Edovardus Confessor redivivus. The piety and vertues of holy Edward the Confessor reviv'd in the sacred Majesty of King James the II. Being a relation of the admirable and unexpected finding of a sacred relique, (viz. the crucifix) of that pious prince; which was found in Westminster-Abby, (the place of his interrment) 622 years succeeding; and is since worn sometimes by his present Majesty. With a comment thereon. Previous to which relation, are recited many wonderful casual discoveries; all of them being presagious, or very effective.

THE PREFACE, Without Reading which, the Discourse and Design of the ensuing Treatise cannot well be understood.

PResently after His Majesty's most happy Inaugu∣ration, I heard of that unexpected Bene-ominous Accident, which is the Subject of this present Discourse: Not One in Ten, but look'd upon it as a mat∣ter meerly Fabulous and Feign'd: For my part, (having been abroad in the World) I have met with strange Pas∣sages, but read of many more; so, for my better satis∣faction, I went to a Loving Friend of mine, Mr. J. G. (Famous for Astronomical Learning) living near the Abby, who assured me of the Truth thereof; and offered to carry me to the very Person who was the Discoverer thereof, and receiv'd a Royal Reward; which I refused, (for that would have looked as if I had distrusted my Friends Veracity.) Within two or three days after, my old Friend T. H. Esq; Windsor-Herald (also a near In∣babitant) re-assured me of the Truth thereof: Ʋpon which, I Penned this ensuing Discourse; giving it to one, to use at his Discretion, being a Printer, my Friend; and I thought it would have found no obstacle in the Impression: But those that were Authoriz'd to License, obstinately refused it, as savouring of down right Popery and Super∣stition.

So I, having occasion to retire into the Country, acquiesc'd, and let it lye, (submitting to the Rigour, or Nicety of the Licensers): But afterward, when I saw many notable, and very acceptable Occurrences fall under His Majesty's Auspicious Government, (such as are men∣tion'd by Tertullus the Orator, Acts 24.2.) I incited my Friend to move afresh: These Occurrences are such as,

His Proclamation, April 4. declaring, His Benign Indulging Well-meaning Tender Consciences in mat∣ter of Religion, and Forms and Circumstances of Wor∣ship: Certainly, the means to make People live in more Ʋnity, and more free from Envy, that might arrive from some, to have more Priviledge, Grace and Favour than others. This caused a great rejoycing of all People gene∣rally, as Mr. Gadbury well observes. Annot. Apr. 88.

Then His paying the Arrears, due to His late Maje∣sty's Servants; as far as His present Majesty with con∣venience could do; He having had no Supplies, but His own ordinary Revenues. The Payment of their Arrears is the more to be Commended, in that, after the Measure and Quantum was Consider'd and Determin'd, the performance thereof was as speedy as might be: Qui cito dat, bis dat.

His particular taking into consideration the Debts due to the City Orphans and Widdows: Strangely have their Monies been squandred and embezled by the Step-Fathers of this Renowned City, once so Memorable for Piety and Justice. Gulielmus Stephanides, Writing of

it, sub. H. 2. made it a City of Prayer. So Robert Fabian, sub. H. 7. in his Prologue to his Second Chro∣nological Volume: But truly, of late Years, it hath shew'd it self Spelunca Latronum Matt. 21.13.

His Intention to settle a Registry of Sales of Estates and Chattels, Real. About the Year 76 and onward, the House of Commons were upon this Matter; At Satanus impediit & divertit in peiora; 1 Thes. 2.18. For my part, I Wrote to several Noblemens Chaplains, de∣siring them to perswade their Lords to Advance it; the Right Reverend the Lords, Bishops of Glocester and Rochester can Attest this to be True: The Honourable Knights, Sir Winston Churchil, and Sir Joseph Willi∣amson, (then Secretary of State) will acknowledge I put them upon it. — Certainly it would be a mighty satis∣faction and Security to all sorts of People, whom God's Blessing, and their own Honest endeavour have made capa∣ble of Purchase; and is the usage of the Low-Coun∣tries, introduc'd by Charles the V. whose Memory the Netherlanders greatly Reverence upon this very account. This is mention'd by Sir William Temple, P. 200. of his excellent Discourse of those Parts.

His restoring of an antient Order of Knight-hood, many Ages dis-used, viz. The Thistle, so reviving the Honour of His Antient Kingdom of Scotland (the Nurse of Brave Men) It was one of the Praises of that Good and Great Prince, Humphry Duke of Glo∣cester, that Wrote himself Son, Brother, and Ʋnkle of

Kings, &c. That He was Amator Honoris, a Lover of Honour. (See Weaver, 555.) But our Generous Soveraign is Lapsi Restaurator Honoris, a Restorer of it when fallen.

But lastly, and above all, What is mentioned by Mr. John Gadbury, in his Ephemeris for the approaching Year 88. viz. upon the 23 of Aug. His Majesty began his Royal Progress for the West, where he most Mer∣cifully vouchsafed to heal many Languishing Men, Women, and Children, of the Evil: And this indeed was the main matter I presumed to Presage from this discoursed Discovery.

But to conclude my Preface; Why may not I presume Vaticiniously from that passage I borrow from Harêus, (mention'd hereafter, Pag. 24) to add by the By,

Post longos imbres obscuraque nubila quid si Natio Jacobo gaudebit Hiberna sereno?

After long Clouds and Storms, what if we see James the Serene, a Sun to Ireland be?

Let not my Reader Censure this comes out too too long, post factum, when as Mr. Payne Fisher's most excellent Latin Panegyrick in Heroick Verse, upon his Majesty's Inauguration; Nor Mr. Sandfords much and long ex∣pected Prosal Description thereof, have not yet seen the Light: The former, I suppose (and 'tis pity) has been hitherto supprest, Propter non posse pecuniae; Non propter Papismum, as was the Fate of Mine.

(a) 1.1TEmporibus duris qui Scripsit Fata-Dierum.] (b) 1.2Mercurium rigide correxit & Antiducalem.] (c) 1.3Omina Cygnorum Duce qui redeunte notavit.] (d) 1.4Haeredem Praesumptivum uniit Apparenti Subdola quos hominum Gens disunire studebat.] (e) 1.5Qui postquam Carolus Augustus Monumetensem Clarasset spurium, cantavit Carmine laeto.] (f) 1.6Edidit & posthac Protectos Numine Divos Selectos aliquos, tùm praecipueque Jacobum Syrtibus exemptum.](g) 1.7 Monuitque deindè potentem Gallorum Regem, saevos Invadere Turcas, Christicolis Stimulos.]—[Scripsit hunc ipse Libellum, Qui Confessoris Crucifixum tractat Edardi Inventum mirè, reddendum jure Iacobo. Non Possessori primo, virtute Secundo.

He that Wrote Those, This present Piece did Write, Which of Saint Edward's Crucifix doth Treat, So strangely found, now kept by JAMES the Great; Who, to the Pristine Owner, no whit is, In Vertues all, Inferiour I wis.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  DAy-Fatality, 1679.
• (b) 1.2

  Flagellum Mercurii Antiducalis; or, The Author of the Touch of the Times Charitably brought to the Whipping-Post, to prevent his coming to the Gallows, 1679.
• (c) 1.3

  Swans Wellcome, 1679.
• (d) 1.4

  Ʋnio Dissidentium, Heir Apparent, and Presump∣tive made one, 1680.
• (e) 1.5

  A Panegyrick to His Royal Highness, upon His Majesty's late Declaration, concerning Monmouth's Pretensions, 1681.
• (f) 1.6

  Prince Protecting Providences, upon occasion of His Royal Highness's Escape of Ship-wrack, 1682.
• (g) 1.7

  Christian Valour Incou∣raged; or, An Exhortation to the French King to Invade the Turks, 1684.