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21.1. The praier of king Edward the sixt at his death.

The praier of king Edward the sixt at his death.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _LOrd God, deliuer me out of this miserable and wretched life, take me among thy chosen: howbeit not my will, but thy will be doone. Lord I commit my spirit to thee, oh Lord thou knowest how happie it were for mee to be with thee: yet for thy chosens sake if it be thy will, send me life and helth, that I maie trulie serue thee. Oh my Lord blesse thy people, and saue thine inheritance. Oh Lord God, saue thy chosen people of England. Oh my Lord God defend this realme from papistrie, and mainteine thy true religion, that I and my people maie praise thy holie name. And therewithall he said, I am faint, Lord haue mercie vpon me, and take my spirit.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Thus did this good yoong king yéeld vp to God his ghost the sixt daie of Iulie (as before is mentio|ned) whome if it had pleased God to haue spared with longer life, not vnlike it was, but he should haue so gouerned this English common-wealth,The commen|dation of king Edward. that he might haue béene comparable with any of his noble progenitors: so that the losse of so towardlie a yoong king, greatlie discomforted the whole English na|tion, that looked for such a reformation in the state of the common-wealth at his hands, as was to be wi|shed for of all good subiects: which bred such a liking in them toward him, that euen among verie traitorous rebels his name yet was had in reuerence, although otherwise they neuer so much forgat their dutie both towards him and other, appointed to gouerne vnder him, through a malicious and most wilfull error; as if his tender yeares had not sufficientlie warranted his roiall authoritie, but that the same had béene v|surped by others against his will and pleasure.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 And as he was intierlie beloued of his subiects, so with the like affection of kindnes he loued them a|gaine; of nature and disposition méeke, much inclined to clemencie, euer hauing a regard to the sparing of life. There wanted in him no promptnes of wit, gra|uitie of sentence,Sir Iohn Fox [...] the Acts & Monuments [...]nder the title of Edward the sixt. ripenesse of iudgement, as his age might beare, sauour and loue of religion was in him from his childhood, his skill and knowledge in scien|ces, besides his other excellent vertues, were such, that to them he séemed rather borne than brought vp. It maie séeme verie strange, that in his yoong years (as maister Fox reporteth of him) he could tell and recite all the ports, hauens, and créekes, not within his owne realme onelie,The noble memorie of [...]ing Edward and his rare w [...]t. but also in Scotland, and likewise in France, what comming in there was, how the tide serued in euerie of them; moreouer, what burthen, and what wind serued for the com|ming into each hauen: also of all his iustices, magi|strates, & gentlemen that bare any authoritie within his realme, he knew their names, their houskeeping, their religion and conuersation what it was. He had a singular respect to iustice, a vertue most commen|dable in a prince, and chieflie to the dispatch of poore mens sutes. Hée perfectlie vnderstood the Latine toong, the French, the Gréeke, Italian, and Spanish, neither was he ignorant (saith Cardanus) in Lo|gike, in the principles of naturall philosophie, or in musicke.

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