THE WILL
To which the following preamble, written on a separate paper, wasStitched in black silk.
TO MY EXECUTOR
'I hope I may be excused for expatiating, in divers parts of this solemnlast act, upon subjects of importance. For I have heard of so manyinstances of confusion and disagreement in families, and so much doubtand difficulty, for want of absolute clearness in the testaments ofdeparted persons, that I have often concluded, (were there to be no otherreasons but those which respect the peace of surviving friends,) thatthis last act, as to its designation and operation, ought not to be thelast in its composition or making; but should be the result of cooldeliberation, and (as is more frequently than justly said) of a soundmind and memory; which too seldom are to be met with but in sound health.All pretences of insanity of mind are likewise prevented, when a testatorgives reasons for what he wills; all cavils about words are obviated; theobliged are assured; and they enjoy the benefit for whom the benefit wasintended. Hence have I, for some time past, employed myself in penningdown heads of such a disposition; which, as reasons offered, I havealtered and added to, so that I was never absolutely destitute of a will,had I been taken off ever so suddenly. These minutes and imperfectsketches enabled me, as God has graciously given me time and sedateness,to digest them into the form in which they appear.'
I, CLARISSA HARLOWE, now, by strange melancholy accidents, lodging in theparish of St. Paul, Covent-garden, being of sound and perfect mind andmemory, as I hope these presents, drawn up by myself, and written with myown hand, will testify, do, [this second day of September,*] in the yearof our Lord ----,** make and publish this my last will and testament, inmanner and form following:
* A blank, at the writing, was left for this date, and filled up on thisday. See Vol. VIII. Letter LI.** The date of the year is left blank for particular reasons.
In the first place, I desire that my body may lie unburied three daysafter my decease, or till the pleasure of my father be known concerningit. But the occasion of my death not admitting of doubt, I will not, onany account that it be opened; and it is my desire, that it shall not betouched but by those of my own sex.
I have always earnestly requested, that my body might be deposited in thefamily vault with those of my ancestors. If it might be granted, I couldnow wish, that it might be placed at the feet of my dear and honouredgrandfather. But as I have, by one very unhappy step, been thought todisgrace my whole lineage, and therefore this last honour may be refusedto my corpse; in this case my desire is, that it may be interred in thechurchyard belonging to the parish in which I shall die; and that in themost private manner, between the hours of eleven and twelve at night;attended only by Mrs. Lovick, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and their maidservant.
But it is my desire, that the same fees and dues may be paid which areusually paid for those who are laid in the best ground, as it is called,or even in the chancel.--And I bequeath five pounds to be given, at thediscretion of the church-wardens, to twenty poor people, the Sunday aftermy interment; and this whether I shall be buried here or elsewhere.
I have already given verbal directions, that, after I am dead, (and laidout in the manner I have ordered,) I may be put into my coffin as soon aspossible: it is my desire, that I may not be unnecessarily exposed to theview of any body; except any of my relations should vouchsafe, for thelast time, to look upon me.
And I could wish, if it might be avoided without making ill will betweenMr. Lovelace and my executor, that the former might not be permitted tosee my corpse. But if, as he is a man very uncontroulable, and as I amnobody's, he insist upon viewing her dead, whom he ONCE before saw in amanner dead, let his gay curiosity be gratified. Let him behold, andtriumph over the wretched remains of one who has been made a victim tohis barbarous perfidy: but let some good person, as by my desire, givehim a paper, whist he is viewing the ghastly spectacle, containing thesefew words only,--'Gay, cruel heart! behold here the remains of the onceruined, yet now happy, Clarissa Harlowe!--See what thou thyself mustquickly be;--and REPENT!--'
Yet, to show that I die in perfect charity with all the world, I do mostsincerely forgive Mr. Lovelace the wrongs he has done me.
If my father can pardon the errors of his unworthy child, so far as tosuffer her corpse to be deposited at the feet of her grandfather, asabove requested, I could wish (my misfortunes being so notorious) that ashort discourse be pronounced over my remains, before they be interred.The subject of the discourse I shall determine before I conclude thiswriting.
So much written about what deserves not the least consideration, and about what will be nothing when this writing comes to be opened and read, will be excused, when my present unhappy circumstances and absence from all my natural friends are considered.
And now, with regard to the worldly matters which I shall die possessedof, as well as to those which of right appertain to me, either by thewill of my said grandfather, or otherwise; thus do I dispose of them.
In the first place, I give and bequeath all the real estates in or towhich I have any claim or title by the said will, to my ever-honouredfather, James Harlowe, Esq. and that rather than to my brother andsister, to whom I had once thoughts of devising them, because, if theysurvive my father, those estates will assuredly vest in them, or one ofthem, by virtue of his favour and indulgence, as the circumstances ofthings with regard to marriage-settlements, or otherwise, may require;or, as they may respectively merit by the continuance of their duty.
The house, late my grandfather's, called The Grove, and by him, in honourof me, and of some of my voluntary employments, my Dairy-house, and thefurniture thereof as it now stands (the pictures and large iron chest ofold plate excepted,) I also bequeath to my said father; only begging itas a favour that he will be pleased to permit my dear Mrs. Norton to passthe remainder of her days in that house; and to have and enjoy theapartments in it known by the name of The Housekeeper's Apartments, withthe furniture in them; and which, (plain and neat) was bought for me bymy grandfather, who delighted to call me his house-keeper; and which,therefore, in his life-time, I used as such: the office to go with theapartments. And as I am the more earnest in this recommendation, as Ihad once thought to have been very happy there with the good woman; andbecause I think her prudent management will be as beneficial to myfather, as his favour can be convenient to her.
But with regard to what has accrued from that estate, since mygrandfather's death, and to the sum of nine hundred and seventy pounds,which proved to be the moiety of the money that my said grandfather hadby him at his death, and which moiety he bequeathed to me for my soleand separate use, [as he did the other moiety in like manner to mysister;*] and which sum (that I might convince my brother and sister thatI wished not for an independence upon my father's pleasure) I gave intomy father's hands, together with the management and produce of the wholeestate devised to me--these sums, however considerable when put together,I hope I may be allowed to dispose of absolutely, as my love andgratitude (not confined only to my own family, which is very wealthy inall its branches) may warrant: and which therefore I shall dispose of inthe manner hereafter mentioned. But it is my will and express direction,that my father's account of the above-mentioned produce may be taken andestablished absolutely (and without contravention or question,) as heshall be pleased to give it to my cousin Morden, or to whom else he shallchoose to give it; so as that the said account be not subject tolitigation, or to the controul of my executor, or of any other person.
* See Vol. I. Letter XIII.
My father, of his love and bounty, was pleased to allow me the samequarterly sums that he allowed my sister for apparel and otherrequisites; and (pleased with me then) used to say, that those sumsshould not be deducted from the estate and effects bequeathed to me by mygrandfather: but having mortally offended him (as I fear it may be said)by one unhappy step, it may be expected that he will reimburse himselfthose sums--it is therefore my will and direction, that he shall beallowed to pay and sa
tisfy himself for all such quarterly or other sums,which he was so good as to advance me from the time of my grandfather'sdeath; and that his account of such sums shall likewise be taken withoutquestioning the money, however, which I left behind me in my escritoire,being to be taken in part of those disbursements.
My grandfather, who, in his goodness and favour to me, knew no bounds,was pleased to bequeath to me all the family pictures at his late house,some of which are very masterly performances; with command, that if Idied unmarried, or if married and had no descendants, they should then goto that son of his (if more than one should be then living) whom I shouldthink would set most value by them. Now, as I know that my honoureduncle, Mr. John Harlowe, Esq. was pleased to express some concern thatthey were not left to him, as eldest son; and as he has a gallery wherethey may be placed to advantage; and as I have reason to believe that hewill bequeath them to my father, if he survive him, who, no doubt, willleave them to my brother, I therefore bequeath all the said familypictures to my said uncle, John Harlowe. In these pictures, however, Iinclude not one of my own, drawn when I was about fourteen years of age;which I shall hereafter in another article bequeath.
My said honoured grandfather having a great fondness for the old familyplate, which he would never permit to be changed, having lived, as heused to day, to see a great deal of it come into request again in therevolution of fashions; and having left the same to me, with a commandto keep it entire; and with power at my death to bequeath it towhomsoever I pleased that I thought would forward his desire; which was,as he expresses it, that it should be kept to the end of time; thisfamily plate, which is deposited in a large iron chest, in the strongroom at his late dwelling-house, I bequeath entire to my honoured uncleAntony Harlowe, Esq. with the same injunctions which were laid on me; notdoubting but he will confirm and strengthen them by his own last will.
I bequeath to my ever-valued friend, Mrs. Judith Norton, to whose pietyand care, seconding the piety and care of my ever-honoured and excellentmother, I owe, morally speaking, the qualifications which, for eighteenyears of my life, made me beloved and respected, the full sum of sixhundred pounds, to be paid her within three months after my death.
I bequeath also to the same good woman thirty guineas, for mourning forher and for her son, my foster-brother.
To Mrs. Dorothy Hervey, the only sister of my honoured mother, I bequeaththe sum of fifty guineas for a ring; and I beg of her to accept of mythankful acknowledgements for all her goodness to me from my infancy; andparticularly for her patience with me, in the several altercations thathappened between my brother and sister and me, before my unhappydeparture from Harlowe-place.
To my kind and much valued cousin, Miss Dolly Hervey, daughter of my auntHervey, I bequeath my watch and equipage, and my best Mechlin andBrussels head-dresses and ruffles; also my gown and petticoat of floweredsilver of my own work; which having been made up but a few days before Iwas confined to my chamber, I never wore.
To the same young lady I bequeath likewise my harpsichord, mychamber-organ, and all my music-books.
As my sister has a very pretty library; and as my beloved Miss Howe hasalso her late father's as well as her own; I bequeath all my books ingeneral, with the cases they are in, to my said cousin Dolly Hervey. Asthey are not ill-chosen for a woman's library, I know that she will takethe greater pleasure in them, (when her friendly grief is mellowed bytime into a remembrance more sweet than painful,) because they were mine;and because there are observations in many of them of my own writing; andsome very judicious ones, written by the truly reverend Dr. Lewen.
I also bequeath to the same young lady twenty-five guineas for a ring, tobe worn in remembrance of her true friend.
If I live not to see my worthy cousin, William Morden, Esq. I desire myhumble and grateful thanks may be given to him for his favours andgoodness to me; and particularly for his endeavours to reconcile my otherfriends to me, at a time when I was doubtful whether he would forgive mehimself. As he is in great circumstances, I will only beg of him toaccept of two or three trifles, in remembrance of a kinswoman who alwayshonoured him as much as he loved her. Particularly, of that piece offlowers which my uncle Robert, his father, was very earnest to obtain, inorder to carry it abroad with him.
I desire him likewise to accept of the little miniature picture set ingold, which his worthy father made me sit for to the famous Italianmaster whom he brought over with him; and which he presented to me, thatI might bestow it, as he was pleased to say, upon the man whom I shouldbe one day most inclined to favour.
To the same gentleman I also bequeath my rose diamond ring, which was apresent from his good father to me; and will be the more valuable to himon that account.
I humbly request Mrs. Annabella Howe, the mother of my dear Miss Howe, toaccept of my respectful thanks for all her favours and goodness to me,when I was so frequently a visiter to her beloved daughter; and of a ringof twenty-five guineas price.
My picture at full length, which is in my late grandfather's closet,(excepted in an article above from the family pictures,) drawn when I wasnear fourteen years of age; about which time my dear Miss Howe and Ibegan to know, to distinguish, and to love one another so dearly--Icannot express how dearly--I bequeath to that sister of my heart: ofwhose friendship, as well in adversity as prosperity, when I was deprivedof all other comfort and comforters, I have had such instances, as thatour love can only be exceeded in that state of perfection, in which Ihope to rejoice with her hereafter, to all eternity.
I bequeath also to the same dear friend my best diamond ring, which, withother jewels, is in the private drawer of my escritoire: as also all myfinished and framed pieces of needle-work; the flower-piece excepted,which I have already bequeathed to my cousin Morden.
These pieces have all been taken down, as I have heard;* and my relationswill have no heart to put them up again: but if my good mother chooses tokeep back any one piece, (the above capital piece, as it is called,excepted,) not knowing but some time hence she may bear the sight of it;I except that also from this general bequest; and direct it to bepresented to her.
* See Vol. III. Letter LV.
My whole-length picture in the Vandyke taste,* that used to hang in myown parlour, as I was permitted to call it, I bequeath to my aunt Hervey,except my mother should think fit to keep it herself.
* Ibid.
I bequeath to the worthy Charles Hickman, Esq. the locket, with theminiature picture of the lady he best loves, which I have constantlyworn, and shall continue to wear next my heart till the approach of mylast hour.* It must be the most acceptable present that can be made him,next to the hand of the dear original. 'And, O my dear Miss Howe, let itnot be long before you permit his claim to the latter--for indeed youknow not the value of a virtuous mind in that sex; and how preferablesuch a mind is to one distinguished by the more dazzling flights ofunruly wit; although the latter were to be joined by that speciousoutward appearance which too--too often attracts the hasty eye, andsusceptible heart.'
* See Letter II. of this volume.
Permit me, my dear friends, this solemn apostrophe, in this last solemn act, to a young lady so deservedly dear to me!
I make it my earnest request to my dear Miss Howe, that she will not putherself into mourning for me. But I desire her acceptance of a ring withmy hair; and that Mr. Hickman will also accept of the like; each of thevalue of twenty-five guineas.
I bequeath to Lady Betty Lawrance, and to her sister, Lady Sarah Sadleir,and to the right honourable Lord M. and to their worthy nieces, MissCharlotte and Miss Martha Montague, each an enamelled ring, with a cipherCl. H. with my hair in crystal, and round the inside of each, the day,month, and year of my death: each ring, with brilliants, to cost twentyguineas. And this as a small token of the grateful sense I have of thehonour of their good opinions and kind wishes in my favour; and of theirtruly noble offer t me of a very considerable annual provision, when theyapprehended me to be entirely destitute of any.
; To the reverend and learned Dr. Arthur Lewen, by whose instructions Ihave been equally delighted and benefited, I bequeath twenty guineas fora ring. If it should please God to call him to Himself before he canreceive this small bequest, it is my will that his worthy daughter mayhave the benefit of it.
In token of the grateful sense I have of the civilities paid me by Mrs.and Miss Howe's domestics, from time to time, in my visits there, Ibequeath thirty guineas, to be divided among them, as their dear youngmistress shall think proper.
To each of my worthy companions and friends, Miss Biddy Lloyd, Miss FannyAlston, Miss Rachel Biddulph, and Miss Cartright Campbell, I bequeathfive guineas for a ring.
To my late maid servant, Hannah Burton, an honest, faithful creature, wholoved me, reverenced my mother, and respected my sister, and never soughtto do any thing unbecoming of her character, I bequeath the sum of fiftypounds, to be paid within one month after my decease, she labouring underill health: and if that ill-health continue, I commend her for fartherassistance to my good Mrs. Norton, to be put upon my poor's fund,hereafter to be mentioned.
To the coachman, groom, and two footmen, and five maids, atHarlowe-place, I bequeath ten pounds each; to the helper five pounds.
To my sister's maid, Betty Barnes, I bequeath ten pounds, to show that Iresent no former disobligations; which I believe were owing more to theinsolence of office, and to natural pertness, than to personal ill will.
All my wearing-apparel, of whatever sort, that I have not been obliged topart with, or which is not already bequeathed, (my linen excepted,) Idesire Mrs. Norton to accept of.
The trunks and boxes in which my clothes are sealed up, I desire may notbe opened, but in presence of Mrs. Norton (or of someone deputed by her)and of Mrs. Lovick.
To the worthy Mrs. Lovick, above-mentioned, from whom I have receivedgreat civilities, and even maternal kindnesses; and to Mrs. Smith (withwhom I lodge) from whom also I have received great kindnesses; I bequeathall my linen, and all my unsold laces; to be divided equally betweenthem, as they shall agree; or, in case of disagreement, the same to besold, and the money arising to be equally shared by them.
And I bequeath to the same good gentlewomen, as a further token of mythankful acknowledgements of their kind love and compassionate concernfor me, the sum of twenty guineas each.
To Mr. Smith, the husband of Mrs. Smith above-named, I bequeath the sumof ten guineas, in acknowledgement of his civilities to me.
To Katharine, the honest maid servant of Mrs. Smith, to whom (having noservant of my own) I have been troublesome, I bequeath five guineas; andten guineas more, in lieu of a suit of my wearing-apparel, which once,with some linen, I thought of leaving to her. With this she may purchasewhat may be more suitable to her liking and degree.
To the honest and careful widow, Anne Shelburne, my nurse, over and aboveher wages, and the customary perquisites that may belong to her, Ibequeath the sum of ten guineas. Here is a careful, and (to persons ofsuch humanity and tenderness) a melancholy employment, attended in thelatter part of life with great watching and fatigue, which is hardly everenough considered.
The few books I have at my present lodgings, I desire Mrs. Lovick toaccept of; and that she be permitted, if she please, to take a copy of mybook of meditations, as I used to call it; being extracts from the bestof books; which she seemed to approve of, although suited particularly tomy own case. As for the book itself, perhaps my good Mrs. Norton will beglad to have it, as it is written with my own hand.
In the middle drawer of my escritoire, at Harlowe-place, are manyletters, and copies of letters, put up according to their dates, which Ihave written or received in a course of years (ever since I learned towrite) from and to my grandfather, my father and mother, my uncles, mybrother and sister, on occasional little absences; my late uncle Morden,my cousin Morden; Mrs. Norton, and Miss Howe, and other of my companionsand friends, before my confinement at my father's: as also from the threereverent gentlemen, Dr. Blome, Mr. Arnold, and Mr. Tomkins, now with God,and the very reverend Dr. Lewen, on serious subjects. As these lettersexhibit a correspondence that no person of my sex need to be ashamed of,allowing for the time of life when mine were written; and as manyexcellent things are contained in those written to me; and as Miss Howe,to whom most of them have been communicated, wished formerly to havethem, if she survived me: for these reasons, I bequeath them to my saiddear friend, Miss Anna Howe; and the rather, as she had for some yearspast a very considerable share in the correspondence.
I do hereby make, constitute, and ordain John Belford, of Edgware, inthe county of Middlesex, Esq. the sole executor of this my last will andtestament; having previously obtained his leave so to do. I have giventhe reasons which induced me to ask this gentleman to take upon him thistrouble to Miss Howe. I therefore refer to her on this subject.
But I do most earnestly beg of him the said Mr. Belford, that, in theexecution of his trust, he will (as he has repeatedly promised)studiously endeavour to promote peace with, and suppress resentments in,every one; so that all farther mischiefs may be prevented, as well from,as to, his friend. And, in order to this, I beseech him to cultivate thefriendship of my worthy cousin Morden; who, as I presume to hope, (whenhe understands it to be my dying request,) will give him his advice andassistance in every article where it may be necessary: and who willperhaps be so good as to interpose with my relations, if any difficultyshould arise about carrying out some of the articles of this my last willinto execution, and to soften them into the wished-for condescension:--for it is my earnest request to Mr. Belford, that he will not seek bylaw, or by any sort of violence, either by word or deed, to extort theperformance from them. If there be any articles of a merely domesticnature, that my relations shall think unfit to be carried into execution;such articles I leave entirely to my said cousin Morden and Mr. Belfordto vary, or totally dispense with, as they shall agree upon the matter;or, if they two differ in opinion, they will be pleased to be determinedby a third person, to be chosen by them both.
Having been pressed by Miss Howe and her mother to collect theparticulars of my sad story, and given expectation that I would, in orderto do my character justice with all my friends and companions; but nothaving time before me for the painful task; it has been a pleasure for meto find, by extracts kindly communicated to me by my said executor, thatI may safely trust my fame to the justice done me by Mr. Lovelace, in hisletters to him my said executor. And as Mr. Belford has engaged tocontribute what is in his power towards a compliment to be made of allthat relates to my story, and knows my whole mind in this respect; it ismy desire, that he will cause two copies to be made of this collection;one to remain with Miss Howe, the other with himself; and that he willshow or lend his copy, if required, to my aunt Hervey, for thesatisfaction of any of my family; but under such restrictions as the saidMr. Belford shall think fit to impose; that neither any other person'ssafety may be endangered, nor his own honour suffer, by thecommunication.
I bequeath to my said executor the sum of one hundred guineas, as agrateful, though insufficient acknowledgment of the trouble he will be atin the execution of the trust he has so kindly undertaken. I desire himlikewise to accept of twenty guineas for a ring: and that he willreimburse himself for all the charges and expenses which he shall be atin the execution of this trust.
In the worthy Dr. H. I have found a physician, a father, and a friend. Ibeg of him, as a testimony of my gratitude, to accept of twenty guineasfor a ring.
I have the same obligations to the kind and skilful Mr. Goddard, whoattended me as my apothecary. His very moderate bill I have dischargeddown to yesterday. I have always thought it incumbent upon testators toshorten all they can the trouble of their executors. I know I under-ratethe value of Mr. Goddard's attendances, when over and above what mayaccrue from yesterday, to the hour that will finish all, I desire fifteenguineas for a ring may be presented to him.
To the Reverend Mr. ----, who frequently attended me, and prayed by me inmy last stag
es, I also bequeath fifteen guineas for a ring.
There are a set of honest, indigent people, whom I used to call My Poor,and to whom Mrs. Norton conveys relief each month, (or at shorterperiods,) in proportion to their necessities, from a sum I deposited inher hands, and from time to time recruited, as means accrued to me; butnow nearly, if not wholly, expended: now, that my fault may be as littleaggravated as possible, by the sufferings of the worthy people whomHeaven gave me a heart to relieve; and as the produce of my grandfather'sestate, (including the moiety of the sums he had by him, and was pleasedto give me, at his death, as above mentioned,) together with what I shallfurther appropriate to the same use in the subsequent articles, will, asI hope, more than answer all my legacies and bequests; it is my will anddesire, that the remainder, be it little or much, shall become a fund tobe appropriated, and I hereby direct that it be appropriated, to the likepurposes with the sums which I put into Mrs. Norton's hands, as aforesaid--and this under the direction and management of the said Mrs. Norton,who knows my whole mind in this particular. And in case of her death, orof her desire to be acquitted of the management thereof, it is my earnestrequest to my dear Miss Howe, that she will take it upon herself, andthat at her own death she will transfer what shall remain undisposed ofat the time, to such persons, and with such limitations, restrictions,and provisoes, as she shall think will best answer my intention. For, asto the management and distribution of all or any part of it, while inMrs. Norton's hands, or her own, I will that it be entirely discretional,and without account, either to my executor or any other person.
Although Mrs. Norton, as I have hinted, knows my whole mind in thisrespect; yet it may be proper to mention, in this solemn last act, thatmy intention is, that this fund be entirely set apart and appropriated torelieve temporarily, from the interest thereof, (as I dare say it will beput out to the best advantage,) or even from the principal, if need be,the honest, industrious, labouring poor only; when sickness, lameness,unforeseen losses, or other accidents, disable them from following theirlawful callings; or to assist such honest people of large families asshall have a child of good inclinations to put out to service, trade, orhusbandry.
It has always been a rule with me, in my little donations, to endeavourto aid and set forward the sober and industrious poor. Small helps, ifseasonably afforded, will do for such; and so the fund may be of moreextensive benefit; an ocean of wealth will not be sufficient for the idleand dissolute: whom, therefore, since they will always be in want, itwill be no charity to relieve, if worthier creatures would, by relievingthe others, be deprived of such assistance as may set the wheels of theirindustry going, and put them in a sphere of useful action.
But it is my express will and direction, that let this fund come out tobe ever so considerable, it shall be applied only in support of thetemporary exigencies of the persons I have described; and that no onefamily or person receive from it, at one time, or in one year, more thanthe sum of twenty pounds.
It is my will and desire, that the set of jewels which was mygrandmother's, and presented to me, soon after her death, be valued; andthe worth of them paid to my executor, if any of my family choose to havethem; or otherwise, that they should be sold, and go to the augmentationof my poor's fund.--But if they may be deemed an equivalent for the sumsmy father was pleased to advance to me since the death of my grandfather,I desire that they may be given to him.
I presume, that the diamond necklace, solitaire, and buckles, which wereproperly my own, presented by my mother's uncle, Sir Josias, Brookland,will not be purchased by any one of my family, for a too obvious reason:in this case I desire that they may be sent to the best advantage, andapply the money to the uses of my will.
In the beginning of this tedious writing, I referred to the latter partof it, the naming of the subject of the discourse which I wished might bedelivered at my funeral, if permitted to be interred with my ancestors.I think the following will be suitable to my case. I hope the alterationof the words her and she, for him and he, may be allowable.
'Let not her that is deceived trust in vanity; for vanity shall be her recompense. She shall be accomplished before her time; and her branch shall not be green. She shall shake off her unripe grape as the vine, and shall cut off her flower as the olive.'*
* Job xv. 31, 32, 33.
But if I am to be interred in town, let only the usual burial-service beread over my corpse.
If my body be permitted to be carried down, I bequeath ten pounds to begiven to the poor of the parish, at the discretion of the church-wardens,within a fortnight after my interment.
If any necessary matter be omitted in this my will, or if any thingappear doubtful or contradictory, as possibly may be the case; sincebesides my inexperience in these matters, I am now, at this time, veryweak and ill, having put off the finishing hand a little too long, inhopes of obtaining the last forgiveness of my honoured friend; in whichcase I should have acknowledged the favour with a suitable warmth ofduty, and filled up some blanks which I left to the very last,* in a moreagreeable manner to myself than now I have been enabled to do--in case ofsuch omissions and imperfections, I desire that my cousin Morden will beso good as to join with Mr. Belford in considering them, and in comparingthem with what I have more explicitly written; and if, after that, anydoubt remain, that they will be pleased to apply to Miss Howe, who knowsmy whole heart: and I desire that the construction of these three may beestablished: and I hereby establish it, provided it be unanimous, anddirect it to be put in force, as if I had so written and determinedmyself.
And now, O my blessed REDEEMER, do I, with a lively faith, humbly lay hold of thy meritorious death and sufferings; hoping to be washed clean in thy precious blood from all my sins: in the bare hope of the happy consequences of which, how light do those sufferings seem (grievous as they were at the time) which, I confidently trust, will be a mean, by the grace, to work out for me a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!
CLARISSA HARLOWE.
Signed, sealed, published, and declared, the day and year above-written, by the said Clarissa Harlowe, as her last will and testament; contained in seven sheets of paper, all written with her own hand, and every sheet signed and sealed by herself, in the presence of us,
John Williams,Arthur Bedall,Elizabeth Swanton.