LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP BANCROFT. 57 



the course and state of the church might have 

 required, and for thereby having omitted to 

 employ to the utmost the means of serving the 

 church of Christ, which God had put into his 

 power. He discoursed to him for a long time 

 in the most devout manner respecting his hopes 

 and assurance of another state. 



In designing to make a disposition of his 

 property, he certainly betrayed some weakness ; 

 for he formed the resolution not to make any 

 will, which would require to be proved in the 

 courts of his pretended successor; and, in con- 

 sequence, he was much perplexed as to what 

 steps he should take. Mr. Roger North,* who 

 had been the steward of his archiepiscopal 

 courts, and who had maintained the habit of 

 frequently visiting him subsequently to his re- 

 tirement, happened to come to him when he 

 was near his end, and found him in great 

 trouble of mind as to this matter of settling his 

 affairs. Various persons of different professions 

 had been consulted, and had suggested several 

 puzzling expedients, which only served to dis- 

 tract his mind on the subject. When Mr. 

 North came, the Archbishop explained to him, 

 in few words, for he was then labouring under 

 great weakness and difficulty of utterance, the 



* See Gutcli's Miscell. Curiosa, vol. i. pref. p. xxxix. 



