creatures both in heaven and earth, who spake the word, and they were made, commanded, and all things were created, and by whom alone it is, that not only all Kings and Princes do rule and govern the people committed to their charge, but are likewise by thy divine providence and mighty protection (so long as it seemeth best to thy godly wisdom) defended and delivered, even in the midst of all their perils and dangers, out of the hands of all their enemies: We yield unto thee most humble and hearty thanks, for that it hath pleased thy gracious goodness, according to thine accustomed favour towards her, still to preserve and defend thy well beloved Hand-maid and our most gracious Queen Elizabeth, from all the wicked conspiracies, traitorous attempts, and devilish devices, which either the foreign and professed enemies. abroad, or else her most unloyal, desperate, and rebellious Subjects at home, were able at any time to devise and practise against her. But especially (O Lord) at this time, as just occasion is offered unto us all, we all even from the bottom of our hearts praise thy holy name, and give thee most hearty and unfeigned thanks for this thy late and most happy delivery of her Majesty's most royal person from all those manifold treasons, which were most wickedly invented and cruelly attempted against her: most humbly beseeching thee, of thine infinite goodness and mercy, still to continue thy fatherly protection over her, daily to increase and multiply thy heavenly blessings and graces upon her. Be thou ever unto her (O Lord God of hosts) even a strong rock and tower of defence against the face of all her enemies, which either openly abroad, or secretly at home, go about to bring her life unto the grave, and lay her honour in the dust. Disclose their wicked counsels, and make frustrate all their devilish practices in such sort, as that all the world may learn and know, that there is no counsel, no wisdom, no policy against the Lord. And if it be thy will (O Lord), either give them grace in time to see how in vain they still kick against the pricks, and do seek to depose her whom thou dost exalt, and so acknowledge and repent them of these their sins, and thus convert them in thy mercy or else in thy just judgments (if with the wilful, obstinate, and reprobate sinners, they still harden their hearts and will not repent) let all the enemies (0 Lord), let all the malicious and deadly

enemies of thine anointed servant, and our most gracious Queen Elizabeth, perish together. Let them fall into the ditch which they have digged for others, and be taken in their own nets: but let her Majesty (O Lord) ever escape them, that all the world may see how dear and precious in thy sight the life of this thine anointed is, who doth not so much as imagine this evil against them, that thus continually thirst after her blood. Wherefore (O Lord our God, King of kings and Lord of all lords, unto whose eyes all things are open, and from whom no secrets are hid, who only knowest all the devices and thoughts of men, and searchest out the depth of their hearts) thou knowest (O Lord) that nothing at any time hath been more dear unto thine anointed Hand-maid Elizabeth, our Queen, than the public good and benefit of thy Church, and the godly peace and unity of all good Christians among themselves. We beseech thee therefore of thy great goodness (O Lord) still to look down from heaven, and behold her with thine eye of pity and compassion, daily with thy mighty power and stretched out arm to save and deliver her from all her enemies, preserve and keep her as the apple of thine own eye, and grant unto her (0 most merciful Father) a long, prosperous, and happy reign over us, and prolong her days as the days of heaven here upon earth, that she may be an old mother in Israel, and see her desire upon all thine and her enemies, though in number never so many, or in power never so mighty. And finally, after this life, give unto her everlasting life, through Jesus Christ thine only Son, and our only Saviour.

Another.

O MOST gracious God and our most loving and merciful Father, which hast not only created us, and all things by thy power, but hast also continued our preservation by thy holy providence, therein working wonderfully, revealing things hidden and secret, as thou dost discover the bottoms and foundations of the deep: how can we worthily praise thy goodness, or sufficiently declare thy loving kindness, which thou hast at all times shewed unto us thy servants in the land of the living? We magnify thy glorious name: thou hast a mighty arm; strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand, yea, thy wisdom is infinite. The proud have risen

against thee, O Lord, and against thine anointed, our Sovereign under thee, and against thy people that call upon thy name: but thou hast cast them down from time to time, and scattered them abroad, for thy mercy endureth for ever. They have taken wicked counsels together, saying, None shall be able to espy it: but thou hast opened them, and brought them out of darkness into light; for thou art God alone which destroyest the wisdom of the wise, and castest away the understanding of the prudent: therefore do we worship thee and praise thy holy Name, rejoicing continually in thy strength and thy salvation; for thou art the glory of our power, and by thy favour and loving kindness are we preserved. Our shield and defence belongeth to thee (O Lord of hosts), and our gracious Prince to thee, O thou Holy one of Israel. And because thou hast loved her for thy name's sake, and the glory of thy kingdom upon the earth, and us also thy people to whom thou hast given her and many excellent blessings together with her righteous government, thou hast many times also preserved and kept her, as the apple of thine eye, from the mischievous imaginations and cruel hands of thine and her enemies, and from the secret practices of those that have endeavoured to rise up against her. Thou (O Lord) hast preserved her Honour from the ignominy, her life from the cruelty, and her Crown from the tyranny of the wicked, her estate from ruin, her peace from disturbance, her kingdom and her people from being a prey to the malignant. The foot of pride hath come against us, but the hand of iniquity hath not cast us down. Therefore do we rejoice before thee, and be glad in thee, yea, our songs do we make of thy name, O thou most Highest, and will be ever setting forth thy praise and thy glory, thy might and thy mercy, from one generation to another. Only, O Lord, forsake us not in this time of our age, until we have shewed thy strength to this generation, and thy power to all that are yet for to come. And albeit, if thou, Lord, in thy displeasure do mark among us all what is done amiss, there is none that can abide it, yet forsake us not, nor leave us, O God of our salvation. Give courage and constancy to our Sovereign to persevere in perils: prudence and wisdom to her Council, wisely to foresee and discover the subtil sleights and dangers of all enemies: faithfulness and fortitude to the Nobles of the

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For

land, duty and obedience to us all that are under her. give also, we most humbly pray thee thorow thy fatherly kindness in Jesus Christ, the multitude of our sins and transgressions against thy divine majesty, and thy commandments, and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away all our offences, that the light and candle of thy servant Elizabeth, our gracious Queen and Governor, which is our life in the light of thy countenance, and the breath of our nostrils, be not put out, but may still shine and burn bright, illumined by the beams of thy heavenly grace. Protect her (O Lord), we still beseech thee, in safety, save her in majesty, keep her in peace, guide her in counsel, and defend her in danger bless her, Lord, in all temporal and celestial blessings in Christ, that she may still bless thee: for in death no man remembereth thee, and who shall give thee thanks in the pit? Detect and reveal still the foundations and buildings of all treasons and conspiracies, both at home and abroad; and herein (O Lord) either convert the wicked hearts and secret conceits from their wicked imaginations, or confound their devices, and make them as the untimely fruit that they never see the sun. Say (O Lord) to her soul, as sometime thou didst to Abraham the father of the Faithful, I am thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward; and, as thou didst sometime to the soul of thy servant David, I am thy salvation, with my holy oil have I anointed thee. Therefore my hand shall hold thee fast, and mine arm shall stablish thee. The enemy shall not be able to do thee violence, the son of wickedness shall not hurt thee. I will beat down thy foes before thy face, and plague them that hate thee. Hear, Lord, and save us, O King of heaven, when we call upon thee: and so shall we all, both Prince and people, dwell still under the shadow of thy wings, protected by thy power, and preserved by thy providence, and ordered by thy governance, to thy everlasting praise, and our unspeakable comfort in Jesus Christ, to whom with thee, O Father and God of all consolation, and the holy Spirit of sanctification, be all honour and glory both now and for ever. Amen.

A PRAYER set forth by authority to be used for the xxxvII. prosperous success of her Majesty's Forces and Navy.

Nor unto us (O Lord) not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory, by beholding of us thy servants graciously at this time, against whom the proud are risen up, and the cnemies have conspired and banded themselves. It is thy might and Majesty alone (O Lord) that putteth down all the ungodly of the earth like dross, that stilleth the raging of the Sea, and the noise of his waves, and the madness of the people, that breaketh the bow and knappeth the spear in sunder, and burneth the Chariots in the fire. Arise then (O Lord) to our defence, and break the power and counsels of thine and our enemies, and make them like those people that became as the chaff before the wind, when they conspired and went out against those whose shield and buckler, whose castle of defence, whose God and Saviour thou wast from everlasting. And bless, good Lord, (we most humbly beseech thee) the people of our land provided to withstand their tyranny, and to stand for the just defence of thy servants. and people of this kingdom. Encourage all our hearts (O heavenly King and Prince of power) with joy and gladness in thy saving health, and the hands of our armies with strength and constancy. And as thou art the God of hosts, so bless our hosts and companies by sea and by land, by giving them victory in battle and strength in conflict to overcome. shall we confess to the praise of thy Name, that it is not our bow nor our sword that hath saved us, but thy holy hand and outstretched arm. And all the world shall know, that it is thy favour that prospereth, and thy power that overcometh, and thy blessing that preserveth thy Church from hostility and tyranny, and us thy people from destruction. Hear us (O Lord our defender) for the glory of thy holy Name, through Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

Imprinted at London by the Depu-

ties of Christopher Barker, Printer to the

Queenes most excellent Maieftie.

Anno Domini. 1596.

So