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The Prayer of King CHARLES, ftil'd A Prayer in Time of Captivity, Printed in pag. 94. of his Works, 1686; and alfo in Icon Bafilike.

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Powerful and eternal God, to whom nothing is fo great that it may refift, or fo fmall that it is contemn'd, look upon my mifery with thine eye of mercy, and let thine infinite power vouchsafe to limit out fom proportion of deliverance unto me, as to thee shall feem moft convenient. Let not injury, O Lord, triumph over me, and let my fault by thy hand be corrected and make not my unjust enemies the minifters of thy justice. But yet, my God, if in thy wisdom this be the apteft chaftifement for my unexcufable tranfgreffions, if this ungrateful bondage be fitteft for my over-high defires, if the pride of my (not-enough bumble) heart be thus to be broken, O Lord, I yield unto thy will, and cheerfully embrace what forrow thou wilt have me fuffer; only thus much let me crave of thee (let my craving, O Lord, be accepted of, fince it even proceeds from thee) that by thy goodness, which is thy felf thou wilt fuffer fome beam of thy majefty fo to fine in my mind, that I, who in my greateft afflictions acknowledg it my nobleft title to be thy creature, may ftill depend confidently on thee: Let calamity be the exercife, but not the overthrow of my virtue. O let not their prevailing power be to my destruction; and if it be thy

The PRAYER of PAMELA (tò a Heathen Deity.) In Pembroke's Arcadia, pag. 248, 1674.

All-feeing light, and eternal life of all things, to whom nothing is either fo great that it may refift, or so small that it is contemn'd, look upon my mifery with thine ey of mercy, and let thine infinite power vouchsafe to limit out fom proportion of deliverance unto me, as to thee fhall feem most convenient. Let not injury, O Lord, triumph over me, and let my faults by thy hand be corrected, and make not mine unjust enemy the minifter of thy juftice. But yet, my God, if in thy wifdom this be the apteft chaftifement for my unexcufable folly, if this low bondage be fitted for my over high defires, if the pride of my not-enough humble heart be thus to be broken, O Lord, I yield unto thy will, and joyfully embrace what forrow thou wilt have me fuffer; only thus much let me crave of thee (let my craving, O Lord, be accepted of thee, fince even that proceeds from thee) let me crave even by the nobleft title which in my greatest affliction I may give my felf, that I am thy creature, and by thy goodness, which is thy self, that thou wilt fuffer fom beams of thy majefty to fhine into my mind, that it may still depend confidently on thee. Let calamity be the

exercise,

will that they more and more vex me with punishment, yet, O Lord, never let their wickedness have fuch a band, but that I may ftill carry a pure mind and ftedfaft refolution ever to ferve thee without fear or prefumtion, yet with that humble confidence which may beft please thee; fo that at the last I may com to thy eternal kingdom, through the merits of thy Son, our alone Savior, JESUS CHRIST. Amen.

exercife, but not the overthrow of my virtue; let their power prevail, but prevail not to deftruction ; let my greatnefs be their prey let my pain be the sweetness of their revenge; let them (if fo it feem good unto thee) vex me with more and more punishment: But, O Lord, let never their wickedness have fuch a hand, but that I may carry a pure mind in a pure body; and pausing a while; and O most gracious Lord, faid fhe, whatever becomes of me, preferve the virtuous MusiDOR US.

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CONCLUSION.

I Hope by this time I have fatisfy'd Mr. BLACK

HALL, fince I have not only laid together the first testimonies concerning this matter, but also anfwer'd the exceptions that were made to those teftimonies, and difprov'd the fresh evidence which was produc'd on the behalf of Icon Bafilike

* The evidence on both fides of the question was collected by me, and laid before the public with the utmost fincerity and impartiality, in an " Appendix" to the former edition of this life in 1738, except that I forgot to mention, that Bishop Burnet affures us, in the Hiftory of his own Times, that the Earl of Lothian, who knew King Charles the first very well, and loved him little, feemed confident, that it was his majesties own hand, his Lordship declaring to the Bishop, that he had heard the King fay a great many things, that he found in that book: But that, on the other hand, the Duke of York, in 1673, told him, that the Icon was not of his father's writing, but Dr. Gauden's, who, after the Reftoration, brought the Duke of Somerset, and the Earl of Southampton, to King Charles II, and the Duke of York, and that thofe noble perfons affirmed, that it was written by that Divine, and carried down to the Earl of Southampton, and fhewed to King Charles I, during the treaty of Newport, who read it, and approved of it, as containing his fenfe of things. To which may now be added, that Dr. Patrick, Bishop of Ely, in his manufcript "Hiftory of his own Life," though attached in the younger part of his life to the intereft of King Charles I, denies his Majefly to have been the original author of the Icon, &c. &c. Birch's Life of Milton.

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