The Virgins Pattern in the Life and Death of Susanna Perwich, Illustration – To the reader 1
SUSANNA PERWICH
P. Ro…erson del'
Her's all that's left. Reader, untimely Death
Hath Snatcht the rest: hee needs would stop the breath
Of this our sweet harmonious Queene of louelove
And by her lifeles picture plainly proue
Nor Goodnes, Beauty, Breeding finest parts
Where sin is found n…n ſhend from his feirce darts
But what th… Effigies wants, the Booke will tell
… Jnwarrd Splendors, looke and View them well.
THE Virgins Pattern IN THE Exemplary Life, and lamented Death OF Mrs. SUSANNA PERWICH, Daughter of Mr. ROBERT PERWICH; Who departed this Life, every way rarely …compliſhed Virgin, in the flower of her Age, at her Father's Houſe in Hackney, near London, in the County of Middleſex▪ July 3. 1661.
Publiſhed at the earn… requeſt of divers knew her well, for the uſe and benefit of others▪
By John Batchiler, a neer Relation, that occaſio… ly hath had an intimate converſe in the … ly with her, more or leſs, the grea… part of her Life.
London Printed by Simon Dover, and are ſo … at his Houſe, in Martins, near Alde…ſgat… and at Book-ſellers ſhops, …
To all the young Ladies and Gentle-women, of the ſeveral Schools, in and about the City of London, or elſewhere; more particularly to thoſe of Mrs. Perwich her School at Hackney.
Sweet Ladies and Gentle-women,
THE reaſon why this enſuing Relation (worthy of all future memory) is chiefly preſented unto you, is the equity and congruity thereof; together with that particular right, by which you, of all others, ſeem to lay claim to it. The Perſon here ſpoken of, was bred up in the ſame Fa…ily with you, and among you, a daily object before you, and a lively example to as many of you as had wiſdom to take notice and make uſe of it. The manifold Excellencies that ſhined in her, whether natural, acquired, or infuſed, are not unknown to you. Whatever was ornamental to body or mind, from nature, breeding, or grace it ſelf, ſhe had as much of it, yea, more (all circumſtances conſidered) than any that I have heard or read of. Indeed ſome there were of thoſe eight hundred that have been educated in her Father's houſe within the compaſs of her time, that did out-do the reſt in their reſpective ſeaſons, ſome in one quality, ſome in another, according to their different capacities, and the pains they took, or the time they ſpent, more or leſs, in the School: but not any one that came neer to her in one half of thoſe endowments and rare abilities (without offence be it ſpoken) that She had attained unto, as will appear abundantly in the enſuing Narration thereof. For if that be true which Mr. Rogers, Mr. Bing, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Brian, Mr. Hazard, and the reſt of the Maſters of the School, have often ſaid in reſpect of the ſeveral qualities ſhe learned of them, that (to uſe their own words) they knew not where ſhe hath left her fellow in the world: when all her other excellencies are conſidered alſo, in conjunction with them, it muſt needs be then much more true. That is a rich Jewel which is made up of all manner of precious ſtones; and that a ſweet Noſe-gay that hath all ſorts of fragrant flowers in it; even ſuch luſtres and pleaſant mixtures were conſpicuous in Her, to every unprejudiced and impartial eye. Indeed it was her hap to be leſs known to, and leſs loved by ſome, than others; whether it were out of a ſecret envy at her eminent worth, by which ſhe out-ſhined them, or from too ſevere a cenſure of that in her, which even in themſelves (becauſe of higher rank in the world) they did eaſily allow, I know not. But this I can and do affirm, with truth concerning her, that when ſhe was told above a year before her death, that certain perſons (not here to be named) who wiſhed her well, were jealous of her, leſt ſhe were puffed up with pride, and the love of vanity; the only anſwer ſhe made, was, That whatever they thought of her, ſhe honoured them for the grace of Chriſt ſhe believed was in them, and that ſhe hoped God would enable her to make a good uſe of this their fear of her, for the better obſerving of her own heart, and the keeping it the more humble.
Among thoſe inducements that occaſioned the publiſhing of this, ſome of the chief are theſe which follow.
Firſt, to rofute the opinion of ſuch as greatly blame the education of publick Schools, as if they were places of all other, moſt dangerous to corrupt the manners of youth: Behold here a great inſtance to the contrary, beſides many others that might be named of the very ſame School, there having been alwayes ſome as virtuous and religious young Gentlewomen brought up there, as in any private Family whatſoever. Nor is it difficult to go to the ſeveral Cities and Counties of this Kingdom, and find out the Houſes in which many of them are ſurviving, beautiful Ornaments of the places where they live, eias ther Virgins, Wives, or Matrons.
Secondly, to give a proof of the reſtleſsneſs of a Soul once touched with Divine Love; for let it be where it will, though cumbered with never ſo much buſineſs, and called off with never ſo many divertiſements, yet early or late, at one time or another, it will have its opportunities of converſe with God, and will not be hindered, but rather loſe both meat and ſleep; than ſuch opportunities as theſe.
Thirdly, to let all men ſee that there is ſomething in that which we call Grace, which in the midſt of all the moſt enticing vanities, and blandiſhments of the world, can and doth raviſh the heart more then all theſe ever did or could do. Here was a young Gentlewoman in the flower of her Age, compaſſed about with all manner of delights and entertainments, that a carnal mind could deſire, and yet what dead things were they to her, and ſhe to them! how were they mutually crucified each to other, when once her nature was renewed, and ſhe felt the ſweetneſs of the change! how was an entire Communion with God, even an Heaven upon Earth unto her! Holineſs (let prophane ſcoffers and wretched Atheiſts ſay what they will of it) hath ſomething in it more lovely than all the Beauties in the world; ſomething more ſweet than all the Muſicks in the world; ſomething mor… … all the Pleaſures in t… …
Fourthly and laſtly, to ſet a rare Patte… and Example to all that ſhall happen to hear or read of this Relation; and indeed this is none of the leaſt inducements, becauſe it pleaſed the Lord that divers, who are now living, are able and ready to witneſs and acknowledge, that her Example, while they were in the Family with her, did not only convince them of their own neglect of the duties which ſhe conſtantly practiſed betwixt God and her own ſoul, and ſmote their conſciences for it; but did ſo far work upon them, as to cauſe them to do the like ever ſince. It may therefore be reaſonably hoped, that God may bleſs the ſame Example unto others, though ſhe be dead; and were it not for ſuch an end as this, how vain would the publication hereof be? Can it any way availe her now ſhe is gone? ſurely nothing leſs; let none therefore be ſo uncharitable as to think, that th… Author hereof can propou… … end therein, but ſuch … …ned. He hopes he …th better learned Chriſt; nor yet that what is here related is more out of favour or affection than otherwiſe. Thoſe that pleaſe to enquire, will find witneſſes enough to aſſert the whole truth of the premiſes; and therefore notwithſtanding the unkind cenſures of any, out of a deſire of ſerving Chriſt, and the good of precious ſouls, he can appeal to God, he hath done this, and accordingly makes it his earneſt Prayer for a bleſſing on it: who to ſhew his reſolution to own & make good whatever is here ſaid, ſubſcribes his Name,
John Batchiler.
To the READER.
Courteous Reader,
IF it be asked why any part of the above-mentioned Relation is repeated in Verſe, it is for the ſake of ſuch as affect Poetry, rather than Proſe; but in caſe thoſe that read the Proſe avoid the Verſes, as containing part of the ſame matter, let them alſo pleaſe to take notice, that divers things are interſperſed in Verſe, that they find not in the Proſe, and that at leaſt one half of the Verſes, viz. from the 50. Section to the end, is all new matter, and I hope ſuch as will not be altogether unprofitable to the ingenuous honeſt-hearted Reader.
J. B.