and in our enemies' sight, and in the eyes of all people; Psal.118.d.23. and all that see it shall say, This is the Lord's work.

God is our king of old: the help that is done by sea and Psal. 74. c.13. by land, is his.

Psal. 107. d.

22. 23. &c.

10.

It is God that giveth deliverance unto Princes, and that Psal. 144. b. rescueth our QUEEN from the hurtful sword, and saveth David. her from all dangers and perils.

We will therefore give thanks, whom the Lord hath re- Psal. 107. a. 2. deemed, and delivered from the hand of the enemy.

We will confess before the Lord, and praise him for his Psal.107.d.21. goodness and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men.

We will offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving and d. 22. tell out his works with gladness.

We will exalt him also in the Congregation of the peo- Psal.107.c.32. ple, and praise him in the presence of the Elders.

O sing unto the Lord a new song: for he hath done Psal. 98. a. 1. marvellous things.

With his own right hand, and with his holy arm: hath a. 2. he gotten himself the victory.

O give thanks unto the Lord, and call upon his name: Psal. 105. a. 1. tell the people what things he hath done.

O let your songs be of him, and praise him: and let a. 2. your talking be of all his wondrous works.

Rejoice in his holy name: let the hearts of them rejoice a 3. that seek the Lord.

And thou, my soul, be joyful in the Lord: let it rejoice Psal. 35. b. 9. in his salvation.

All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, b 10. which deliverest the oppressed from them that be too strong for them yea, and them that are in distress from them that seek to spoil them?

Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel: which Psal. 72. c. 18. only doth wondrous things.

And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever and c. 19. ever and all the earth shall be filled with the glory of his majesty. Amen. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

A Collect of thanksgiving.

WE cannot but confess, O Lord God, that the late terrible intended invasion of most cruel enemies was sent from thee to the punishment of our sins, of our pride, our covetousness, our excess in meats and drinks, our security, our ingratitude, and our unthankfulness towards thee, for so long peace, and other thy infinite blessings continually poured upon us, and to the punishment of other our innumerable and most grievous offences continually committed against thy divine majesty. And indeed our guilty consciences looked for (even at that time) the execution of thy terrible justice upon us, so by us deserved. But thou, O Lord God, who knowest all things, knowing that our enemies came not of justice to

[In 1610 Thomas Sorocold, rector of St Mildred's in the Poultry, gave to the world a 'handfull of flowers, picked, sorted, and tyed up into a bundle,' entitled 'Supplications of Saints.' The book contained also three prayers by Queen Elizabeth, 'carying in matter pithe, in stile maiestie, and in words true deuotion,' one of which will not be inappropriately placed here.

Queen Elizabeth's Prayer of Thanksgiving, for the overthrow of the Spanish Navy, sent to invade ENGLAND, Anno 1588.

Most omnipotent Creator, Redeemer, and Conserver. When it seemed most fit time to thy worthy Providence to bestow the workmanship of this world's Globe: with thy rare judgment, thou didst divide into four singular parts the form of all this Mould, which aftertime hath termed Elements: all they serving to continue in orderly Government of all the mass. Which all, when of thy most singular bounty, and never yerst seen care, thou hast this year made serve for instruments to daunt our foes, and to confound their malice; I most humbly, with bowed heart, and bended knees, do render my humblest acknowledgments, and lowliest thanks: And not the least, for that the weakest Sex hath been so fortified by thy strongest help, that neither my people need find lack by my weakness, nor Foreigners triumph at my ruin: Such hath been thy unwonted grace in my DAYS, as, though Sathan hath never made Holy-day in practising for my life and state, yet thy mighty hand hath overspread both with the shade of thy wings, so that neither hath been overthrown, nor received shame, but abide with blessing, to thy most glory, and their greatest ignominy. For which, Lord, of thy meer goodness, grant us grace to be hourly thankful, and ever mindful. And if it may please thee to pardon my request, give us thy continuance in my days of like goodness; that my years never see change of such grace to me, but especially to this my kingdom: which, LORD, grant (for thy Son's sake) may flourish many ages after my end. Amen.]

punish us for our sins committed against thy divine majesty (whom they by their excessive wickedness have offended, and continually do offend, as much or more than we), but that they came with most cruel intent and purpose to destroy us, our cities, towns, country and people, and utterly to root out the memory of our nation from off the earth for ever; and withal, wholly to suppress thy holy word and blessed gospel of thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, which they (being drowned in idolatries and superstitions) do hate most deadly, and us likewise, only for the profession of the same, and not for any offences against thy divine majesty, or injuries done to themselves: wherefore it hath pleased thee, O heavenly Father, in thy justice to remember thy mercies towards us, turning our enemies from us and that dreadful execution which they intended towards us into a fatherly and most merciful admonition of us, to the amendment of our lives; and to execute justice upon our cruel enemies, turning the destruction which they intended against us upon their own heads. For the which the same thy most gracious protection of us, and all other thy graces, without all our desert, continually and most plenteously poured upon our Church, our QUEEN, our Realm and people of England, we beseech thee add, and pour also the grace of gratitude and thankfulness into our hearts: that we never forgetting, but bearing in perpetual memory, this thy merciful protection and deliverance of us from the malice, force, fraud, and cruelty of our enemies, and all other thy benefits most plenteously poured upon us, may enjoy the continuance of thy fatherly goodness towards our Church, our QUEEN, our Realm and people of England, and continually magnify thy holy and most glorious name: which we do beseech thee, O heavenly Father, to grant to us most unworthy sinners, for the worthiness of thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; to whom with thee, and the Holy Ghost, one God of most glorious majesty, be all honour and glory world without end. Amen. FINIS.

XXX. A GODLY PRAYER for the preservation of the Queen's majesty, and for her Armies both by sea and land, against the enemies of the Church and this Realm of England.

O LORD God, heavenly Father, thou Lord of hosts, without whose providence nothing proceedeth: and without whose mercy nothing is saved: in whose hand is the heart of Princes and all their actions ordered by thy special providence have mercy on thine afflicted church, and especially regard thy servant Elizabeth, our most excellent Queen, to whom thy dispersed flock do fly, in the anguish of their souls, and in the zeal of thy truth. Behold how princes do band themselves against her, because she endeavoureth to purge thy sanctuary, and that thy holy church may live in security. Consider, O Lord, how long thy servant hath laboured to them for peace, but how proudly they prepare themselves to battle. Arise therefore, maintain thine own cause, and judge thou between her and her enemies. She seeketh not her honour but thine, nor the dominion of others, but in defence of herself; nor the shedding of Christian blood, but the saving of poor afflicted souls. Come down therefore, come down and deliver thy people by her. To vanquish is all one with thee by few or by many, by want or by wealth, by weakness or by strength. O possess the hearts of our enemies with a fear of thy servant. The cause is thine, the enemies thine, the honour, victory, and triumph shall be thine. O consider the end of our enterprises, be present with us in our Armies, and make a joyful peace for thy Christians: and2 now since, in this extreme necessity, thou hast put into the heart of Debora to send forth men of war to restrain the pride of Cisera, bless thou all their attempts by sea and by land; grant them one heart, one mind, and one strength to defend our queen, her kingdom, and thy true religion give them wisdom, wariness, and courage, that they

[Strype's reprint differs in a few trifling particulars from the present one. His, however, was taken from Marten's own work, this from the broadside.]

[2 This passage goes far to confirm Mr Lathbury's opinion as to the exact time when the Prayer was published. See p. 470.]

may speedily prevent the devices, and valiantly withstand the forces, of all our enemies, that the fame of thy Gospel may be spread to the end of the world: We crave this in thy mercy, O Father, for the precious death of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen3.

Imprinted at London, by John Wolfe, for

Thomas Woodcocke. 1588.

[The prayer numbered xxvii., which, in deference, as was supposed, to the authority of archbishop Sancroft, has been connected with 1588 (see p. 469), would scarcely seem, even from the passages quoted below, to refer at all to the occurrences of that year. The writer had evidently in his mind the prayer printed on p. 522.

They... determining to deliuer vs ouer to the tyranny of that shamelesse sinfull man of Rome, and the bloudy sword... conspire against thee, O God, like hipocrites, against our Queene like Traitors, against our common countrey like spoylers, against vs euen as Cain did against Abel. But thy great goodness hath deuised better for vs, then they do: Thou hast spared vs, whom they would haue spoyled. Thy wisdom hath vnfolded their wickednes....... worke out the good worke which thou hast begon among vs. Confound and bring to naught the attemptes of these and the like enemies, as thou didest at Babel. Infold them in the folly of their owne counsels, as thou didest Achitophel. By thine Angell smite their force, as thou didest to Senacheribe. In their desperate attemptes let them be drowned, as was Pharao. In their treasons. ouertake them, as thou didest Absalon. If any of them are to be conuerted, turne them as thou didest Manasses. Otherwise, let them feele their due punishment, as did Dathan with his conspirators; that of these also may be left an example of thy iustice to the posteritie.]

[LITURG. QU. ELIZ.]

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