The excellent woman a sermon preached at the funeral of Mrs. Elizabeth Scott ...…

None that came with petitions did go away without alms, unless she had known they had come the second time, having bin relieved before: many a time have her servants gone up to her chamber, or when she was at dinner, with a paper or petition (they knowing when best to find her at home) she would ask them if they knew them fit objects of charity, but let the answer be I ⟨p. 128⟩or no, she would send them down something if she could not go down her self, saying, she would rather give to them that had no need, then send one empty away that had; sending them down word, if they had counterfeited other mens names, they would very much wrong themselves (as sometimes we could perceive they abused her charity, and grew so subtle, that they would indite Letters punctually to her by name, they having their alms according to their demerit.) Her charity was exceeding much amongst all the poor people at Hawkherst in Kent, where her house was, where she was many summers since she used to be in London the winters, they have all cause to remember how many have had relief at her door; Seldom a Lords day but eighteen had relief there, she would exhort those poor to serve God, ⟨p. 129⟩and ask them if they had been at Church those days, and if they had not they should have nothing; which caused some of them to go the oftener, for they would be sure to tell one of another, and not a day in the week, but many of them came and had relief at noon and at nights. Sir, more I could relate but Mr. Case spake of them in his Sermon, and therefore shall proceed no further in these particulars, wherein also it may be well said, She exceeded many daughters that have done virtuously.

None that came with petitions did go away without almes, unlesse she had known they had come the second time, having bin relieved before: many a time have her servants gone up to her chamber, or when she was at dinner, with a paper or petition (they knowing when best to find her at home) she would ask them if they knew them fit objects of charity, but let the answer be I ⟨p. 128⟩or no, she would send them down something if she could not go down her self, saying, she would rather give to them that had no need, then send one empty away that had; sending them down word, if they had counterfeited other mens names, they would very much wrong themselves (as sometimes we could perceive they abused her charity, and grew so subtile, that they would indite Letters punctually to her by name, they having their almes according to their demerit.) Her charity was exceeding much amongst all the poor people at Hawkherst in Kent, where her house was, where she was many summers since she used to be in London the winters, they have all cause to remember how many have had relief at her door; Seldom a Lords day but eighteen had relief there, she would exhort those poor to serve God,