xxxvi BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OF R. L. ELLIS. 



In fact it was impossible not to observe that throughout his 

 illness he perceived, that it was to be regarded in the light of 

 a divine discipline, however mysterious such discipline might 

 be. " Aches and pains," he said to a friend, " have been my 

 teachers of late." "Fiat voluntas Tua," he observed to the 

 same friend, taking up his De Imitatione Christi, " is after all 

 the only prayer. Domine, modo sum in tribulatione, et non est 



cordi meo bene, sed miiltum vexor a praesenti passion e Et 



mine inter haec quid dicam ? Domine, fiat voluntas Tua ; ego 

 bene merui tribulari et gravari." 



His last days were days of peace ; and his last words were 

 so striking that I think it right to put them here upon record. 

 It will be remembered that for a considerable period before his 

 death he had been quite blind : just before his departure, which 

 was in a certain sense sudden though so long expected, he ex- 

 claimed, " I see a light !" and so expired. Possibly some phy- 

 sical explanation of this exclamation may be given : for myself 

 I would rather look upon it as indicative of something spiritual, 

 and as announcing the arrival of a glorious change for which his 

 imprisoned soul had long waited and earnestly prayed \ 



He was released from his sufferings May 12, 1859, and was 

 buried at Trumpington. His grave is at the South-East corner 

 of the churchyard, and bears the simple inscription 



ROBERT LESLIE ELLIS 



BORN 25 AUGUST 1817 

 DIED 12 MAY 1859. 



BLESSED is THE MAN THAT HATH SET HIS HOPE IN THE LORD. 



Ps m . 40. v. 5. 



1 He once observed that he wondered no one had ever chosen for an epitap 

 the words of Psalm cxvi. 14, "Thou hast broken my bonds in sunder." 



