Powerful O Eternal God to whom nothing is so Great that it may resist or so Small that it is contemn'd look upon my Misery with thine Eye of Mercy and let thine Infinite Power vouchsafe to limit out some proportion of Deliverance unto me as to thee shall seem most Convenient Let not Injury O Lord Triumph ever me and let my O All seeing Light and Eternal Life of all things to whom nothing is either so Great that it may resist or so Small that it is contemn'd look upon my Misery with thine Eye of Mercy and let thine Infinite Power vouchsafe to limit out some proporrion of Deliverance unto me as to thee shall seem most Convenient Let not Injury O Lord Triumph over me and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faults by thy hand be Corrected and make not mine unjust Enemies the Minister of thy Justice But yet my God if in thy Wisdom this be the aptest Chastisment for my unexcusable Folly if this low Bondage be fittest for my over high Desire 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 sorrow thou wilt have me suffer only thus much let me crave of thee let my craving O Lord be accepted of thee since even that proceeds from thee let me crave even by the Noblest Title which in my greatest Affliction I may give my self that I am thy Creature and by thy goodness which is thy self that thou wilt suffer some Beam of thy Majesty to shine into my mind that it may still depend confidently on thee let Calamity be the Exercise but not the overthrow of my vertue let their Power prevail but prevail not to Destruction let my Greatness be their Prey let my pain be Faults by thy Hand be Corrected and make not my unjust Enemies the Ministers of thy Iustice. But yet my God if in thy Wisdom this be the aptest Chastisment for my unexcusable Transgression if this ungrateful Bondage be fittest for my over high Desires if the Pride of my not enough humble heart be thus to be broken O Lord I yield unto thy Will and chearfully embrace what sorrow thou wilt have me suffer only thus much let me crave of thee let my craving O Lord be accepted of since it even proceeds from thee that by thy goodness which is thy self thou wilt suffer some Beam of thy Majesty so to shine in my mind that I who in my greatest Affliction acknowledge it my Noblest Title to be thy Creature may still depend confidently on thee let Calamity be the Exercise but not the overthrow of my Vertue O let not their prevailing Power be to my Destruction and if it be thy Will that they more and more vex me with Punishment yet O Lord never let their wickedness have such a hand but that I may still carry a pure mind and stedfast Resolution ever to serve thee without fear or Presumption yet with that humble confidence which may best please thee so that at last I may come to thy Eternal Kingdom through the Merits of thy Son our alone Saviour Iesus Christ. Amen the sweetness of their Revenge let them if so it seem good unto thee vex me with more and more Punishment but O Lord let never their Wickedness have such a hand but that I may carry a pure mind in a pure Body and pausing a while O most gracious Lord said she whatever becomes of me preserve the vertuous Mu idorus Having now given an Account of the design of Publishing this special Book and also what it is composed of I shall now produce divers Reasons enough I think to convince any rational Man that will not be willfully blind And first I shall give you the Noble Earl of Anglesey's Memorandum perfixt before the Book reputed to be King Charles I's called Icon Basilice and found by Edward Millington who sold the said Earl's Library all Written with the Earl's own Hand in these Words King Charles the Second and Duke of York did both in the last Session of Parliament 1675. when I shew'd Them in the Lord's House the Written Copy of this Book wherein are some Corrections and Alterations written with the late King Charles I's own Hand Assure me That this was none of the said King 's Compiling but made by Dr. Gauden Bishop of Exeter which I here incert for the undeceiving others in this Point by attesting so much under my Hand ANGLESEY This Noble Earl's Advertisement or Memorandum must have the greater Weight for that he concealed it for ought I can hear from the Publick which doubtless he would not have done if he had had any design to carry it on by making it Publick This Memorandum being true the World has the Words of two Kings that Bishop Gauden and not King Charles Composed this lying Book For further proof that Dr. Gauden writ this Book take a Summary Account of some Papers relating Eicon Basilice now or lately in the Hands of Mr. North Merchant living on Tower Hill London whereby it appears that Dr. Gauden late Bishop of Exeter and afterwards of Worcester was the Author of that Book and not King Charles I. as the World hath for above Forty Years been imposed upon to believe Mr. North is a worthy Person and a Member of the Church of England he and Mr. Charles Gauden the Bishop's Son married two Sisters and Mr. Gauden dying about Ten Years since all his Papers were left with his Widow and Mr. North having occasion to look them over for some relating to his Sister-in-laws affairs found these relating to the Eicon Basilice carefully tied up together Mr. North by reason of his Marriage had many years acquaintance with Bishop Gauden's Family and knows that the Bishop's Widow at first gave them to her Darling Son John Gauden and upon his Death they came to Mr. Charles Gauden And further that in his many years knowledge of that Family it hath constantly and without any manner of doubt been declared that the Bishop was the Author of the Book There are several Letters and Papers I shall briefly give the Contents of them for the truth of which I shall refer to the Original Papers and to those many reverend and worthy Persons who have Read or been at the Reading of them Bishop Gauden at the time of King Charles the Second's Restauration was incumbent of Bocking in Essex and from that fat Parsonage was promoted to the Lean Bishoprick of Exeter which he complain'd was not sufficient to keep up the Port of a Bishop and thought that by his Merits he might lay claim to a better and the Death of Dr. Duppa Bishop of Winchester being daily expected he apply'd himself to the King with great Importunity to be translated thither pleading his Desert which as is evident from the Papers I mention could be no other than that of having written a Book which did such great Service to the Royal Family that King Charles the 2d
thought himself oblig'd to promise him that Bishoprick tho' when it became Void gave it to an other 1. There is Letter from Sir Edward Nicholas Secretary of State to Dr. Gauden dated January 1660 wrote by the King's Command intimating the King had received his Letter and that he should not have Cause to complain of his removal from Bocking 2. In the Bishops Letter to Chancellor Hide dated 28. December 1661 and his Petition to the King the Bishop sets forth That he had an high Rack The Bishoprick of Exeter but Empty Manger and declares what hazards he had run of Life and Estate and what great Advantage had accrued to the Crown by his Service That what he had done was for Comforting and incouraging of the King's Friends Exposing his Enemies and converting c. He pleads that what was done like a King should have a King-like Retribution and Instances in the Cases of Joseph Mordecai and Daniel who were Honoured and Rewarded for the Service they did to the Respective Princes tho' as he observes they were Captives in a strange Land 3. The Bishops Letter to the Duke of York dated the 17th of January 1661 Strongly urges the great Services he had done and Importunately Begs his Royal Highness to intercede for him with the King 4. There is an Original Letter from the Lord Chancellor Hide all of his own hand writing to the Bishop of Exeter dated 13th of March 1661 importing that the Chancellor had received several Letters from him That he was uneasy under the Bishop's Importunity excuses his not being yet able to serve him Speaks of annexing a Commendum to his Bishoprick and towards the close it hath this remarkable Expression The Particular you mention has indeed been imparted to me as a Secret I am sorry I ever knew it and When it ceases to be a Secret it will please none but Mr. Milton This is Subscribed Edw. Hide C. 5. Mrs. Gauden after the Death of the Bishop writes to her Son Mr. John Gauden That she had sent him an Hogshead of Cyder and Orders some Pictures to be sent her by the same Man In this Letter she speaks of the Book commonly call'd the Kings she calls it the Jewel and tells her Son that her Husband hoped to make a Fortune by it and wonders it should be doubted whether her Husband wrote it but says She has a Letter of a very Great Man 's that will clear it up 6. There is also a long Narrative of Mrs. Gauden's Hand-writing shewing that her Husband wrote the Book This she sent to her Son with the Letter wherein she said She had sent it that she might be a Clavis to him The Narrative sets forth That after her Husband had wrote the Book He shewed it to the Lord Capel who approved it and was for the printing of it but wished the King might have a Sight of it That an Opportunity was taken to Convey it to his Majesty by the Lord Marquiss of Hertford when He went to the Treaty at the Isle of Wight That the Marquiss after his Return from thence told her Husband that he gave the Book to the King and his Majesty did not like it but was for putting it out not as his own but another's But it being Urged That CROMWEL and others of the Army having got a great Reputation with the People for Parts and Piety it would do best to be in the King's Name His Majesty took time to consider of it That the Marquiss told her Husband He knew not what was become of the Papers and said God knows what will become of the King That her Husband not hearing the King's pleasure about it and finding Danger hastening on him he having kept a Copy by him sent it by one Mr. Symmonds a persecuted Minister to the Press together with a Letter That Mr. Royston was the Painter but did not know but the King wrote it That part of it was seized in the Press together with her Husband's Letter and Mr. Symmonds was taken Nevertherless the Work was carried on and finished a few days after his Majesty's death That when it was published the Parliament was Enraged and her Husband conceiving his Life and Estate to be in danger fled to Sir John Wennworth's near Yarmouth intending thence to pass the Seas But Mr. Symmonds falling sick and dying soon after not having been Examin'd and it not being discovered that her Husband was concern'd in it the Letter which had been taken having no Name to it he altered his purpose and returned home That there was an Epistle at first intended That the first Title was Suspisia Regalia but changed to Eicon Basilice and that there were two Chapters added That the Marquiss of Hertford the Lord Capel Bishop Duppa and Bishop Morley were at first the only Persons privy to it That after the King's Restoration Dr. Morley told her Husband That his Merit was such that he could Ask nothing but he could receive it That Duppa Bishop of Winchester being very sick her Husband went to the King and acquainted him that He was the Author of the Book and for the Truth thereof appealed to Bishop Duppa his Majesty's Tutor who was yet living and made an Apology for printing it without his Majesty's Father's Order or his but pleaded the Circumstances of Time and the King's danger That His Majesty told her Husband That till then He never knew that he wrote it but thought it was his Father's yet wondred how he could have time And observed That it was wrote like a Scholar as well as like a King and said that if it had been published sooner it might have saved his Fathers Life That at the same time the King gave him a Promise of the Bishoprick of Winchester That when he afterwards acquainted the Duke of York That he was the Author of that Book yet went under his Father's Name the Duke answered He thought his Father Wrote it That her Husband then told his Highness that the King had promised him the Bishoprick of Winchester and that his Highness assured him of his Favour That Bishop Duppa dying her Husband apply'd to the King upon his Promise but Dr. Morley who had told her Husband that he might have what he would ask got it and her Husband was made Bishop of Worcester but having enjoy'd it but about half a Year fell Sick and Dyed That She Petitioned the King setting forth That her Husband left her a Widdow with four Sons and a Daughter That it cost her Husband 200 l. to remove from Exeter to Worcester and pray'd his Majesty to bestow the half Years Rents upon her which he denied and gave them to another Reader take Notice This is the Substance tho' not perhaps the Express Words of Mrs. Gaudens Papers and it could be wished that the Papers themselves were made Publick then this short account would be fully justified I cannot dismish this matter without admiring the remarkable Providence of God
in the several steps towards the Discovery thereof which was the interest of so great a number of Men to have for ever Concealed and Buried And 1. Had not Dr. Gauden been disappointed of the Bishoprick of Winchester we should never have heard of his compiling the Icon Basilice nor would he ever have bragg'd That he had done like a King if he had had a King-like Retribution 2. Had Mrs. Gauden but been made Bishop of Worcester for half an Year she would probably have robb'd her Husband of the Glory of this Book and suffered it to have been for ever a Jewel of the Crown That the World may have a further satisfaction in this matter I shall give a short account of what the Reverend and Pious Dr. Walker lately Rector of Feyfield in Essex hath Written and Published a short time before he died in Answer to the Ignorance and lying Impertinence of Dr. Hollingworth Dr. Anthony Walker in this Book call'd the True Account of the Author of a Book Entitled Icon Basilice c. gives the Reason of his Writing on this Subject It was occasion'd by Dr. Hollingworth's Reproachful Charge on him for declaring That King Charles I. was not the Author of that Book He secondly solemnly appeals to the Searcher of Hearts Avenger of Falshood and Revealer of Secrets that he will write nothing for Truth that he was not thoroughly perswaded of and that by as full Evidence as he judged such a matter of Fact wanted and at such distance of Time is capable of Thirdly that he will with undisguised openness produce the means of his Knowledge the reasons of his Belief and the probable Arguments upon which his opinion is Grounded His Word are these Fol. 3. Sect. 11. I know and believe the Book whose Author is enquired after was Written by Dr. Gauden except two Chapters Writ by Bishop Duppa so far as the subjoined means may produce such Knowledge and the Reasons may induce such Belief First Dr. Gauden sometime before the Whole was finished was pleased to acquaint me with his Design and shewed me the Heads of divers Chapters and some of the Discourses written of them and after some time spent in persual he vouchsaft to ask my Opinion concerning it and after some consideration I told him I supposed it would be much for the King's Reputation Honour and Safety But I expresly added I stuck at the lawfulness of it and modestly asked him how he satisfyed himself so to impose upon the World To which he so readily replied that I concluded he had thought on it before viz. look on the Title 't is the Portraicture c. and no Man draws his own Picture which satisfyed himself and that he perfectly remembers that in the 2 Chapter of the Earl of Strafford in the first Edition p. 8. l. 18 19 20. he explain'd that he meant Dr. Juxton then Bishop of London in the following passage viz. He only hath been least vext by them who counsel'd me not to consent against the Vote of my own Conscience Secondly That some good time after what had passed as now related we being both in London and having dined together Dr. Gauden in the Afternoon desired me to walk with him to a Friend when we were gone part of the way he told me he was going to the Bishop of Salisbury Dr. Duppa whom he had acquainted with his design to fetch what he had left with his Lordship to be perused or to shew him what he had further Written desired me after a little Conversation to with-draw and leave them two alone which I did and after they had been some considerable time together Dr. Gauden returned and in the street gave me this Account of their Conference My Lord of Salisbury told me there were two subjects more he wished I had thought on and propounded them to me viz. The Ordinance against the Common Prayer Book and the denying His Majesty the Attendance of his Chaplains which are now the 16th and 24th Chapters in the Printed Book and desired me to Write two Chapters upon them which I promised I would But before we parted he recalled that request and said I pray go you on to finish what remains and leave these two to me I will perpare two Chapters upon them which accordingly he did as Dr. Gauden owned to me and others whom he had made privy to the whole and never pretended to have Written these as he did to have done all the rest Thirdly Sometime after the King was Beheaded I asked Dr. Gauden whether the King had ever seen the Book he gave me this Answer I know it certainly no more then you but I used my best endeavours he might for I delivered a Copy of it to the Marquess of Hartford when he went to the Treaty at the Isle of Wight and intreated his Lordship if he could obtain any private opportunity he would deliver it to His Majesty and humbly desire to know His Pleasure concerning it But matters running then high against the King he had no answer by that Lord. Fourthly After he was Lord Bishop of Worcester Elect I asked him in private whether that King Charles II. knew that he wrote it He gave me this Answer I cannot possitively and certainly say he doth because he was never pleased to take express notice of it to me But I take it for granted he doth for I am sure the Duke of York doth for he hath spoken of it to me and own'd it as a seasonable and acceptable service and he knowing it I question not but the King also doth Fifthly Mrs. Gauden his Wife Mr. Gifford who if I am not mistaken Transcribed that Copy that was sent to the Isle of Wight and my self believed it as much as we could any thing and when we spake of it in his Presence or Absence did it without the least Doubt of his having Writ it and we should be imposed upon to the highest degree imaginable if Dr. Gauden wrote it not Sixthly Dr. Gauden delivered to me with his own hand what was last sent up after part was Printed or at least in Mr. Royston's hand to be Printed and after he had shew'd it me and sealed it up gave me strict caution with what wariness to carry and deliver it and according to his Direction I delivered it Saturday December 23d 1648. in the Evening to one Peacock Brother to Dr. Gauden ' s Steward or Bayliff who was instructed by what hands he should transmit it to Mr. Royston and in the same method a few days after the Impression was finished I received six Books by the hand of Mr. Peacock as an acknowledgment of that little I contributed to that Service one of which I have still by me and to justifie this matter against the ignorant impudence of Dr. Hollingsworth he Declares Fol. 15. That he is ready to confirm his Knowledge and Belief herein with a Solemn Oath Mrs. Gauden Widow residing at Gloucester and often Declaring
betake our selves to new Counsels The very Words he used to that Parliament in the Year 1628. Further upon the discovery of his Plot to bring up the English Army against the Parliament he turn'd to the Scottish Army then at New Castle and baited his Temptation with a rich Reward not only to have 300000 l. in hand and the spoil of London but four Northern Counties to be made Scotists Moreover to encourage them to joyn with him he Declared to them That he was to have Money and Horse from Denmark and that he would make York the place of his Residence for the better accommodation of both Nations or fuller Revenge upon London He also gathered Men in London under pretence of raising Forces for Portugal who were to possess themselves of the Tower The Queen in Holland was buying Arms and His Majesty had actually raised Forces in divers Counties The Parliament was all this time Petitioning in Peace and for the Reasons now assigned amongst many others They humbly besought him that he would be pleased to put the Tower of London and the Militia into the Hands of such Persons as should be recommended unto him by both Houses of Parliament The King seemed to comply herein and by his Answer promised them That the Militia should be put into such Hands as they should approve of or recommend to him hereupon both Houses nominated Persons of the greatest Honour as fit for that Trust. I shall give you the Names of some of them The Earls of Holland Rutland Bedford Bullingbrook Salisbury Warwick Pembrook Leicester Stamford Essex Clare Northumberland Lincoln Suffolk c. Lords Paget North Strange Roberts Grey of Werk Chandois Dacres Mandeville Wharton Spencer Brook Herbert Fielding Littleton Lord Keeper c. Men Eminent in all Qualifications of Honour and Sufficiency were recommended for several Counties and the King was desired to agree thereunto as he had promised upon his delaying to give a satisfactory Answer they again Petition setting forth That nothing could enable them to suppress the Rebellion in Ireland and secure England but the granting of their Humble Petition which they find so absolutely necessary for the preservation of the King and Common-wealth that the Laws of God and Man injoin them to see it put in Execution They followed him to Theobalds and his several removes to York but he having Abdicated the Parliament and being deaf to all their Importunities they declared That there had been of late a most desperate Design upon the House of Commons which they had just cause to believe was an effect of the Bloody Councels of Papists and other evil affected Persons who had already raised a Rebellion in Ireland and by reason of many Discoveries They could not but fear they would proceed not only to stir up the like Rebellion and Insurrection in this Kingdom but also to back them with Forces from Abroad and thereupon both Houses made an Ordinance for the ordering of the Militia of England and Wales there appearing an urgent and inevitable necessity for putting His Majesties Subjects in a posture of Defence for the Safeguard of both His Majesty and his People and they resolved That in this Case of extream danger and of His Majesties Refusal the Ordinance agreed to by both Houses for the Militia doth oblige the People and ought to be obeyed by the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom They further about that time Resolved That the King's Absence so far remote from his Parliament was not only an Obstruction but might be a Destruction to the Affairs of Ireland These and many other Reasons that may with the greatest ease be given 't is notoriously manifest That King Charles began and carryed on that Bloody Civil War against his poor Subjects without the least Colour of Reason and Iustice for which wicked Acts God justly suffered him to be brought to that shameful and untimely End This King studdying and endeavouring by all ways imaginable as he lived without the Love so he died without the Lamentation of most People but those Villains that had been large instruments in bringing him and his People into that miserable War and Division 25. That after he had taken God to Witness of his readiness to Treat at Uxbridge with the Parliament for avoiding of Blood-shed as pretended he took the advantage of a Mist the fittest Weather for Deceit and Treachery and followed at the Heels those Messengers of Peace with a Train of Covert War and with a Bloody surprise falls on the Parliaments secure Forces which lay Quartering at Brentford in the thoughts and expectation of a Treaty He gives his Reason why he seemed for Peace in a Letter to his Queen which was That She must know as a certain Truth That all even his Party are strongly impatient for a Peace which oblidged him so much the more to shew on all occasions his Intentions to Peace but tells her no danger of Death shall make him do any thing unworthy of her Love An excellent Resolution no doubt for the preserving the Protestant Religion made to his Popish Queen At the very instant of this Treaty which was in 1644. the King used all imaginable meams to bring not only Foreign Forces but the Irish Cut Throats against the Parliament To clear up this point and also to shew how insincere he was in his pretended Intentions of Peace I will briefly present his Underhand Transactions as well with Foreign Princes as those Rebels and in the first place I shall take notice of some passages between Him and the Queen in relation to this and other Treaties In a Letter to Her of January 9th 1644. he Writes thus The Scots Commissioners have sent to me to send a Commission to their General Assembly Which I am resolved not to do but to the end of making some use of this occasion by sending an honest Man to London and that I may have the more time for a handsome Negative I have demanded a Pasport for Phil. Warwick by whom to return my Answer At another time the same Month He tells Her That as for my calling those a Parliament if there had been but Two of my Opinion I had not done it the calling did no ways acknowledge them to be a Parliament upon which condition and construction I did it and accordingly it is registred in the Council Books Nothing is more evident than that the King was steered by the Queen's Council in the management of this Uxbridge Treaty and that which is call'd the Church of England The Bishops was greatly her care By Letter in January 1644. before the beginning of that Treaty She instructs him not to abandon those who have served him lest they forsake him in his need that She hopes he will have a care of her and her Religion that in Her Majesties Opinion Religion should be the last thing upon which he should Treat for if he do agree upon strickness against the Catholicks it would discourage them to serve