APPENDIX.

66

No. I.

and by such an open act of Rebellion begun by him, he would make himself guilty of all the evills and blood-shed that might therupon insue." (Life of James the Second, Vol. 1. p. 3.)

EXTRACT

FROM THE

ΕΙΚΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ * OF CHARLES I.

"Alii diutius Imperium tenuerunt; nemo tam fortiter reliquerit." (Tacit. Histor. Lib. 2. C. 47.)

UPON His MAJESTIES repulse at HULL, and the fates of the HOTHAMS.

Y

My repulse at Hull seemed at the first view an act of so rude Disloyalty, that my greatest Enemies had scarce confidence enough to abett or own it: It was the first overt Essay to be made how patiently I could bear the Loss of my Kingdoms.

In the copy before me of this work my learned relation, the Rev. William Clarke of Chichester, had inserted the following testimony of Rapin with an additional remark: "One of the most considerable writings of those days was Eixwv Baσiλin or The King's PortraitURE, published in 1649. It is scarce to be doubted that Charles I. was himself the Author. He undertakes in this Work 4 0

VOL. II.

God knows, it affected Me more with shame and sorrow for others, than with Anger for My self: nor did the Affront done to Me trouble Me so much as their Sin, which admitted no colour or excuse.

I was resolved how to bear this and much more with Patience: But I foresaw they could hardly contain themselves within the compass of this one unworthy act, who had effrontery enough to commit or countenance it. This was but the hand of that Cloud which was soon after to overspread the whole Kingdom, and cast all into Disorder and darkness.

For 'tis among the wicked Maximes of bold and disloyal undertakers, That bad actions must alwaies be seconded with worse, and rather not be begun, than not carried on; for they think the retreat more dangerous than the assault, and hate Repentance more than perseverance in a Fault.

This gave Me to see clearly through all the pious disguises and soft palliations of some men; whose words were sometime smoother than oyl, but now I saw they would prove very Swords.

Against which I having (as yet) no defence but that of a good Conscience, thought it my best policy, with Patience to bear what I could not remedy. And in this (I thank God) I had the better of Hotham, that no disdain or emotion of Passion transported Me, by the indignity of his carriage, to do or say any thing unbeseeming My self, or unsuitable to that temper which in greatest Injuries, I think, best becomes a Christian, as coming nearest to the great example of Christ.

to vindicate himself upon all the Articles laid to his Charge. It is properly an Abstract of the Reasons he had before published in several Papers printed by his Order, or addressed to both Houses of Parliament." Rapin's Hist. of England, Pref. to Lib. xx. Considerat. on Authors.

"This," adds my Grandfather, "is the Testimony of a Person no way prejudiced in Favour of Charles I., and therefore the Fact (as is here said) is scarce to be doubted. If it should happen to be reckoned doubtful, see D' Wagstaff's Vindication of the Exov Barλin. 4to. Lond. 1711.

To this may be subjoined another Note which a friend has communicated: "There is a very strong evidence of this Book having been written by the King, in one of the Four Tracts which were published in 1702 beginning with Sir Thomas Herbert's Memoirs. The MS. was obtained from Fairfax, and the Prayers were in CHARLES's own handwriting." EDITOR.

And indeed I desire always more to remember I am a Christian than a King: for what the Majesty of the one might justly abhor, the Charity of the other is willing to bear; what the height of a King tempteth to revenge, the humility of a Christian teacheth to forgive. Keeping in compass all those impotent Passions, whose excess injures a man more than his greatest enemies can: for these give their Malice a full impression on our Souls, which otherways cannot reach very far, nor do us much hurt.

I cannot but observe how God not long after so pleaded and avenged my Cause in the eye of the world, that the most wilfully blind cannot avoid the displeasure to see it, and with some remorse and fear to own it as a notable stroke,' and prediction of Divine Vengeance.

For Sir John Hotham, unreproached, unthreatned, uncursed by any language or secret imprecation of Mine, only blasted with the Conscience of his own Wickedness, and falling from one Inconstancy to another, not long after pays his own and his eldest Sons heads as forfeitures of their Disloyalty, to those men from whom surely he might have expected another reward than thus to divide their Heads from their bodies, whose Hearts with them were divided from their KING.

Nor is it strange, that they who imployed them at first in so high a service and so successful to them, should not find mercy enough to forgive him who had so much premerited of them: For Apostasy unto Loyalty some men account the most unpardonable sin.

Nor did a solitary Vengeance serve the turn; the cutting off one Head in a Family is not enough to expiate the affront done to the Head of the Common-weal: The eldest Son must be involved in the punishment, as he was infected with the sin of the Father against the Father of his Country: Root and Branch God cuts off in one day.

These observations are obvious to every fancy. God knows, I was so far from rejoycing in the Hothams ruine, (though it were such as was able to give the greatest thirst for revenge a full draught, being executed by them who first employed him against Me) that I so far pitied him, as I thought he at first acted more against the light of his Conscience than I hope many other men do in the same Cause.

For he was never thought to be of that superstitious sowrness which some men pretend to in matters of Religion; which so darkens their

Judgment, that they cannot see any thing of Sin and Rebellion in those means they use, with intents to reform to their Models, of what they call Religion, who think all is gold of Piety which doth but glister with a shew of Zeal and fervency.

Sir John Hotham was (I think) a man of another temper, and so most liable to those down-right temptations of Ambition, which have no cloak or cheat of Religion to impose upon themselves or others.

That which makes Me more pity him is, that after he began to have some inclinations towards a repentance for his sin and reparation of his Duty to Me, he should be so unhappy as to fall into the hands of their Justice, and not My Mercy, who could as willingly have forgiven him as he could have asked that favour of Me.

For I think Clemency a debt which we ought to pay to those that crave it, when we have cause to believe they would not after abuse it; since God himself suffers us not to pay any thing for his Mercy, but only Prayers and Praises.

Poor Gentleman, he is now become a notable monument of unprosperous Disloyalty, teaching the world by so sad and unfortunate a spectacle, That the rude carriage of a Subject towards his Soveraign carries always its own Vengeance as an unseparable shadow with it; and those oft prove the most fatal and implacable Executioners of it, who were the first Imployers in the service.

After-times will dispute it, whether Hotham were more infamous at Hull or at Tower hill: though 'tis certain that no punishment so stains a man's Honour, as wilful perpetrations of unworthy actions; which besides the conscience of the sin, brand with most indeleble characters of infamy the name and memory to Posterity, who not engaged in the Factions of the times, have the most impartial reflections on the

actions.

BUT Thou, O Lord, who hast in so remarkable a way avenged thy Servant, suffer Me not to take any secret pleasure in it; for as his death hath satisfied the Injury he did to Me, so let Me not by it gratifie any Passion in Me, lest I make thy vengeance to be mine, and consider the affront against Me more than the sin against Thee.

Thou indeed, without any desire or endeavour of Mine, hast made his mischief to return on his own head, and his violent dealing to come down on his own pate.

Thou hast pleaded my Cause, even before the sons of men, and taken the matter into thine own hands: That men may know it was thy work, and see that Thou, Lord, hast done it.

I do not, I dare not say, So let mine Enemies perish, O Lord: yea, Lord, rather give them Repentance, Pardon and impunity, if it be thy blessed will.

Let not Thy Justice prevent the objects and opportunities of My Mercy: yea, let them live and amend who have most offended Me in so high a nature; that I may have those to forgive, who bear most proportion in their offences to those trespasses against thy Majesty, which I hope thy Mercy hath forgiven Me.

Lord, lay not their sins. (who yet live) to their charge for condemnation, but to their Consciences for amendment: Let the lightning of this thunderbolt, which hath been so severe a punishment to one, be a terror to all.

Discover to them their sin, who know not they have done amiss; and scare them from their sin, that sin of malicious wickedness.

That preventing thy Judgments by their true Repentance, they may escape the strokes of thine eternal Vengeance.

And do Thou, O Lord, establish the Throne of thy Servant in mercy and truth meeting together: let my Crown ever flourish in righteousness and peace kissing each other.

Hear my Prayer, O Lord, who hast taught us to pray for, to do good to, and to love our Enemies for thy sake, who hast prevented us with offertures of thy love even when we were thine enemies, and hast sent thy Son Jesus Christ to dye for us when we were disposed to crucifie

him.