds, made some impression on him that there were separate
beings; and that the soul either by a natural sagacity, or some secret
notice communicated to it, had a sort of divination. But this
gentleman's never appearing was a snare to him during the rest of his
life: Though when he mentioned this, he could not but acknowledge, it
was an unreasonable thing for him to think that beings in another
state were not under such laws and limits that they could not command
their motion, but as the supreme power should order them; and that one
who had so corrupted the natural principles of truth as he had, had no
reason to expect that miracles should be wrought for his conviction.
He told Dr. Burnet another odd presage of approaching death, in lady
Ware, his mother-in-law's family. The chaplain had dreamed that such a
day he should die; but being by all the family laughed out of the
belief of it, he had almost forgot it, till the evening before at
supper; there being thirteen at table, according to an old conceit
that one of the family must soon die; one of the young ladies pointed
to him, that he was the person. Upon this the chaplain recalling to
mind his dream, fell into some disorder, and the lady Ware reproving
him for his superstition, he said, he was confident he was to die
before morning; but he being in perfect health, it was not much
minded. It was saturday night, and he was to preach next day. He went
to his chamber and set up late as it appeared by the burning of his
candle; and he had been preparing his notes for his sermon, but was
found dead in his bed next morning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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