A COMPANION FOR THE Festivals and Fasts OF THЕ CHURCH of England: WITH COLLECTS and PRAYERS For each SOLEMNITY. By ROBERT NELSON, Efq. The Twenty-first Edition. The Righteous shall be in everlasting Remembrance. Pf. cxii. 6. Deo, Beneficiorum ejus, folemnitatibus feftis & diebus S. Auguft. de Civit. Dei, lib. x. c. 4. S. Hieron. ad Euftoch. de Caft. Virg. LONDON, Printed for C. HITCH and L. HAWES, J. HODGES, E. D. R OBERT NELSON, Esquire, the pious Author 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, Sister to Sir Gabriel Roberts, a Turkey Merchant also 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'sHouse, fromwhence he went to Trinity College in Cambridge, where he was entered Fellow Commoner. He married the Lady Theophila Lucy, Relict of Sir Kingsman Lucy, and Daughter of John late Earl of Berkeley. His Lady enjoyed but an ill State of Health; for the Recovery, it he passed 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 visited, as the many Letters written to him from Princes, Minifters of State, and Persons of Distinction, do abundantly testify. Nor was he less esteemed in England, his Acquaintance being generally among fuch as were most remarkable for Piety and Learning, of whom the good Mr. Kettlewell was one; I here particularly mention him, because to him we owe Mr. Nelson's first engaging in this useful Work: Which whosoever reads, will find it no fmall A2 fmall Addition to the Pleasure and Advantage he shall reap by it, to confider that it is the Work of a fine Gentleman, and one who never entered into holy Orders; because this will shew what Injustice those Men do to our most Holy Religion, who represent it as a morofe, narrow fpirited Institution, fit only to be practifed by Hermits and Recluses. Mr. Nelson's other Qualifications, of a comely Personage, a genteel Deportment, and a fair Fortune, were fo far from being inconfiftent with that genuine Spirit of Piety which always shewed itself in him, that they were no fmall Ornaments to it: Those external Endowments of Nature and Fortune ferved to fet off, and make his Virtue the more amiable and captivating; as his Virtue made those which are by themselves unworthy to be efteemed, appear as real Accomplishments. His Corpfe was depofited in the New Burying Ground, in Lambs-Conduit Fields, then first confecrated on that Occafion. A square 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, Kingsmanni Lucy Baronetti viduam, Prænobilis Johannis Comitis de BERKLEY Filiam, quam Aquisgranum usque valetudinis Recuperandæ causa proficifcentem lubenter Comi Summo amore fovit, morte divulfam Per novem annos superstes plurimum defideravit. Quas partim in Schola Paulina, In omni fere Literarum genere versatus, Peragratâ femel atque iterum Europâ, Et Religionum formas exploraverat, Beneficiis auxit, Scriptis defendit, Filius ipfius obfequentiffimus, Et propugnator imprimis ftrenuus. Aut ad augendam utilitatem publicam, |