STORIES FROM THE STATE PAPERS BY ALEX. CHARLES EWALD, F.S.A. [OF THE RECORD OFFICE] AUTHOR OF THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PRINCE CHARLES STUART IN TWO VOLUMES - VOL. II. London CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY 1882 [All rights reserved] ... The only history worth reading is that written at the time of which it treats, the history of what was done and seen heard out of the mouths of men who did and saw. One fresh draught of such history is worth more than a thousand volumes of abstracts, and reasonings, and suppositions, and theories; and I believe that as we get wiser we shall take little trouble about the history of nations who have left no distinct records of themselves, but spend our time only in the examination of the faithful documents which, in any period of the world, have been left, either in the form of art or literature, portraying the scenes or recording the events, which in those days were actually passing before the eye of men'- RUSKIN STORIES FROM THE STATE PAPERS. THE GUNPOWDER PLOT. Almighty God, who hast in all ages shewed thy Power and Mercy in the miraculous and gracious deliverances of thy Church, and in the protection of righteous and religious Kings and States professing thy holy and eternal truth, from the wicked conspiracies, and malicious practises of all the enemies thereof: We yield thee our unfeigned thanks and praise, for the wonderful and mighty deliverance of our gracious Sovereign King James the First, the Queen, the Prince, and all the Royal Branches, with the Nobility, Clergy, and Commons of England, then assembled in Parliament, by Popish treachery appointed as sheep to the slaughter, in a most barbarous and savage manner, beyond the examples of former ages. From this unnatural conspiracy, not our merit, but thy mercy; not our foresight, but thy providence delivered us: And therefore not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name be ascribed all honour and glory, in all Churches of the saints, from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.-Prayer for the happy deliverance of King James the First and the Three Estates of England. AT the accession of James I. the condition of the Roman Catholics in England was one of galling restrictions, spiteful intolerance, and constant persecution. Under Mary the Protestants were the martyrs of the State; under Elizabeth the reaction set in, and the Papists had to reap the whirlwind they had sown during the preceding reign. The VOL. II. B |