LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SANCROFT. 53 



he had fixed himself there. At that time, he 

 opened his papers, began to compare the copy 

 with the original, to divide the history into 

 chapters, to examine the citations and refer- 

 ences, to note down different memoranda for 

 his own use in preparing the edition, to mark 

 out the places that required to be amended or 

 considered, to make marginal observations, and 

 to draw up a list of memorials for an appendix. 

 He was earnestly engaged in this business; the 

 original and copy of Laud's Diary, with many 

 of the papers relating to it, lay before him on 

 his writing desk ; and he was noting on a loose 

 paper some queries and directions, when he 

 was seized on the 25th of August with a violent 

 fever, from which he never recovered, and 

 which, in the course of about three months, put 

 a period to his life. 



The account, which we fortunately possess, 

 of the circumstances attending his last sickness, 

 and of his behaviour under them, exhibits a 

 most pleasing picture of the piety and many 

 virtues which adorned his mind. We behold in 

 him an instance, such as has not often been pre- 

 served on record, of a soul, not exempt indeed 

 from all human weakness, but elevated to a 

 noble height of true Christian heroism, duly 

 prepared by habit and reflection for the ap- 

 proach of death; humbly, yet firmly, resigned 



E 3 



