Communicated by Mr. James Waylen. 



103 



"I am in health enough of body, and through the mercy of God in Jesus 

 Christ well disposed in mind. This I premise — that what I write proceeds not 

 from any fancying terror of mind, but from a sober resolution of what concerns 

 myself, and an earnest desire to do you more good after my death than my 

 example (God of his mercy pardon the badness of: it) in my lifetime, may do you 

 harm. I will not speak aught of the vanity of this world. Your own age and 

 experience will save that labour. But there is a certain thing that goeth up and 

 down tho world, called Religion, dressed and pretended fantastically, and to 

 purposes bad enough, which yet by such evil dealing loseth not its being. The 

 great good God hath not left it without a witness more or less, sooner or later, 

 in every man's bosom, to direct us in the pursuit of it, and for the avoiding 

 those inextricable disquisitions and entanglements our own frail reasons do perplex 

 us withal. God in his infinite mercy hath given us his holy Words ; in which, 

 as there are many things hard to be understood, so there is enough plain and 

 easy to quiet our minds and direct us concerning our future being. I confess to 

 God and to you I have been a great neglecter and f fear despiser of it. God of 

 his infinite mercy pardon me the dreadful fault. But when I retired myself 

 from the noise and deceitful vanity of the world, I found no true comfort in any 

 other resolution than what I had from thence. I commend from the bottom of 

 my heart the same your, I hope, happy issue. Dear Sir Hugh, let us be more 

 generous than to believe we die as the beasts that perish ; but with a Christian, 

 manly, brave resolution look to what is eternal. I will uot trouble you further. 

 The only great and holy God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, direct you to a 

 happy end of your life, and send us a joyful resurrection. 

 " So prays your true friend, 



" Mablbobough." 



"I beseech you commend my love to all mine acquaintance ; particularly I 

 pray you that my cousin Glascock may have a sight of this letter ; and as many 

 of my friends besides as you will ; or any else that desire it. I pray grant this 

 my request." 



The third Earl of Marlborough died unmarried. In the testa* 

 mentary disposal of his landed property at Westbury and Bratton 

 he appointed Colonel Wancklyn as his trustee ; from which it may 

 be inferred that his mother's second marriage had the approval of 

 the family. Let it be flaally remarked that he deservedly ranks 

 among the naval celebrities of the county of Wilts. 



