King Charles the Second, Title page – Dedication
Beatitas Britanniae; Or, KING CHARLES The SECOND, ENGLANDS BEATITUDE.
AS reached to the Incorporation of the HONOUR of EAY, in the County of Suffolk, March 31. 1661. being the Lords Day before their Election of Burgeſſes, and the Week before the Choice of Knights for the County.
By EDWARD WILLAN Vicar of Hoxne in Suffolk.
Sen. Trag.
Decet tim…ri Caeſarem: at plus diligi.
LONDON, Printed for John W…ams at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard 1661.
To the Right HONOURABLE HENRY HOWARD, Brother to the moſt Noble EARLE And LORD-LIEUTENANT of SUFFOLK.
Right Honourable,
IT is to God we live engaged for the bleſſing of a King ſo good, he made him good, he made him King, and all his ſubjects bleſſed in him; fortunatos nimium bona ſi Virgil.ſua norint. Yet to your good HOONU… I ſtand for ever obliged alſo, for the moſt early intimations of the Bleſſing, with the bleſſeful repreſentations of his Royal goodneſſe. It was a favour like your ſelf, Right NOBLE, a very ray of your own Nobleneſſe, to be a Phoſphorus then to one ſo much benighted with anxietudes for that long abſence of our Phaebus. It is nothing now to be ſhown the day-light of our glorious Day-ſtar, it being of his eſſence ſo toforeign Syneſ. de Regno. a Macroh. ſhine. As Syneſius ſaid of that Light which rules by Day; that King of Stars, the Day making Sun. But in that ſaddeſt night to ſhew his lucifluous irradiations, and to elongate the beams of his glorious luſtre to ſuch a diſtance as Hoxne was ſomething indeed. Few or none would repreſent him rightly, as your Honour did, before the ſmilings of that Aurora, at his riſing from the neather world. And that welcome day brake firſt from your preenlightened ſelf in theſe obſcurer parts. Yea ſub nocte ſilenti, your ſofteſt ſyllables of ſuch a day approaching made me ſoon rejoyce in hope, and in ſuch hope as made me not aſhamed, nor yet afraid to awaken others, and bid them put on their loyaltiesVirgil. again, ſo long laid off. Yea thoſe twi-light hopes of having a King again, our own King, and he ſuch a King, ſoon turned darker ſayings, and Pulpit Aenigmaes into broad day light expreſſions, Riddles of danger to Readings of happy deliverance, Apoſiop…ſis to Pleonaſmus, ſic ſolet laetitia …. Greg.arcana mentis aperire. I could not but deem it an offence to the King of kings not to preach my conſtant Auditors into reſolves of open loyalty, or not to preſſe all others, whereever I came to pray for the bleſſing of ſuch a Sovereign, and his moſt expetible Reſtauration. No duty ſeemed more incumbent, then the undeceiving of the ſeduced Many, nor any word of exhortation more in ſeaſon, then Reddite Caeſari quae Caeſaris ſunt. Nor did any find better liking with the beſt, then arguments of that complexion. I cannot forget the noble favours, that one Sermon, for Gods own government, as the beſt, did find with all the moſt honourable loyalties of Audley End, for the Arguments ſake, and for the righteſt deſignations of it. For that was preached to prepare the hearers for the happineſſe of a King, this to make its hearers ſee their happineſſe in ſuch a King. It is a Sermon of happineſſe, and the happineſſe of the Sermon it will be to have your Honours tutelation. Be pleaſed to read your intereſt in Englands Beatitude. And the God of all Beatitudes and Honours bleſſe your Honour with Beatitudes both laſting and everlaſting, it is and ſhall be the Prayer of
Yeur Honours moſt heartily devoted as obliged Servant. EDWARD WILLAN.