LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SANCROFT. 39 



dition, quite as much as if he had been directed 

 to it entirely by his own free choice, and not by 

 the course of circumstances which had made it 

 his duty to embrace it. 



'^ Fresingf. April 2d, 1692. 



'' My dear Friexd, 



*' Were not your kindness to me ex- 

 traordinarily great, and to yourself as little, you 

 could not endure the weekly task you put your- 

 self to for my sake : which, though you take 

 with cheerfulness, I cannot receive without 

 some trouble and shame, when I consider how 

 much the heap daily grows, and how seldom, 

 and nothing I return. But my cousin being 

 now coming toward you, I could not forbear 

 scribbling a word or two, to give him an occa- 

 sion of visiting and thanking you, and present- 

 ing my kindest respects both to yourself and 

 my noble friend under whose roof you are. 



^' I observe how you begin your last letter, 

 that since you wrote last, you had been but once 

 abroad ; which makes me fear, you have not 

 been well, and that the weather continues to 

 be unkind to you, as I have observed it to be 

 this winter ; though you now be gotten on the 

 right side of the river, as they call it. There 

 is no help for it. Sir, old age creeps on, and 

 with it infirmities must come: may they (I 



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