T

By Mr. BUTLER.

Hat he was a Prince of incomparable Vertues his very Enemies cannot deny, (only they were not for their purpose) and thofe fo unblemish'd with any perfonal Vice, that they were fain to abuse the Security of his Innocence, both to accuse and ruin him. His Moderation (which he preferved equal in the Extremity of both Fortunes) they made a common Difguife for their contrary Impalations, as they had occafion to mifcall it, either an Eafinefs to be inflicted by others, or Obstinacy to rule by his own Will

This Temper of his was fo admirable, that neither the highest of Temptations, Adoration and Flattery, nor the lowest of Mifery, Injuries, the Infolency of Fools, could move him. His Conftancy to his own Vertues, was no mean Caufe of his Undoing, for if he had not stated the Principles of Government upon unalterable Right, but could have shifted bis Sails to catch the popular Air when it grew high (as his Enemies did) they had never undone him with empty Pretendings to what he really meant. His Wif dom and Knowledge were of fo noble a Capacity, that nothing lay fo much out of his Reach, as the profound Wickedness of his Enemies, which his own Goodness would never give him leave to fufpect, nor his experienc'd Power to difcover for they managed the whole Courfe of bis Ruin, as they did the laft Act of it, in Difgnife, elfe fo great a Wit as his had never been circumvented by the Treachery and Cheat, rather than Policy of ignorant Perfons. All he wanted of a King was, he knew not how to dif femble, unless concealing his own Perfections were fo, in which he only deceived his People, who knew not his great Abilities, till their Sins were pur

nished

nished with the Lofs of him. In his Death, he not only out-did the high Refolution of the ancient Romans, but the bumble Patience of the Primitive Martyrs; fo far from the manner of Tyrants, who ufe to wish all the World their Funeral Pile, that he employed the Care of his laft Thoughts about the Safety of his very Enemies, and died not only confulting, but praying for the Prefervation of those whom he knew refolved to have none, but what was built upon their own Deftruction.

All this, and much more, the Juftice of Pofterity (when Faction and Concernment are removed) will acknowledge to be more true of him, than any of thofe Slanders you (or the mad Wickedness of this Age) have thrown upon his Memory, which fhall then, like Dung caft at the Roots of Trees, but make his Name more flourishing and glorious; when all thofe Monuments of Infamy you have raised, fhall become the Trophies of his Vertue, and your own Shame. In the mean time, as your own Confcience, or the Expectation of Divine Vengeance, fhall call upon you, you will

fee what you have done, and find there is no Murther fo horrid, as that which is committed with the Sword of Juftice; nor any Injuftice fo notorious, as that which takes Advantage both of the first Silence of the Living, and that of the Dead: In this laft, you have been very finful, and, in accufing the Dead, have not behaved yourfelf fo like a Saint at the Day of Judgment, as the Devil, whofe Office is to be Solicitor-General in fuch Cafes. I will not judge you, left I should do worse, imitate you. But certainly you will find it the worst Kind of Witchcraft, to raife the Devil by facrificing to your own Malice especially to fo bad a purpofe as you have done, that you might invade the Judgment-Seat of Chrift, and ufurp his Jurifdiction before his Coming, which you have prefumed to do with more Rudeness than Hacket ufed, and lefs Formality in not fending your Fore-runner to proclaim (in a Turnep-Cart)your Coming to Judgment. But the worst of all is, you feem to glory in your Sins, and affert the Martyrdom of your Wickedness, for having fuppofed a Poffibility you may fall by the Hands of Violence:

You

You arm yourself with a forc'd Refolution, which you may be confident you will never have need of; for you have no reason to think any Man can believe you have deferved a violent Death; no, you have deserved rather to live long; fo long, till you fee yourself become the Controverfie of wild Beafts, and be fain to prove our Scare-crow. Unless you fhall think it juft, that as you have been condemned out of your own Mouth, fo you fhould fall by your own Hand. Indeed there was not a Hangman bad enough for Judas, but himself, and when you fall think fit to do your Telf fo much Right, you fhall be your own Sooth fayer, and fall by the Hand of a Raviliac, to whom with more Likeness compare your felf, than to Henry IV. for you are no King. What Raviliac was is very well known; what you are, I leave to your own Confcience.