Pietas in patriam the life of His Excellency Sir William Phips, Knt. late Captain…

But he made no Men more welcome, than those Good Men, whose Office 'tis to promote and preserve Goodness in all other Men; even the Ministers of the Gospel: Especially when they were such as faithfully Discharged their Office: And from these at any Time, the least Admonition or Intimation of any good Thing to be done by him, he entertained with a most obliging Alacrity. His Religion in Truth, was one Principle that added Virtue unto that vast Courage, which was always in him to a Degree Heroical. Those Terrible Nations, which made their Descents from the Northern on the Southern Parts of Europe, in those Elder Ages, when so to swarm out was more frequent with them, were inspired with a valiant Contempt of Life, by the Opinion, wherein their famous Odin instructed them. That their Death was but an Entrance into another Life, wherein they who Died in Warlike Actions, were bravely feasted with the God of War for ever: 'Tis inexpressible, How much the Courage of those fierce Mortals was fortified by that Opinion.

But when Sir William Phips was asked by some that observed his Valiant Contempt of Death, What it was that made him so little afraid of Dying, he gave a better grounded Account of it, than those Pagans could; his Answer was, I do humbly believe, That the Lord Jesus Christ shed his Precious Blood for me, by His Death procuring my Peace with God: and what should I now be afraid of Dying for?

But this Leads me to mention the Humble and Modest Carriage in him, towards other Men, which accompanied this his Piety. There were certain Pomps belonging unto the several Places of Honour, through which he passed; Pomps, that are very taking to Men of little Souls: But although he rose from so little, yet he discovered a marvellous Contempt of those Airy Things, and as far, as he handsomely could, he declined being ceremoniously, or any otherwise than ⟨p. 94⟩