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
We are not quite certain whether there is not a tincture of enthusiasm
in this account given by his lordship, as it is too natural to fly
from one extreme to another, from the excesses of debauchery to the
gloom of methodism; but even if we suppose this to have been the case,
he was certainly in the safest extreme; and there is more comfort in
hearing that a man whose life had been so remarkably profligate as
his, should die under such impressions, than quit the world without
one pang for past offences.
The bishop gives an instance of the great alteration of his lordship's
temper and dispositions (from what they were formerly) in his
sickness. 'Whenever he happened to be out of order, either by pain or
sickness, his temper became quite ungovernable, and his passions so
fierce, that his servants were afraid to approach him. But in this
last sickness he was all humility, patience, and resignation. Once he
was a little offended with the delay of a servant, who he thought made
not haste enough, with somewhat he called for, and said in a little
heat, that damn'd fellow.' Soon after, says the Dr. I told him that I
was glad to find his stile so reformed, and that he had so entirely
overcome that ill habit of swearing, only that word of calling any
damned which had returned upon him was not decent; his answer was, 'O
that language of fiends, which was so familiar to me, hangs yet about
me, sure none has deserved more to be damned than I have done; and
after he had humbly asked God pardon for it, he desired me to call the
person to him that he might ask him forgiveness; but I told him that
was needless, for he had said it of one who did not hear it, and so
could not be offended by it. In this disposition of mind, continues
the bishop, all the while I was with him four days together; he was
then brought so low that all hope of recovery was gone. Much purulent
matter came from him with his urine, which he passed always with pain,
but one day with inexpressible torment; yet he bore it decently,
without breaking out into repinings, or impatient complaints. Nature
being at last quite exhausted, and all the floods of life gone, he
died without a groan on the 26th of July 1680, in the 33d year of his
age. A day or two before his death he lay much silent, and seemed
extremely devout in his contemplations; he was frequently observed to
raise his eyes to heaven, and send forth ejaculations to the searcher
of hearts, who saw his penitence, and who, he hoped, would forgive
him.'
Thus died lord Rochester, an amazing instance of the goodness of God,
who permitted him to enjoy time, and inclined his heart to penitence.
As by his life he was suffered to set an example of the most abandoned
dissoluteness to the world; so by his death, he was a lively
demonstration of the fruitlessness of vicious courses, and may be
proposed as an example to all those who are captivated with the charms
of guilty pleasure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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