all sorts of rare musique chiefely the trumpet and drumme in limming and painting carving in all sorts of excellent and rare Pictures which hee had brought unto him from all Countries What should I say more of him over and above all these things hee had a certaine kind of extraordinary unspeakeable excellency my fraile penne and dull stile not being able to expresse the same gathered out of question by him long agoe from the plentifull Garden of the King his Fathers all admired Bazilicondorâ—n long since in his youth dedicated unto him I dare sweare none will thinke an ill thought much lesse speake an ill word of him unlesse it bee some Ianus-faced Machivillian or hollow hearted Gunpowderers who as they would have blowne up King Progeny and State cannot choose now but barke against him who was a terrour to all the Papists in Christendome As hee was a Man no question but hee had imperfectious as others otherwise hee could not have conversed with men which I professe I neither knew nor delighted to search after or if I had you know of all others I am rather boud to cover and conceale the same with Shem and Japhet then with Ham to shew his nakednesse If I were able yet certainely whatsoever they were such a number of noble vertues did cover and weigh downe the same eclipsing their light that they could not easily bee perceived unlesse it were perhaps by some maliciously bent who though they might have gathered great store of honey have rather chosen like droanes to open the gall whom I also leave to the gall of bitternesse untill it consume them Wherefore now since his Soule resteth in Heaven whereof I intreat you doubt not let us also leave him For his good life in generall his unfaigned love to Religion his love to good men his sound and saving knowledge and practice of the same his attentive and reverent hearing of the word his humble flexible heart easily cast downe and drawne by the same with many other good things which were in him are sure signes of the favour of God and consequently of his salvation To which if wee consider with what innumerable prayers and strong cries his soule was attended unto Heaven wee may rest fully satisfied of his felicity For although the extremity of paine from the beginning of his sicknesse did as it were stupifie and bereave him of sence that hee could not give those wished testimonies to the World at full the Lord choosing to try him in the furnace of affliction yet since wee shall bee judged not according to our death but according to our life although his death in such an extremity as is shewed was very good wee may certainely conclude that his Soule now praiseth God Wherefore when we misse him where we were wont to see him let us lift up our mindes to a higher Watch-tower remembring that his Soule now resteth in Heaven where all cares troubles soares sickenesses crosses and afflictions shall no more annoy him where the feares jarres jealousies discontentments mutenies uproares dissentions of State shall never vex him where he shall hunger no more thirst no more desire no more having all tears wiped from his eies in place of those fraile ones which could not here indure the sight of the Candle now beholding him whose eyes are tenne thousand times brighter then the Sunne following the Lambe whithersoever hee goeth and in the Heaven of Heavens injoying the blessed fruition of his God in the company of Millions of his Saints and Angels waiting for the full revelation and felicitie of the Sonnes of God and renovation of us all when God shal be All in All where let us leave him of whom we are not worthy untill we be gathered unto him admiring his incomprehensible Wisdome which did bereave us untill he let us know by experience how hee will bring light out of darkenesse For since he is goodnesse it selfe his will whatsoever it be must needs be good And I pray you what how many how great and how wonderfull things hath the Almighty done with this one blow in humbling of some curbing the pride of others casting some downe and againe in raising up of others letting all see as in a Mirrour the vaine inconstancie of Greatnesse making some others inexcusable if they receive no good from so sensible a Lesson with infinite moe knowne onely to the All-sufficient All-seeing Majestie Let us therefore admire the infinite and incomprehensible Wisdome of Almighty God which so soone translated him from this Vale of darknesse and misery into that marvellous joy and light althogh it seem strange unto our blind eies For what know we but that the boyling head-strong passions of youth evill company which corrupteth good manners the raines of Liberty the corruption of time with infinite other inticements whereunto flesh and blood are prone might have corrupted him when dying with a consumed body and a more corrupted Soule he might with an evil Conscience though ful of years have gone to the grave with farre more hatred loaden with innumerable more sinnes then now he did when by the contrary with the love prayers and teares of all hee was attended unto Heaven Thus have I beene bold to trouble you and out of my love for satisfying your curiosity to exceede the bounds of a short Letter which if you mildly Censure with an impartiall judgement pardoning and excusing what you finde amisse you shall encourage me ever to remaine as still I am Your assured Freind Charles Cornwallis His frequent swimming immediatly after supper was most pernitious to his health for it stopt his bleeding at Nose whereupon the bloud putrifying engendred that fatall Feber which followed Doctor â—â—yerne A Lunar Rainbow very rare and commonly fatall V. Arist. Metor * Iust over this Chamber wherein he dyed did the end of the fatall Rainebow aforementioned hang as Doctor Mayerne observed * Notwithstanding the Prince was seriously remembred to commend himselfe into the hands of God before this by Doctor Mayerne who found his resolution therein to bee most heavenly and Divive
thus prepared him to heare hee went further putting him in mind of the Exceeding great danger hee was in and that although hee might recover as hee hoped hee should yet hee might also die and that since it was an inevitable and irrevocable necessity that All must once die late or soone Death being the reward of sinne hee asked if it should so fall out whether or no hee was well pleased to submit himselfe to the Will of God to which hee answered yea withall his heart Then the Archbishop went on demanding questions of his faith First of the Religion and Church wherein hee lived which his Highnesse acknowledged to bee the onely true Church wherein onely and without which there was no salvation Then of his faith in Christ onely by him and in him without any merits of his owne being assured of the Remission of all his sinnes which hee professed hee did hoping and trusting onely therein Then of the Resurrection of the body life everlasting and the joyes of Heaven All which hee confessed and beleeved hoping withall Saints to enjoy the same This conference with a great deals more the Archbishop had with him to this purpose which may also give unto you absolute satisfaction of his Soules health if thereunto his life bee considered After which fearing hee should too much disquiet him with many good exhortations hee tooke leave for that time This day being the fifth of November a day of everlasting remembrance and thanksgiving for our deliverance from the Powder Treason was order given every where unto all Churches to pray for his Highnesse untill when the great danger was unknowne to the Commons which was effectually as ever untill his death performed This day and at sundry other times since his confusion of speech hee would many times call upon Sir David Murray Knight the onely man in whom hee had put choise trust by his name David David David who when hee came unto his Highnesse demanding his pleasure in extremity of paine and stupefaction of senses confounding his speech sighing hee did reply I would say somewhat but I cannot utter it which forme hee still used so long as hee had any perfect sence or memory This done also but too late to assist the rest came Doctor Palmer and Doctor Gifford famous Phisitians for their honesty learning and Phisick who with the former foure went all six to a consultation what now remained finally to bee done wherein by some as they say was againe propounded the necessity of bleeding the oportunity whereof by the evacuation of his belly was now over passed In the end the Doctors long before this despairing of his recovery did at last agree upon Diascordium as the onely meanes under God now remaining which tempered with cooler Cordials was given him in the presence of many honourable Gentlemen about tenne a Clock at night the operation whereof was small or none neither all this while did nature of it selfe incline towards sweating and to force the same they thought it to no purpose This night was unquiet as the rest his accidents remaining in the same sort but now and then speaking but so confusedly that hee could not bee understood Among the rest this night about midnight Master Nasmith his Majesties Chirurgeon sitting on his bed side his Highnesse pulled him unto him by the hand speaking unto him somewhat but so confusedly by reason of the ratling of his Throat that hee could not bee understood which his Highnesse perceiving giving a most grievous sigh as it were in anger turned him from him thereafter unlesse hee were urged never speaking unto him or any In this extremity Sir David Murray who in this one death suffered many came unto him intreating him asking him that if hee had any thing to say which troubled him that hee would betimes make knowne his mind but his Spirits being overcome and nature weake hee was not able to say any thing save that of all other businesse hee gave order for the burning of a number of Letters in a certaine cabinet in his closet which presently after his death was done Not long after as I thinke on Friday morning about three a clock his backbove shoulders armes and tongue by reason of the horrible violence of the convulsions dis-joyntingly deviding themselves the effect shewing that the retentive power was gone the Spirits subdued the seat of reason overcome and nature spent in which extremity fainting and sounding hee seemed twice or thrice to bee quite gone at which time there arose wonderfull great shouting weeping and crying in the Chamber Court and adjoyning streets which was so great together with somewhat else which they used that they brought him againe This crie was so great that all those in the streets thought hee had beene dead whereupon it went for the most part currant in the City and Countrey that hee was gone I am not able to expresse the unspeakeable sorrow which every where was for this wofull newes chiefely in that dolefull house you may imagine no thought can thinke the greatnesse thereof nor understanding conceive the same this little which I have said overlading my weakenesse Thus given over of all into the hands of God did his Highnesse lie in extreame paine during which still now and then till two or three houres before his death looking up and speaking or endeavouring to speake which for confusion and extremity of paine being so neere gone could not bee understood all the World were ready in this despaire to bring cordiall waters Diaphoretick and Quintissentiall Spirits to be given unto him amongst which one in the afternoone was ministred which set that little nature remaining on worke forcing a small sweat which too late was the first hee had Sir Walter Raleigh also did send another from the Tower which whether or no to give him they did a while deliberate After the operation of the first his Highnesse rested quietly a little while presently after falling into his former extremities whereupon as the last desperate remedy with the leave and advise of the Lords of the Counsell there present the cordiall sent by Sir Walter Raleigh after it had beene tasted and proved was given unto him but in vaine save that forcing that sparke of life that remained it brought him againe into a sweat after which as before hee had some rest for a little while But no remedy death would needs bee Conquerour in vaine did they strive against the streame for hee shortly after became wonderfull ill againe sight and sence failing as also all the infallible signes of death approaching In which extremity the Archbishop of Canterbury being there present who seeing it was now the time of times before the last gaspe to minister some comfort unto his Highnesse if as yet there were any sence remaining came unto him first speaking aloud putting him in mind of all those things which hee had spokn unto him the day before in his perfect sense calling aloud in his eare to remember
some of whose lookes did now more then ever discourage the rest For this night he became very weake the Fever augmenting the raving becomming worse then ever in which he began to tosse and tumble to sing in his sleepe profering to have leaped out of the bed gathering the sheets together the convulsions being more violent In which extremity his tongue mouth and throat being more dry then ever yet called he not for any kind of moisture complaining of thirst which evidently shewed that the vehemencie of his disease had overcome the seat of reason otherwise he could not but have complained as he did before The eleventh day On Wednesday the fourth of November and the eleventh day of his Sickenesse all hopes of recovery were lesse then ever the Phisitians Chirurgeons and Apothecaries beginning to bee dismaied but that like sout Pilots they did beare it out bravely so long as was possible yet as men perplexed in such an extremity the most part were of opinion that the Crisis was to be seene before a finall resolution of which there was as yet small appearance all the former accidents meane while encreased the whole world beginning to be afraide This day a Cocke was cloven by the backe and applyed unto the soles of his feet but in vaine the Cordials also were redoubled in number and quantitie but without any profit This afternoone his Majestie hearing of his undoubted danger although more sober then at other times came to see him but being advertised how matters went and were likely to go and what addition of griefe it would bee unto him to see his best beloved Sonne in that extremity he was at last perswaded to depart without Visitation yet giving order and command before his departure that from thenceforth because his Highnesse was continually molested with a number which out of their love came to visit him no creature should bee admitted to see him save those who of necessitie must tend upon him untill the event and issue of his Disease were seene which was accordingly done His Highnes for his more ease being removed into another longer and quieter * Chamber But now all things appearing to bee out of frame and confusedly evill without hope of amendment whereof the Archbishop of Canterbury hearing he made so much the more haste unto his Highnesse whom after some discourse fitting that time seeing so much care to be taken for the mortall body the immortall Soule being * neglected He asked his Highnesse whether there had been any Prayers said in his Chamber since his Sicknesse or no To whom he answered that there had not aleaging the cause to have beene the continual toile of the Doctors Apothecaries and Surgeons about him and further that untill now he was not put in minde thereof But that for all that he had not failed to pray quietly by himselfe which his answere pleasing them well the Archbishop againe demanded if his Highnesse would now from thence forth bee contented to have prayers said in his Chamber which hee willingly assented unto asking which of his Chaplaines were there present amongst whom finding that Doctor Milborne Deane of Rochester was there present hee willed the said Deane to bee called as being one whom for his learning good carriage and profitable preaching above all the rest hee ever affected and respected The Archbishop meane while not willing to much to disquet his Highnesse called for to say prayers that evening at his Highnesse bed side where speaking somewhat low fearing to offend his distempered eares his Highnesse willed him to speake aloud thereafter repeating the confession of his faith word by word after him from henceforth the foresaid Deane continued to pray dayly with him at his bed side untill his departure This night was unquiet as the rest The twelfth Day On Thursday morning the fifth of November and twelfth of his sicknesse newes was sent unto his Majesty of the undoubted danger and that there now remained no hopes or means of his Highnesse recovery but with desperate and dangerous attempts which his Majesty considering gave leave and absolute power to Doctor Mayerne his chiefe Phisition to doe what hee would of himselfe without advise of the rest if in such an extremity it were possible to doe any thing for his Highnesse safety But hee weighing the greatnesse of the cure emminency of the danger would not for all that adventure to doe any thing of himselfe without advise of the rest which hee alwayes tooke saying that it should never bee said in after Ages that hee had killed the Kings eldest Sonne His Majesty meane while whose sorrow no tongue can expresse not willing nor being able to stay so neere the Gates of so extreame sorrow more like a dead then a living man full of most wonderfull heavinesse removed â—â—o Theobalds a house twelve miles from London there to expect the dolefull event Meane while amongst the Doctors Mayerne Hamond Butler and Atkins bleeding was now the third time proposed some of them as I thinke Doctor Mayerne affirming that the bloud which the vapours being violently thrust upwards filling the braine did cause by the maligne acrimony and quantity thereof ravings and convulsions which accidents although without seeming paine because the Spirits were oppressed did put his Highnesse in imminent danger more then the benumings the cause whereof was within the ventricles of the braine as also the said hot and cholerick bloud in the membranes All which considered and that his Highnesse was yet of sufficient strength of body his pulse also able to endure they said the opening of a vaine was in their judgement the onely meanes left But the rest of the Counsell misliking this advise did conclude to double and treble the Cordials making a revulsion from the head with a clister whose working was to small effect save that his Highnesse became more sensible thereafter In the meane time the Archbishop of Canterbury hearing of the danger came unto his Highnesse in great hast where finding him in extreame danger hee thought it now more then high time to goe about another kind of cure and therefore like a wise and skilfull Phisitian first trying the humour of his patient before heâ— would proceed in the cure hee addressed himselfe gently and mildly to aske how his Highnesse found himselfe since his departure at whose reply seeing every thing amisse hee began againe furtheâ— to feele his mind first preparing him his Antidote against the feare of death that the preparation thereunto meditation and thinking thereof could noâ— would bring death the sooner but the contrary rather arming himselfe so much the more against it withall putting him in mind of the Excellency and Immortality of the Soule with the unspeakeable joyes prepared for Gods â—hildren and the basenesse and misery of the earth with all the vaine inconstant momentary and fraile pleasures thereof in respect of heavenly Ioyes with many other most excellent meditations against the same feare of death Having