11 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 ["1 all thy.] [1o 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 o2 Armies [whersoev1 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 [wt repentance or correction] whoe seeke to afflict vs for o' trewe honoringe of thee and thy sonne Jesus Christ. And direct o' Armies yet [contynuyng] vppon the seas by thy prouidence.] ["noble Quene, and hir Realme.] [18 wth all the sayd Nauie.] [19 and of valiant Countriemen seruing them thearein, maie.] [20 from all mortallitie by.] ["of such as did wthstand, and y' of such only as did mightily inuade and whstand them with force both.] [22 shippes, fortes, and Castles.] [23 riches. All wch,] 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 acknowledge' (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. CERTAIN PRAYERS set forth by Authority, to be used for the 1597. 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 [3 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. ví. 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. n. 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 (0 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.] with infinite and extraordinary blessings, all the years of her Majesty's most happy reign over us, and of late hast also miraculously delivered us from sundry the bloody practises of our very implacable enemies: So now we humbly beseech thee (O merciful Father) to aid us with thy mighty Arm in this our present just cause, waging war not in pride or ambition of mind, or any other worldly respect, but only for the necessary defence of Religion, our lives, and Country. Be merciful therefore, O Lord, to our present Forces, and, passing over both their transgressions and ours, prosper them both by Sea and land. Give our Leaders and companies the strength of Unicorns, the hearts of Lions, arms of steel, hands of iron, and feet of flint, to beat and tread down all thine enemies and ours. Let thine help from above at this time strengthen our Navy and Army, thy mercy overshadow them, thy power as a wall of fire environ them, thy wisdom direct them, thy providence secure them, thine holy Angels guard them, thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ stand up for them, and thy Justice confound, and Majesty overwhelm, all adversary power exalting itself against this land and thy Gospel that all the world may know, that it is thy favour that prospereth, thy blessing that preserveth, and thine arm that overcometh in the day of battle. So we that be thy people and sheep of thy fold, shall sing unto thy glory the songs of praise and thanksgiving, and magnify thy goodness in the midst of thine holy Temple for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord, our only Saviour and Mediator. Amen. O ALMIGHTY Lord God of Hosts, it is thine own gracious promise, that when thy people shall go out to battle against their enemies, by the way that thou shalt send them, and shall call upon thee for thy holy help, that then thou (Lord) wilt hear their prayers in heaven, and judge their cause: In assured trust of this thy good promise, we present this our supplication before thee. O Lord, judge thou our cause, judge thou between us and our cruel enemies. Thou seest, Lord, that they first invaded us, and so do still continue, and not we them that they first conspired to root us out, that we might be no more a people of English birth; and that then, though thou from heaven didst shew thyself, in scattering their proud forces, to be displeased with their attempt, [LITURG. QU. ELIZ.] 43 |