Source:
Reliquiæ Sacræ Carolinæ, Or The Works of that Great Monarch and Glorious Martyr King Charles the I, pages 337 to 339, published by Samuel Browne, 1650
Above: Princess Elizabeth Stuart of England.
_-_Charles_I_(1600-1649)_at_his_Trial_-_RCIN_405913_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
Above: Her father, King Charles I of England, while on trial.
Above: Elizabeth with her brother Henry, Duke of Gloucester, painted by Margaret Dicksee in around 1895.
I'm back!
Elizabeth Stuart (born December 28, 1635, died September 8, 1650) was the second daughter of Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his wife, Henrietta Maria of France.
From age six until her death at age 14, Elizabeth was a prisoner of the English Parliament during the English Civil War. Her emotional account of her final meeting with her father on the eve of his execution and his final words to his children have been published in numerous histories about the Civil War and Charles I.
The accounts:
What the King said to Me the 29 of Jan. 1648. being the last time I had the happinesse to see Him, He told Me, He was glad I was come, and although He had not time to say much, yet somewhat He had to say to Me, which He had not to another, or leave in writing; because He feared their cruelty was such, as that they would not have permitted Him to write to me. He wished me not to grieve and torment My self for Him, for that would be a glorious death that He should dye; it being for the Laws and Liberties of this Land, and for maintaining the true Protestant Religion. He bid Me reade Bishop Andrew's Sermon, Hooker's Ecclesiastical Policy, and Bishop Laud's Book against Fisher, which would ground me against Popery. He told me, He had forgiven all His Enemies, and hoped God would forgive them also; and commanded us, and all the rest of my Brothers and Sisters, to forgive them. Be [sic] bid me tell My Mother, That His thoughts had never strayed from Her, and that His love should be the same to the last. Withal He commanded me and my Brother, to be obedient to her: And bid me send His blessing to the rest of my Brothers and Sisters, with the commendation to all His Friends. So after He had given me his blessing, I took my leave.
Further, He commanded us all to forgive those people, but never to trust them; for they had been most false to Him, and to those that gave them power, and He feared also, to their own Souls: and desired Me not to grieve for Him, for He should dye a Martyr, and that He doubted not but the Lord would settle His Throne upon His Son, and that we should be all happier, then we could have expected to have been, if He had lived: with many other things, which at present I cannot remember.
—
The King said to the Duke of Gloucester, that He would say nothing to Him, but what was for the good of his Soul: He told him, That He heard the Army intended to make him King; but it was a thing not for him to take upon him, if he regarded the welfare of his soul, for he had two Brothers before him, and therefore commanded him upon His blessing, never to accept of it, unlesse it redounded lawfully upon him: And commanded him to fear the Lord, and He would provide for him.
With modernised spelling:
What the King said to me the 29 of January 1648, being the last time I had the happiness to see him. He told me he was glad I was come, and although he had not time to say much, yet somewhat he had to say to me which he had not to another or leave in writing, because he feared their cruelty was such as that they would not have permitted him to write to me.
He wished me not to grieve and torment myself for him, for that would be a glorious death that he should die, it being for the laws and liberties of this land and for maintaining the true Protestant religion. He bid me read Bishop Andrew's sermon, Hooker's Ecclesiastical Policy, and Bishop Laud's book against Fisher, which would ground me against popery.
He told me he had forgiven all his enemies and hoped God would forgive them also, and commanded us and all the rest of my brothers and sisters to forgive them. He bid me tell my mother that his thoughts had never strayed from her, and that his love should be the same to the last. Withal he commanded me and my brother to be obedient to her and bid me send his blessing to the rest of my brothers and sisters, with the commendation to all his friends. So, after he had given me his blessing, I took my leave.
Further, he commanded us all to forgive those people, but never to trust them, for they had been most false to him, and to those that gave them power; and he feared also to their own souls and desired me not to grieve for him, for he should die a martyr, and that he doubted not but the Lord would settle his throne upon his son, and that we should be all happier than we could have expected to have been if he had lived, with many other things which at present I cannot remember.
—
The King said to the Duke of Gloucester that he would say nothing to him but what was for the good of his soul. He told him that he heard the army intended to make him king, but it was a thing not for him to take upon him if he regarded the welfare of his soul, for he had two brothers before him, and therefore commanded him upon his blessing never to accept of it unless it redounded lawfully upon him, and commanded him to fear the Lord, and He would provide for him.
Another relation of the children's last goodbye to their father:
His Children being come to meet Him, He first gave His Blessing to the Lady Elizabeth, and bade her remember to tell her Brother James, when ever she should see him, That it was his Fathers last desire, that he should no more look upon Charl[e]s as his eldest Brother onely, but be obedient unto him as his Soveraign; and that they should love one another, and forgive their Fathers Enemies. Then said the King to her, "Sweet-heart, you'l forget this": "No", (said she) "I shall never forget it while I live": and pouring forth abundance of tears, promised him to write down the particulars.
Then the King taking the Duke of Gloucester upon His knee, said, "Sweet-heart, Now they will cut off thy Fathers Head" (upon which words the Childe looked very stedfastly on Him) "Mark Childe what I say, They will cut off My Head, and perhaps make thee a King: But mark what I say, You must not be a King, so long as your Brothers, Charl[e]s and James, do live; For they will cut off your Brothers Heads (when they can catch them) and cut off thy Head too at the last: and therefore I charge you, do not be made a King by them." At which the Childe sighing, said, "I will be torn in pieces first": which falling so unexpectedly from one so yong, it made the King rejoyce exceedingly.
With modernised spelling:
His children being come to meet him, he first gave his blessing to the Lady Elizabeth and bade her remember to tell her brother James, whenever she should see him, that it was his father's last desire that he should no more look upon Charles as his eldest brother only, but be obedient unto him as his sovereign, and that they should love one another and forgive their father's enemies.
Then said the King to her: "Sweetheart, you'll forget this."
"No", said she; "I shall never forget it while I live!"; and, pouring forth abundance of tears, promised him to write down the particulars.
Then the King, taking the Duke of Gloucester upon his knee, said: "Sweetheart, now they will cut off thy father's head" — upon which words the child looked very steadfastly on him.
"Mark, child what I say: they will cut off my head and perhaps make thee a king. But mark what I say: you must not be a king so long as your brothers Charles and James do live, for they will cut off your brothers' heads when they can catch them and cut off thy head too at the last; and therefore I charge you, do not be made a king by them."
At which the child, sighing, said: "I will be torn in pieces first!" — which, falling so unexpectedly from one so young, it made the King rejoice exceedingly.
No comments:
Post a Comment