ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 
- member, of the -passages of my 
youth, and the generall and ‘parti-: 
cular providences exercis’d to me, 
both in the entrance and progresse 
of my life. Herein | meete with 
so many speciall indulgences as re- 
quire a distinct consideration, they 
being all of them to be regarded as 
talents intrusted to my emproove- 
ment for God’s glory. The parents 
by whom I receiv’d my life, the 
places where 1 began and continued 
it, the time when I was brought 
forth to be ‘a wittnesse of God’s 
wonderfull workings in the, earth, 
the rank that was given me in my 
generation, and the adyantages [ 
receiv’d in my person, each of them 
carries allong with it many mercies 
which are above my utterance, and 
as they give me infinite cause of 
glorifying God’s goodnesse, so I 
cannot reflect on them without 
deepe humiliation for the small em- 
proovement I have made of so rich 
a stock ; which that Il may yet by 
God’s grace better employ, I shall 
fecall and seriously ponder: and 
first, as farre as [ have since learnt, 
sett downe the condition of things 
in the place of my nativity at that 
time when | was sent into the 
world. It was on the 29th day of 
January, in the yeare of our lord 
1619-20,that in the Tower of Lon- 
don, the principall citie of the En- 
glish Isle ; | was about four of the 
clock inthe morning brought forth 
to behold the ensuing light. My 
father was sr. Allen Apsley, leif- 
tenant of the Tower of London ; 
my mother, his third wife, was 
Lucy, the youngest daughter of sr. 
John St. John, of Lidiard Tregoz, 
in Wiltshire, by his second wife. 
My father had then living a sonne 
and a daughter by his former wives, 
and by my mother three sonnes, I 
1101 
being her eldest daughter. The 
Jand was then’ att peace, (it being 
towards the latter end of the reigne 
of king James) if that quiettnesse 
may be called a peace, which was 
rather like the calme and smooth 
surface of the sea, whose dark 
womb is allready impregnated of a 
horrid tempest. 
<¢ Whosoever considers England, 
will find itt no small favour of God 
to have bene made one of its na- 
tives, both upon spirituall and out- 
ward accounts, ‘lhe happimesse of 
the soyle and ayre contribute all 
things that are necessary to the use 
or delight of man’s life, The tele- 
brated glory of this isle’s imhabi- 
tants, ever since they receiv’d a 
mention in history, conferrs some 
honor upon every one of her chil- 
dren, and with it an obligation to 
continue in that magnanimitie and 
virtne, which hath fam’d _ this 
island, and rays’d her head in glory, 
higher then the greate kingdomes of 
the neighbouring continent. _Brit- 
taine hath bene as a garden enclos- 
ed, wherein all things that man can 
wish, to make a_ pleasant life, are 
planted and grow in her ownesoyle, 
and whatsoever forreigne countries 
yield to encrease admiration and 
delight, are brought in by her . 
fleetes, The people, by the plenty 
of their country, not being forced 
to toyle for bread, have ever ad- 
dicted themselfes to more gene 
rous employments, and bene reck- 
oned, allmost in all ages, as val- 
liant warriours as any part of the 
world sent forth: insomuch that 
the greatest Roman captaines 
thought it not unworthy of their 
expeditions, and tooke greate glory 
in triumphs for unperfect con. 
quests.) Lucan upbeaids Julius 
Cesar for returning” hence with a 
a 3s repulse, 
