cution. Harrison was the person
appointed to join in prayer with the unwary general. By agreement, he
prolonged his doleful cant till intelligence arrived, that the fatal
blow was struck. He then rose from his knees, and insisted with Fairfax,
that this event was a miraculous and providential answer which Heaven
had sent to their devout supplications.[*]

* Herbert, p. 135.

It being remarked, that the king, the moment before he stretched out his
neck to the executioner, had said to Juxon with a very earnest accent,
the single word "Remember," great mysteries were supposed to be
concealed under that expression; and the generals vehemently insisted
with the prelate, that he should inform them of the king's meaning,
Juxon told them that the king, having frequently charged him to
inculcate on his son the forgiveness of his murderers, had taken this
opportunity, in the last moment of his life, when his commands, he
supposed would be regarded as sacred and inviolable, to reiterate that
desire; and that his mild spirit thus terminated its present course by
an act of benevolence towards his greatest enemies.

The character of this prince, as that of most men, if not of all men,
was mixed; but his virtues predominated extremely above his vices, or,
more properly speaking, his imperfections; for scarce any of his faults
rose to that pitch as to merit the appellation of vices. To consider him
in the most favorable light, it may be affirmed, that his dignity was
free from pride, his humanity from weakness, his bravery from rashness,
his temperance from austerity, his frugality from avarice; all these
virtues in him maintained their proper bounds, and merited unreserved
praise. To speak the most harshly of him, we may affirm, that many of
his good qualities were attended with some latent frailty, which,
though seemingly inconsiderable was able, when seconded by the extreme
malevolence of his fortune, to disappoint them of all their influence:
his beneficent disposition was clouded by a manner not very gracious;
his virtue was tinctured with superstition; his good sense was
disfigured by a deference to persons of a capacity inferior to his own;
and his moderate temper exempted him not from hasty and precipitate
resolutions. He deserves the epithet of a good, rather than of a great
man: and was more fitted to rule in a regular established government,
than either to give way to the encroachments of a popular assembly, or
final