Compare 1587 edition: 1 The king alſo being mortified from the world, tooke the death of his ſonne very pacient|ly,The lawe of nature. conſidering that al men are ſubiect vnto death by the lawe of nature, and are ſure no longer to remaine here, than their day appointed by the e|terne determination of him that giueth and ta|keth away lyfe and breath when pleaſeth him, as by dayly experience is moſt manyfeſt.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Therfore that king Dauid wayed the loſſe of his ſonne in ſuche balance, it maye appeare by an Oration which hee made to his nobles, at what tyme after his ſonnes deceaſe, they came to com|forte hym. For he perceyuing them to be ryghte heauie and ſorowfull for the loſſe whiche he and they had ſuſteyned by the death of ſo towardly a prince, that was to haue ſucceeded him, if God had lent him lyfe thereto: in the ende of a royall feaſt the whiche he made vnto thoſe nobles that came thus to viſite hym, hee beganne in this wyſe.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Howe great your fidelitie and care is whiche you beare towards me,An oration. although oftẽtimes here|tofore I haue proued it, yet this preſent day I haue receyued moſt ample fruite therof: for now do I plainely ſee, that you lament no leſſe for the loſſe of my late deceaſſed ſonne, than if you had buried ſome one of your own ſonnes, & are there|fore come to your great trauaile & paine to com|fort me, whom you eſteeme to be ſore afflicted for the ouer timely death of my ſayde moſte obe|dient ſonne: but to let paſſe for this time due yel|ding of thanks to you for the ſame, till occaſion and leyſure may better ſerue thereto & this nowe may ſuffice, that I acknowledge myſelf to be ſo much beholden to you, that what ſoeuer thing I haue in the worlde, the ſame is ready to do you pleaſure. But cõcerning the cauſe of your com|ming hither in ſhewing your courteſies therein, you ſhall vnderſtande, that my parentes whom I truſte to be in heauen, and (as Saintes) enioy the fruytes of theyr vertuous trauayles here ta|ken on earth, did ſo inſtruct me from my tender youth, that I ſhould worſhip with all reuerence the moſt wiſe creatour & prouident gouernour of all things, and to thinke that nothing was done by him in vaine, but that the ſame is prouided & ordeyned to ſome good vſe by his highe and in|ſearchable counſell, and therefore whyleſt day and nighte I haue and do reuolue and call to EEBO page image 255 remembraunce the precepts and inſtructions of my parents,His parentes godly inſtru|ctions. what ſo euer hath chaunced eyther touching aduerſitie or proſperitie, good happe or bad, the ſame hath ſeemed to me (at the firſte) re|ceyuing all things with equall and thankefull minde, and interpreting them to the beſte, farre more light than they commonly ſeeme to others, and leſſe they did diſquiet me, ſo as with vſe I haue learned at length, not onely paciently to beare all aduerſities that may happen, but alſo to receyue the ſame as things pleaſant and euen to be deſired. And verily my happe hath bene [...] [...]he greatly exerciſed in this behalfe,Loſſe of frien|des. for I haue firſte ſeene my father, more deare do me thã any earth|ly treaſure,His father. and no leſſe profitable than greatly deſired of all the people, and yet neyther the loue of the people, nor of his kinſmenne and frendes might warrant him from this fatall neceſſitie of death.His mother. I haue knowen my mother right famous in the worlde for hyr ſinguler vertue to paſſe hence in like maner.His brethren. My bretherne that were ſo louing, and againe ſo greatly beloued of me, alſo my wife whom I eſteemed more than all other creatures, are they not gone the ſame way, and compelled to beare deaths harde ordinaunce? So verily ſtandeth the caſe, that no man might yet at any time auoyde the violence of his force when he commeth,Death cannot be diſpenſed with. for we all alike owe this life vnto him, as a due debte that muſte needes be payd. But this is to be receyued with a thankfull minde, in that the bountifull beneuolence of our God hath graunted that we ſhall be all immor|tall, if we our ſelues through vice, and as it were ſpotted with filthie diſeaſes of the minde, do not fall into the danger of eternall death. Wherefore of right me thinke I haue cauſe to reioyce, that God by his ſingular fauour hath graunted to me ſuche a ſonne, whiche in all mens iudgement was woorthie to be beloued whileſt he was here amongſt vs,Why are ou|ght to take the death of our children and friendes pati|ently. and to be wiſhed for now, after he is departed from hence: but ought we to take it heauily, that he to whom he belonged, and who had ſent him vnto vs, ſhould call for him again, and take him that was his owne? For what iniurie is it, if when I ſee occaſion I ſhall aſke that againe whiche you haue poſſeſſed through my benefite as lent to you for a time? Neyther do I truſte to want him long, if God ſhalbe ſo mercyfull vnto me as I wiſhe him to be, for I hope ſhortly to be called hence by commaunde|ment of that moſt high king, and to be carried vp to reſt among that felowſhippe of heauenly ſpi|rites, where I ſhall finde my father and mother, my bretherne, wife, and ſonne in far better eſtate than here I knew thẽ. Therfore that I may re|pete it once again I reioyce (I ſay) to haue ob|tained in my ſon, by y^e grace of y^e ſupernal God, y^t I am aſſured by faith, he is already in y^e place to the whiche all we do earneſtly wiſhe that we may atteyne, and do endeuour by all meanes, that when the time cõmeth in whiche our ſoules are to be l [...]wſed foorth of theſe frayle bodies of ours as out of pryſons, they may be found wor|thie of that companie, in which our cõfidence is, that he now moſt bliſſefully is remayning. Ex|cept any man may thinke that wee are ſo enui|ous, that therefore we do lament, bicauſe as yet we ſticke faſt ouerwhelmed & drownes in ſuche fylthye myres and combered in ſuche thornye thickets and buſhes, oute of the whiche he (bee|ing now deliuered of all cares) hath eſcaped. But let vs rather by followyng the foote ſteppes of him and other vertuous perſons that are gone afore vs, labour both day & night, that at length through heauenly fauour, wee may come to the place where we do recken that by deuine power he is alreadie arriued. After that the king had made an end of his Oration, and thankes giuen to God for his bountifull munificence, they roſe from the table and departed to theyr lodgings, they all greatly marueyling at the kings highe prudence and godly wiſedome.