THE MEMORABLES
OF
OUR LATE DEAR AND DREAD SOVEREIGN,
KING JAMES,
OF FAMOUS MEMORY.

[Prynne's Breviate, p. 5.]

1. HE was a king almost from his birth.

2. His great clemency, that he should reign so long and so moderately, that knew nothing else but to reign.

3. The difficult times in Scotland during his minority, as much perplexed with Church as State factions.

4. His admirable patience in those younger times, and his wisdom to go by those many and great difficulties, till God opened him the ways to his just inheritance of his crown.

5. His peaceable entry into this kingdom, contrary to the fears at home and the hopes abroad, and withal God's great blessing both on him and us.

6. His ability, as strong in grace as nature, to forgive some occurrences.

7. The continuance of full twenty-two years' reign all in peace, without war from foreign enemy or rebellion at home.

8. The infinite advantage which people of all sorts might have brought to themselves, and the enriching of the State, if they would have used such a government with answerable care, and not made the worst use of peace.

9. God's great mercy over him in many deliverances from private conspirators, and above the rest, that which would have blown up his posterity and the State by gunpowder.

10. That in all this time of the reign of England he took away the life of no one nobleman, but restored many.

11. That the sweetness of his nature was scarce to be paralleled by any other.

12. It is little less than a miracle, that so much sweetness should be found in so great a heart, as, besides other things, sickness and death itself showed to be in him.

13. Clemency, mercy, justice, and holding the State in peace, have ever been accounted the great virtues of kings, and they were all eminent in him.

14. He was not only a preserver of peace at home, but the great peacemaker abroad; to settle Christendom against the common enemy, the Turk, which might have been a glorious work, if others had been as true to him as he was to the common good.

15. He was in private to his servants the best master that ever was, and the most free.

16. He was the justest man that could sit between parties, and as patient to hear.

17. He was bountiful to the highest pitch of a king.

18. He was the greatest patron to the Church which hath been in many ages.

19. The most learned prince that this kingdom hath ever known for matters of religion.

20. His integrity and soundness of religion, to write and speak, believe and do, live and die, one and the same, and all orthodox.

21. His tender love to the King his son, our most gracious Sovereign that now is, and his constant reverence in performance of all duties to his father, the greatest blessing and greatest example of this and many ages.

22. The education of his Majesty whom we now enjoy (and I hope and pray we may long and in happiness enjoy), to be an able king, as Christendom hath any, the very first day of his reign; the benefit whereof is ours, and the honour his.

23. His sickness at the beginning more grievous than it seemed; a sharp melancholy humour set on fire, though ushered in by an ordinary tertian ague.

24. He was from the beginning of his sickness scarce out of an opinion that he should die; and therefore did not suffer the great affairs of Christendom to move him more than was fit, for he thought of his end.

25. His devout receiving of the Blessed Sacrament.

26. His regal censure of the moderate reformation of the Church of England, and particularly for the care of retaining of Absolution, the comfort of distressed souls.

27. His continual calling for prayers, with an assured confidence in Christ.

28. His death as full of patience as could be found in so strong a death.

29. His rest, no question, is in Abraham's bosom, and his crown changed into a crown of glory.

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