and Sir
Robert put on a sudden resolution to accompany him to the French
Court, and to be present at his audience there. And Sir Robert put on
as sudden a resolution, to subject Mr. Donne to be his companion in
that journey; and this desire was suddenly made known to his wife, who
was then with child, and otherwise under so dangerous a habit of body,
as to her health, that she protested an unwillingness to allow him any
absence from her; saying her divining soul boded her some ill in his
absence, and therefore desired him not to leave her. This made Mr.
Donne lay aside all thoughts of his journey, and really to resolve
against it. But Sir Robert became restless in his persuasions for it,
and Mr. Donne was so generous as to think he had sold his liberty,
when he had received so many charitable kindnesses from him, and told
his wife so; who, therefore, with an unwilling willingness, did give a
faint consent to the journey, which was proposed to be but for two
months: within a few days after this resolve, the Ambassador, Sir
Robert, and Mr. Donne, left London, and were the twelfth day got safe
to Paris. Two days after their arrival there, Mr. Donne was left alone
in the room, where Sir Robert and he, with some others, had dined: to
this place Sir Robert returned within half an hour, and as he left, so
he found Mr. Donne alone, but in such an extacy, and so altered as to
his looks, as amazed Sir Robert to behold him, insomuch as he
earnestly desired Mr.
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