Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-12-08

lCcltnued.l
Friday, 14h.-The Room of the weak and
crippled Esther is like to prove more goodly
refuge to me than the great Rock Shadow of
Mother Lakes Wisdom and Strength. Work
ing in my garden-the dear old garden at
Ryal-side, / often used to note the different
perfume of the flowers and sweet herbs, and,
specially. how some did seem to affect the
neighborhood of others, reaching out toward
them, and seeming to gain strength and vigor
from the contact, while others, of seemingly
like Nature, would droop and die; and some
times fancy that the like is true of People :;
that they, too, do clothe themselves with a
kind of spiritual atmosphere which witnesseth
more truly of what they are than the most
sunningly devised Speech; and the atmosphere
of Esther's room is Peace,-not the stupid
Content of the Dullard, but the Peace which
is born of that Faith that hopeh all things and
endaTeth all things, in the perfect assurance that
what we "know not noD, zoe shall knoV hereafter"
like this atmosphere; to my restless, unquiet
spirit, it is as the quiet of a balmy summer
Night, and pass many hours in her ROOM
not in gossip, for she afecteth not that and
her speech at all times comes slowly but she
has goodly number of Books, -more than it
seems, a woman should know what to do with ;
and, while she pores over them, l, being
neither wise nor learned, do study her face,
which is of much pleasanter aspect than the
black, grabbed letters, and doth often make
plain to me some of the hard sayings of the
Scriptures, specially that of the Apostle, "per-
feet through suffering"
She much affecteth the Latin Historians and
polemical writers and reads with equal pleas
ure, Erasmus and Zwingus, Livy and Taci-
tus. Not seldom, she reads aloud for my edi-
tication; but between my natural dullness and
poor scholarship, | find it hard to keep the
thread Of the discourse, specially of the polem-
les With the Historians get on better, for
often there is speech of some great Deed or
Thought,-some story of a noble Life, and 1
seem to see it all before me,-even the red
blood throbbing in the veins and flushing the
faces of the Doors.
Tuesday 17M.-To day my husband came
from Carsthwaite and with him came that
very learned man of Law and writer of Books,
Mr.. John Selden. When Philip came to my
room, and told me of this company, which he
fell in with by kind Of accident, was mind
ell not to present myself before SO wise per.
son. But he would have me down and truly
the gentleman was as agreeable, and pleasant
and merry a man, as if he had never made
book. Phillip says no man in the country has
a better knowledge of State Affairs, or deep
or insight into the troubles of these Unhappy
Times and, while Member of Parliament in
the reign of the late King James, he was put
in Prison for daring to protest against the
measures of his Majesty and his Advisers. Yet
l think he is willing to Judge kindly men of all
sects and parties, for speaking of Mr.. Winthrope
and the religious differences that disturb the
Realm, he said: Experience had constrained
him to learn that the men most famed for wis
dom and learning were still imperfect prone
to error, while among the wicked and base
there were more to witness of God and his
Truth than he once could have believed mo
man was the wiser for his learning,-unless it
administered matter to work in or objects to
work upon. Wisdom, che was advised to
think" was born with man, though skep-
tics and doubters of all ages, had doubt
less often deceived themselves with the MINI
bleness of their own sophisms, binding
themselves to the truth. Yet he who can
avoid their disputatious levity, and still pos
sess himself of their liberty of inquiry, is in
the only way that in all studies leads to the sane
tuary of Truth while those who are too SER
vile to common opinions and superstitions, can
hope to be admitted only to the bare outer
court of her Temple, which too often specious-
ly counterfcits the inner Sanctuary"
"True, but when will the honest sober minds
among this people be permitted to enjoy a like
Liberty in Peace" said Philip sadly
''Mayhap sooner than you think, friend, -
replied Mr.. Seden gravely, MuLtaS res sum
ejuSmodo, qui erituS memo pro0ideo posSum. So Of
the present troubles the overturning of abu-
ses, like the overturning of any other old rub
Dish, stirreth up many ugly and venomous things
that had burrowed and battened there, tile evil
nature of which accordeth not with the sun
light of Truth, and they do find themselves
compelled to crawl away and die, making loud
outcries as they go. 1t is vain thing to talk
about heresies, for an honest mans heart can
allow him to think no otherwise than he does
think true Faith is not of the Head but the
Heart; and "Theology," as my wise young
friend Jeremy Taylor of All Souls, hath it, sis
rather divine Life than divine Knowledge"
Truly the Speech Of the Wise is not so hard
to understand as thought, for my poor abili-
ties could apprehend him, and Esther took. in
every Word as if it were some choice hydro
mel to strengthen the fainting heart Now she
ventured to question the Guest about this Mr..
TAYLOR, of whom it seemed she hath heard
Speech before, and he went on to tell Of his
great Wisdom and Eloquence and pleasant
Manner, and how he did draw great crowds
to hear him when he preached in st. Paul's-
He repeated many choice sayings OF Mr.. lay
lor, but Esther said none did please her better
than this. which friend did once repeat to
her--"In Heaven, indeed ,oe shall first see, and
then love; but here, on Earth, zoe must FIRST lore
and loUe o1iU open our eyes as yell as our Hearts,
and we shall see and understand !" which, to say
the Truth, did seem dark saying to me,
though Philip and Mr. Seden did both praise
its wisdom, and to my mind it would be wiser
Il 4. nd hon,
Love. fer the other is hard condition to any
save the Angels And when l asked Mr..
Lake about it, tonight, as we stood on the
Terrace, he lifted lock of my hair that the
wind had tumbed down, and said in his sweet
grave way, "rhe Wind is no respecter OF per-
sons, dear Meg, but you like it, think, new
erless 2"
eyes, truly, love such breeze as this, af-
ter the close heat of the autumn day."
"And, yet, you have never seen it, "onty
hear the sound thereof, but cdnst not tell whence 1t
cometh nor ,ohiher il goeth," you see it is not SO
hard to love without sight as you thought, and
to live and love truly we must all walk by
Faith and not by Sight, sweet wife r
eyes, know" said, but-but, truly, am
not quite so certain, the more think upon 1t.
l know the Scripture says this, but begin to
think there are two kinds of knowledge'-the
knowledge of the head and of the heart, and
that the latter is the great mystery Of godliness
of which the Apostle speaks"
Our Guest tarried an hour or more after din
ner, holding much discourse with my husband
about the New World and of the heather saw
ages, their Manners and Customs, being spe-
cially curious about their ceremonies OF wor-
ship, lit did sound strange to hear that word
applied to them,) and whether any likeness to
the rites of the Jewish Nation could be traced
here,-saying that some learned man, l do