A

COMPANION

FOR THE

Fefiivals and Fafts

OF THE

CHURCH of England:

WITH

COLLECTS and PRAYERS

For each SOLEMNITY.

By ROBERT NELSON, Efq.

The Twenty-first Edition.

The Righteous fhall be in everlasting Remembrance. Pf. cxii. 6.
Seeing we are compaffed about with fo great a Cloud of Wit-

neffes, let us lay afide every Weight, and the Sin which doth
fo easily befet us, and let us run with Patience the Race that
is fet before us, Heb. xii. 1.

Deo, Beneficiorum ejus, folemnitatibus feftis & diebus
ftatutis, dicamus facramufque memoriam; ne volumine
temporum ingrata fubrepať oblivio.

S. Auguft. de Civit. Dei, lib. x. c. 4.
Grandis Labor, fed grande Præmium, effe quod Martyres,
effe quod Apoftoli, effe quod Chriftus eft.

S. Hieron. ad Euftoch. de Caft. Virg.

LONDON,

Printed for C. HITCH and L. HAWES, J. HODGES, E.
WICKSTEED, B. DOD, J. BEACROFT, J. FULLER, P.
STEVENS, J. RIVINGTON, J. RIVINGTON and J. FLET-
CHER, R. BALDWIN. J. WARD, W. JOHNSTON, W.
OWEN, G. KEITH, J. RICHARDSON, P. DAVEY and
B. LAW, S. CROWDER and H. WOODGATE, T. CASLON,
and M. COOPER. MDCCLVII.

D.

BODL LIBR 16. FEB 1916

OXFORD

R

of this excellent Book, was born the 22d of June 1656, being the Son of Mr. John Nelson, a confiderable Turkey Merchant of London, and Delicia his Wife, Sifter to Sir Gabriel Roberts, a Turkey Merchant alfo of the fame City. His Father dying when he was young, he was left to the Care of his Mother, and her Brother Sir Gabriel, who being made his Guardian, was very careful of the Education of this his Nephew, who was indeed beloved by every one, being a most beautiful Youth, and of fine natural Parts. He was for fome time at St. Paul's School in London; but the principal Part of his Education was under a private Tutor in his Mother's House, from whence he went to Trinity College in Cambridge, where he was entered Fellow Commoner. He married the Lady Theophila Lucy, Relict of Sir Kingman Lucy, and Daughter of John late Earl of Berkeley. His Lady enjoyed but an ill State of Health; for the Recovery, it he paffed over with her into France, and went to Aix la Chapelle, where he continued fome Time, and afterwards proceeded on his Travels thro' France, Italy, and Germany. Never was any Englishman known to be more careffed in all the foreign Courts which he vifited, as the many Letters written to him from Princes, Minifters of State, and Perfons of Distinction, do abundantly testify. Nor was he lefs efteemed in England, his Acquaintance being generally among fuch as were moft remarkable for Piety and Learning, of whom the good Mr. Kettlewell was one; I here particularly mention him, because to him we owe Mr. Nelfon's firft engaging in this useful Work: Which whofoever reads, will find it no A 2 fmall

fmall Addition to the Pleasure and Advantage he fhall reap by it, to confider that it is the Work of a fine Gentleman, and one who never entered into holy Orders; becaufe this will fhew what Injuftice thofe Men do to our most Holy Religion, who reprefent it as a morofe, narrow fpirited Inftitution, fit only to be practifed by Hermits and Reclufes. Mr. Nelfon's other Qualifications, of a comely Perfonage, a genteel Deportment, and a fair Fortune, were fo far from being inconfiftent with that genuine Spirit of Piety which always fhewed itfelf in him, that they were no fmall Ornaments to it: Thofe external Endowments of Nature and Fortune served to fet off, and make his Virtue the more amiable and captivating; as his Virtue made those which are by themselves unworthy to be esteemed, appear as real Accomplishments.

His Corpfe was depofited in the New Burying Ground, in Lambs-Conduit Fields, then firft confecrated on that Occafion. A fquare Monument was afterwards erected over him, containing, on the four Sides of it, the following Inscription drawn up by George Smaldrige Lord Bishop of Bristol.

H. S. E.

ROBERTUS NELSON, Armiger,

Qui, Patre ortus Johanne Cive Londinenfi,

Ex Societate Mercatorum cum Turcis commercium
Habentium, Matre Deliciis Sorore

Gabrielis Roberts Equitis aurati, ex eadem
Civitate & eodem Sodalitio, uxorem habuit
Honoratiffimam Dominam Theophilam
Lucy, Kingfmanni Lucy Baronetti viduam,
Prænobilis fohannis Comitis de BERKLEY
Filiam, quam Aquifgranum ufque valetudinis
Recuperandæ caufa proficifcentem lubenter

Comi

Comitatus, ac extremum vitæ terminum
Summo amore fovit, morte divulfam

Per novem annos fuperftes plurimum defideravit.
Literis Græcis & Latinis,

Quas partim in Schola Paulina, Partim intra domefticos parietes didicerat, Linguarum Gallicæ & Italicæ peritiam Lutetiæ & Romæ agens facile adjunxit. In omni fere Literarum genere verfatus, Ad Theologiæ ftudium animum præcipuè appulit : Et felici pariter memoriâ atque acri judicio pollens, Antiquitatum Ecclefiafticarum fcientiâ

Inter Clericos enituit Laicus.

Peragratâ femel atque iterum Europâ,
Poftquam diverfas Civitatum

Et Religionum formas exploraverat,
Nullam Reipublicæ adminiftrandæ rationem
Monarchiæ domi conftitutæ præpofuit,

Cæteras omnes Ecclefias Anglicanæ longe pofthabuit:
Hanc ipfi femper caram

Beneficiis auxit,

Vitâ exornavit,

Scriptis defendit,

Filius ipfius obfequentiffimus,

Et propugnator imprimis ftrenuus.

Nulla erat bonorum Virorum communitas,

Aut ad Pauperum liberos, fumptu Locupletiorum,

Bene inftruendos,

Aut ad augendam utilitatem publicam,
Aut ad promovendam Dei gloriam inftituta,
Cui non fe libenter focium addidit.
Hifce ftudiis & temporis & opum
Partem longè maximam impendit.
Quicquid Facultatum fupererat,

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