I hope he yet will restore me to my Rights. I cannot
despair either of his mercy, or of my peoples love and pitie.

At worst, I trust I shall but go before you to a better Kingdom, which
God hath prepared for me, and me for it, through my Saviour Jesus
Christ, to whose mercies I commend You and all mine.

Farewell, till we meet, if not on Earth, yet in Heaven.

* * * * *

28. _Meditations upon Death, after the Votes of Non-Addresses, and
His_ Majesties _closer Imprisonment in_ Carisbrook-Castle.

As I have leisure enough, so I have cause more then enough, to
meditate upon, and prepare for My Death: for I know, there are but,
few steps between the Prisons and Graves of Princes.

It is Gods indulgence which gives me the space, but Mans cruelty that
gives Me the sad occasions for these thoughts.

For, besides the common burthen of mortalitie, which lies upon Me,
as a Man; I now bear the heavy load of other mens ambitions, fears,
jealousies, and cruel passions, whose envie or enmity against Me,
makes their own lives seem deadly to them, while I enjoy any part of
Mine.

I thank God, My prosperitie made Me not wholly a stranger to the
contemplations of mortalitie.

Those are never unseasonable, since this is alwaies uncertain: Death
being an eclipse, which oft happeneth as well in cleer as cloudy
dayes.

But My now long and sharp adversity hath so reconciled in Me those
natural Antipathies between Life and Death, which are in all men, that
I thank God, the common terrors of it are dispelled; and the special
horrour of it, as to My particular, much allayed: for although My
Death at present may justly be represented to Me with all those
terrible aggravations, which the policy of cruel and implacable
enemies can put upon it (affaires being drawn to the very dregs
of malice) yet I bless God, I can look upon all those stings, as
unpoysonous, though sharp; since My Redeemer hath either pulled them
out, or given Me the Antidote of his Death against them, which as to
the immaturity, injustice, shame, scorn, and cruelty of it, exceeded
what ever I can fear.

Indeed, I never did find so much, the life of Religion, the feast of
a good Conscience, and the brazen wall of a judicious integrity and
constancy, as since I came to these closer conflicts with the thoughts
of Death.

I am not so old, as to be wearie of life; nor (I hope) so bad, as to
be either afraid to die, or ashamed to l