Cygnea cantio: or, Learned decisions, and most prudent and pious directions for students in divinitie; delivered by our late soveraigne of happie memorie, King Iames, at White Hall a few weekes before his death.

TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE.

Dread Soveraigne:

THere is nothing can dry the overflowing spring ofteares in all your loyall Subjects eyes for the inestimable losse of our late Soveraigne, your most Noble Father, but the Orient beames, & bright lustre of your Majesties Emperiall Crowne, and most happy reigne over us:

whereby that is come to passe which the ancient English Poet so much admired, Sol occubuit nox nulla secuta est: The Sunne set, and no night ensued thereu∣pon: Blessed and glorified bee his Name for it, that dwelleth in a light which none can approach un∣to. Who had no sooner fitted the King your Father for a throne in heaven, but he fitted you his Son for his throne up∣on earth, and hath peaceably setled you in it.

Vno avulso non deficit alter Aureus ac simili frondescit virga metallo.

No sooner that golden branch was plucked away, but another of the same stocke groweth up in the roome: Vnder whose

shade the Church and Com∣mon wealth now shelter them∣selves. If any man have any of your Fathers Iewels, he ought to bring them to you his sole Heire. The learned resolutions, and divine instructions which I lately received from your Fa∣thers mouth, I value no lesse then peereless Pearles: And be∣cause the last speech of a depar∣ting friend maketh the deepest impression, and Art herein imi∣tating Nature holdeth out long the last note of the dying sound in the Organ; I thought it my duty to offer unto your Maje∣stie the ensuing Relation of the last polemicall discourses of his Majesty your Father, in matter

of controversie in Divinity. I reade in Martial of a Fly that by a drop of Amber casually falling upon it, grew in such re∣quest, that a great summe of mo∣ney was given for it.

implicuit succina gutta feram Et sic quae fuerat vitâ, contempta, manente Facta est funeribus mox pretiosa suis.

The like I am perswaded of the inclosed Narration, that many will esteeme of it not for the flyes sake, but for the Am∣ber; not for it selfe or the pen∣ners sake, but for his Majesties remarkeable passages related in it. For my part I challenge no more therein than S. Austine did in his childe Adeodatus, Ni∣hil agnosco meum nifi peccatum: I

owne nothing in it but the faults and defects. All my hope is, that the darker the foile is, the brighter the Diamonds of his Majesties speeches inserted ther∣in will appeare; which with all humility I present to your Ma∣jestie with the tender of my bounden duty, and service to God for you, to you for God as becommeth

Your Majesties meanest, yet most humble and affectionately devoted Subject, Daniel Featly.