XXXIX. A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING, and for continuance of good success to her Majesty's Forces. O1 LORD God of Hosts, everlasting and most merciful Father, we thine unworthy creatures do yield unto thy divine Majesty all possible praise and humble thanks for thine infinite benefits, which thou hast of long time plentifully poured upon thine Handmaiden and humble servant, our Sovereign Lady the Queen, and upon her whole Realm, and us her Subjects the people of this Kingdom: and namely, O Lord, for that graciously respecting us in the merits of thy dear Son our Saviour, and by his intercession passing over and forgiving our manifold sins5, thou hast this present Summer so favourably conducted the Royal Navy and Army sent to the Seas by our Gracious Queen (not for any other worldly respects, but only for defence of this Realm, and us thy people, against the mighty preparations of our Enemies threatening our ruin,) by safely directing them unto places appointed, and by strengthening the Governors and Leaders of the same with counsel and resolution, and blessing them with notable victories both by Sea and Land, whereby the insolencies and pride of our Enemies, which sought our conquest and subversion, is by these late victories notably daunted, repulsed, and abased. Grant unto us (most merciful Father) the grace 10 [The following notes will point out the original readings of the author's manuscript; such corrections thereof, as first suggested themselves, being placed within crotchets.] [2 hartie.] [3 spirituall and temporall, wch by the mediation of thy sonne o' lord Jesus Christ of Redemer thou hast.] [her subiects.] [ and transgressions.] [seas, for defence of this Realme and vs thy people, by savelie directinge.] ['enduinge the Gouuerno" and Leaders wth Counsell and Courage.] [ pride, and mightenes of that nation of Spaine, weh hateth vs mortallie and seeketh most greedelie o' Conquest.] [ and abassed to o' [great] comfort.] [10 of hartie and unfeined repentance to the amendment of o' liues past, and wth due.] with due thankfulness to acknowledge thy fatherly goodness extended upon us by the singular favour shewed to thy Servant 12 and Minister our Sovereign Lady and Queen. And for thy holy Name 13 continue these thy wonderful blessings 14 still upon us, to defend us against our Enemies, and 15 bless us with thy graceful hand to the endless praise of thy holy Name, and to our lasting 16 joy. And direct our Armies by thy providence and favourable support, to finish these late victories to the honour of our Sovereign 17 and safety of her Realm, that hath most carefully made the same able to overmatch her Enemies: So as the Noble men 18, and all others serving in the same Navy and Army under their charge,19 may with much honour, triumph, and safety return home to their Countries, and give thee due thanks for thy special favours marvellously shewed unto them in preserving of them 20 all this Summer time from all contagion and mortality by sword or sickness, notwithstanding their force and violence most manfully exercised against their Enemies, to the vanquishing of 21 great numbers both by Sea and Land, and to the destruction of their most mighty Ships 22, that heretofore have attempted to invade this Realm, and of their Forts and Castles, and waste of their notable substances of their riches 23, without hurting any person ["all thy.] [12 of Soueraine Ladie the [and noble] Queene.] [13 sake, for thy Gospell, and thine eternall sonnes sake continue.] ["vppon vs, to defend vs [still] against.] [15 and to blesse vs wth continuance of peace to the endlesse.] [16 perpetual comfort. And for this purpose wee beseeche thee gratious Lord for vs and o' Armies [whersoev' by sea or land] to continewe still thy fauo', as in great mercie thou diddest in old time promise to be to thy people of Israele, that is, be thou an heauie Ennemy to such as [contemn thy power and] for thy sake are o' Ennemies, and afflict them [w' repentance or correction] whoe seeke to afflict vs for o' trewe honoringe of thee and thy sonne Jesus Christ. And direct of Armies yet [contynuyng] vppon the seas by thy prouidence.] [17 noble Quene, and hir Realme.] [18 wth all the sayd Nauie.] [1 and of valiant Countriemen seruing them thearein, maie.] [20 from all mortallitie by.] ["of such as did wthstand, and yt of such only as did mightily inuade and whstand them with force both.] [22 shippes, fortes, and Castles.] [23 riches. All weh.] that did yield, or of any women or children, or Religious persons, to whom all favour was shewed that they did require. All which prosperous successes we do most justly acknowledge1 (O Lord) to have proceeded only from thy special favour, to whom, with thy Son and Holy Ghost, be all honour2 and praise. Amen. Set foorth by authoritie. Imprinted at London by the Depu ties of Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maieftie. Anno Domini. 1596. [to haue proceaded from thy fauo'.] [ praise, glorie and dominion nowe and for euer.] CERTAIN PRAYERS set forth by Authority, to be used for the Certain Prayers set forth by Authority. O GOD3 all-maker, keeper, and guider: Inurement1 of thy rare-seen, unused, and seeld-heard-of goodness, poured in so plentiful sort upon us full oft, breeds now this boldness, to crave with bowed knees, and hearts of humility, thy large hand of helping power, to assist with wonder our just cause, not founded on Pride's-motion, nor begun on Malicestock; But, as thou best knowest, to whom nought is hid, grounded on just defence from wrongs, hate, and bloody desire of conquest. For since means thou hast imparted to save that thou hast given, by enjoying such a people, as scorns their bloodshed, where surety ours is one: Fortify (dear GOD) such hearts in such sort, as their best part may be worst, that to the truest part meant worst, with least loss to such a Nation, as despise their lives for their Country's good. That all Foreign lands may laud and admire the Omnipotency of thy work: a fact alone for thee only to perform. So shall thy Name be spread for wonders wrought, and the faithful encouraged to repose in thy unfellowed Grace: And we that minded nought but right, [be] inchained in thy bonds for perpetual slavery, and live and [ This obscure prayer, which occurs not in all the copies, and, when it does occur, is printed in a different character from the rest, was the composition of Elizabeth herself. The royal arms, however, are not prefixed, as Strype intimates (Annals, Vol. IV. p. 316), to point out that circumstance; they are merely on the reverse of the title-page, where we very commonly find them. Lingard (Vol. vi. p. 334) considers it to have been the queen's private prayer for a fair wind to allow the fleet to set sail, 'before it was published for the use of her people.' Birch, Vol. I. p. 351. The same may also have been the case in 1596. See p. 666.] [Inurement experience. See p. 31, note 3.] [5 Sorocold's reading (p. 275.) is 'safetie ours is none,' the last word of which will, at least, give a definite meaning to one sentence.] XL. die the sacrificers of our souls for such obtained favour. Warrant, dear Lord, all this with thy command. Amen. MOST1 mighty God and merciful Father, as hitherto of thine infinite goodness thou hast very miraculously protected thy humble Servant, our Sovereign Lady and Queen, and all us her subjects the people of her Dominions, from many dangerous conspiracies, malicious attempts, and wicked designments of her and our very obstinate and implacable enemies: Forasmuch as, they still continuing their malice, and preparing their Forces to assail us both by Land and Sea, thou (O Lord), to withstand their fury, hast stirred up the heart of thine Anointed, our Sovereign, to send out some of her Forces for our defence we thine unworthy servants do most humbly beseech thee, through the merits of our Saviour Christ, so to conduct them, encourage them, and defend them with thy strong and mighty arm, as that whatsoever they shall attempt and take in hand for defence of this Realm against her enemies, may prosper and have most happy success. Direct and lead them (O Lord) in safety, strengthen their Governors and Leaders with sound counsel and valiant resolution. Bless their conflicts with notable victories both by Sea and Land: preserve them from all contagion and mortality either by sword or sickness, and give unto them (O Lord), if it be thy blessed will, such an honourable and happy return, as may tend to our defence by confusion of our enemies, to the renown and comfort of our Sovereign, to the benefit of thy Church, to the good of this Kingdom, and to the praise and glory of thy most mighty Name, through Jesu Christ our Lord: To whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be ascribed all honour, power, and dominion, both now and for ever. Amen. O MOST mighty GoD, and Lord of Hosts, which reignest over all the Kingdoms of the world, who hast power in thine hand to save thy chosen, and to judge thine Enemies, and in all ages hast given great and glorious Victories unto thy Church, with small handfuls overthrowing great multitudes and terrible Armies: Let thine ears be now attent unto our prayers, and thy merciful eye upon this Realm and kingdom. And as of thine unspeakable goodness thou hast blessed us [Compare this with the prayer on p. 668.] |