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KING CHARLES'S MARTYRDOM.

ON the morning of his death, Charles awoke about two hours before daybreak, after a sound sleep of four hours.

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JAN. 1843.

He called to Herbert, who lay on a pallet by his bedside, and bade him rise; "for," said the king, "I will get up; I have a great work to do this day." He then gave orders what clothes he would wear, and said to his attendant, "Let me have a shirt on more than ordinary, by reason the season is so sharp as probably may make me shake, which some observers will imagine proceeds from fear. I would have no such imputation; I fear not death. Death is not terrible to me. I bless God I am prepared." Soon after the king was dressed, Bishop Juxon came to him, according to his appointment the night before. He remained an hour in private with him, when Herbert was called in, and the bishop prayed with the king, using the prayers of the Church, and then read the 27th chapter of St. Matthew, which so beautifully describes the passion of our Saviour. The king thanked the bishop for his choice of the lesson; but he was surprised and gratified to learn that it was the lesson for the day according to the calendar.

About ten o'clock Colonel Hacker knocked at the king's chamber-door, and, being admitted by Herbert, came in trembling, and announced to the king that it was time to go to Whitehall, where he might have further time to rest; and soon afterwards the king, taking the bishop by the hand, proposed to go. Charles then walked out through the garden of the palace into the park, where several companies of foot waited as his guard; and, attended by the bishop on one side, and Colonel Tomlinson on the other, both bareheaded, he walked fast down the park, sometimes cheerfully calling on the guard to "march apace." As he went along, he said, "he now went to strive for a heavenly crown with less solicitude than he had often encouraged his soldiers to fight for an earthly diadem."

At the end of the park the king went up the stairs leading to the long gallery, and so into the cabinet cham

ber of the palace of Whitehall. Being delayed here in consequence of the scaffold not being ready, he offered up several prayers, and entered into religious discourse with the bishop. About twelve he ate some bread and drank a glass of claret, declining to dine after he had received the sacrament.

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In a few minutes Hacker came and knocked at the door of the chamber where the king was, with Tomlinson, the bishop, Herbert, and some of his guards. Herbert and the bishop were deeply affected at this signal for their final separation from their sovereign and master. king stretched out his hand to them, which they kissed, falling on their knees and weeping, the king helping the revered bishop to rise. He then bade Hacker to open the door, and he would follow; and he was conducted by Hacker, Tomlinson, and other officers and soldiers, through the banqueting-house by a passage broken through the wall, where the centre window now is. A strong guard of several regiments of horse and foot being posted about the scaffold, so that the people could not approach near enough to hear any discourse from the king, he addressed his last sentences chiefly to the bishop, Colonel Tomlinson, and other officers who stood near him. Then to Colonel Hacker he said, "Take care that they do not put me to pain; and, sir, this and it please you—" But a gentleman coming near the axe, the king said, "Take heed of the axe, pray take heed of the axe." Then speaking unto the executioner, he said, "I shall say but very short prayers, and when I thrust out my hands-" Then turning to the bishop, he said, "I have a good cause and a gracious God on my side."

The bishop replied, "There is but one stage more; this stage is turbulent and troublesome,—it is a short one; but you may consider it will soon carry you a very great way. It will carry you from earth to heaven; and there you will find a great deal of cordial joy and comfort."

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