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Chapter 21EikonBas.1.21

Upon His Majesty's Letters taken and divulged

The Exposure of Private Thoughts

The King reflects on the malice of his enemies in publishing his private letters, asserting his integrity and constancy despite their attempts to ruin his reputation.

The seizure of my letters was an opportunity that, just as the malice of my enemies could hardly have expected it, so they don't know how to use it with honor and civility. Nor do I think that, to sober and worthy minds, anything in those letters could tend so much to my reproach as the odious publicizing of them did to the infamy of those who published them. The greatest tests of virtue and nobility are shown when one holds the greatest advantages against an enemy, and the greatest obligations are those laid on us by people from whom we could least have expected them.1 And that is how I would have regarded the concealing of my papers—whose freeness and secrecy demand civility from anyone not wholly barbarous; nor is there anything more inhuman than to expose them to public view. Yet since Providence wills it, I am content that so much of my heart—which I strive to keep right before God's omniscience—should be laid open to the world without the ornaments or crowd-pleasing appeals some men use in their speeches and public statements; I wish my subjects had a clearer view of my most private thoughts.2 There they might discover how my thoughts are divided between the love and care I have—no more to preserve my own rights than to secure their peace and happiness—and the extreme grief of seeing them both deceived and destroyed.3 No one's malice can get any further satisfaction from my letters than to see my constancy to my wife, the laws, and religion. Bees will gather honey where the spider sucks poison. No one who loves me or the country can blame me for trying to ease the pressure from my enemies through every fair and just communication, since my subjects can hardly be happy if I am miserable, or enjoy their peace and liberties while I am oppressed.4 The world can see how quickly men's design, like Absalom's, is by outrageous actions to widen differences and inflame all sides into such divisions that they may make any reconciliation hopeless.5 Yet I thank God that I can not only bear this with patience, as I do other indignities, but forgive them with charity. The integrity of my intentions does not fear any harm my expressions can do them. For although the confidence of privacy may allow greater freedom in writing such letters, which may be open to envious objections, yet the innocence of my chief purposes cannot be so seized on or misinterpreted by them that everyone fails to see that I wish for nothing more than a happy settlement of differences with justice and honor, and no more for my own contentment than for my people's—those who still have any sparks of love or loyalty left in them. By those letters of mine they may be convinced that I can both attend to and manage my own affairs and my kingdoms' affairs as becomes a prince; and that is something my enemies have always been very reluctant to have believed of me, as if I were wholly confined to the dictates and directions of others, whom they please to brand with the names of evil counselors.6 It is probable some men will now look on me as my own counselor, and having no one else to quarrel with under that heading, they will from now on confine their anger to me alone. Although I know they are very unwilling that I should enjoy the liberty of my own thoughts, or follow the light of my own conscience, which they labor to bring into absolute captivity to themselves—not allowing me to think their counsels anything other than good for me, though those same counsels have so long kept up a war against me. The victory they won that day, when my letters became their prize, would have been enough to satisfy even the most ambitious thirst for popular glory among the common people—with whom prosperity wins the greatest esteem and applause, just as adversity exposes a person to their greatest slighting and disrespect: as if good fortune were always the shadow of virtue and justice, and did not more often attend vicious and injurious actions, as far as this world is concerned. But I see that no worldly advantages seem enough for that cause, which began with tumults and depends mainly on its reputation among the common people. They think no victories so effective for their designs as those that most thoroughly rout and ruin my standing with my people—in whose hearts they try by every means to smother and extinguish every spark of love, respect, and loyalty to me, so that those sparks may never rekindle enough to recover what is mine, the laws, and the kingdoms' liberties, which some men seek to overthrow. Taking away my reputation is only a necessary preparation for taking away my life and my kingdoms; first I must be made to seem neither fit to live nor worthy to reign. By refined methods of cunning and cruelty I must be forced first to follow the funeral of my honor, and then be destroyed. But I know God's unerring and impartial justice can and will overrule the most perverse wills and designs of men; he is able, and I hope he will, turn even the worst of my enemies' thoughts and actions to my good.✦ I do not think that by seizing my letters I have lost anything more than a few papers. As for how much they have lost in terms of the civility and humanity that should be shown to everyone—and that especially becomes those who claim to be religious—along with the respect and honor they owe their King, the present age and future generations will judge. And I cannot believe their own consciences are so dull that they do not secretly impress on them some of that shame and dishonor which attends every unworthy action, no matter how much public flattery and popular favor they have. I am sure they cannot expect God's approval for such indecent actions if they just remember how God blessed the modest respect and filial tenderness Noah's sons showed their father. His open weakness did not justify Ham's shamelessness, nor did it spare him from that curse of being a servant of servants—a curse bound to fall on those who seek to please the crowd through dishonorable actions, and who confirm their dependence on the people through base acts.78 The malicious intentions of those who meant to expose me to the deepest shame and contempt of my people can never be excused or successful. They forgot the duty of modest concealment they owed to the father of their country, even if they had found any real unseemliness—which, thank God, they did not. God can, and I believe has, made me more respected in the hearts of many, just as He did with David, even among those to whom they thought they could make me out to be a vile person, unfit to be trusted or regarded with any claim to majesty, by publishing my private letters.

A Prayer for Vindication and Patience

The King turns to God in prayer, seeking divine vindication against his enemies and the grace to endure his trials with Christian patience.

But you, O Lord, whose wise and all-disposing Providence orders the greatest contingencies of human affairs, make me see the constancy of your mercies toward me in the greatest advantages you seem to give the malice of my enemies against me. Just as you destroyed the counsel of Ahithophel, turning it to David's benefit and his own ruin, so you can defeat the plans of those who intended, by publishing my private letters, nothing more than to make me seem odious and contemptible to my people. I must first appeal to your omniscience—you who can witness my integrity—regarding how unjust and false those scandalous misconstructions are that my enemies are trying to present to the world using my papers. Turn the evil they imagined and the ill will they meant for me back onto their own heads, so they may be ashamed and covered in their own confusion like a cloak.✦✦9 You see how my enemies use every means to cloud my honor, twist my intentions, and slander the footsteps of your Anointed.✦ But give me a heart content to be dishonored for your sake and for the good of your Church. Give me a firm purpose to honor you, and I know you will honor me—either by restoring the power and majesty you allowed others to try to take from me, or by giving me that crown of Christian patience that knows how to serve you in honor or dishonor, in good report or evil. You, O Lord, are the fountain of goodness and honor; you are clothed with excellent majesty. Make me share in your excellence—in wisdom, justice, and mercy—and I will not lack the measure of honor and majesty that befits the place in which you have set me, you who are the lifter of my head and my salvation. Lord, by your grace, lead me to your glory, which is both true and eternal.

Read the original Latin

The taking of My Letters was an opportunity, which, as the malice of Mine ENEMIES could hardly have expected; so they know not how with honour and civility to use it: Nor do I thinke with sober and worthy minds any thing in them, could tend so much to my reproach, as the odious divulging of them did to the infamy of the Divulgers: The greatest experiments of Vertue and Noblenesse being discovered in the greatest advantages against an enemy, and the greatest obligations being those, which are put upon us by them, from whom we could least have expected them.

And such I should have esteemed the concealing of my Papers; the freedom and secresie of which, commands a civility from all men, not wholly barbarous; nor is there any thing more inhumane then to expose them to publick view.

Yet since Providence will have it so, I am content so much of My heart (which I study to approve to Gods omniscience) should be discovered to the world without any of those dresses or popular captations which some men use in their Speeches and Expresses; I wish My Subjects had a cleerer sight into My most retired Thoughts.

Where they might discover, how they are divided between the love and care I have, not more to preserve My own Rights, then to procure their Peace and Happinesse, and that extreme grief to see them both deceiv'd and destroyed.

Nor can any mens malice be gratified further by My Letters, than to see my constancy to my Wife, the Laws, and Religion. Bees will gather honey where the Spider sucks Poyson.

That I endeavour to avoid the pressures of my Enemies, by all fair and just correspondences; no man can blame, who loves Me, or the Common-wealth, since my Subjects can hardly be happy if I be miserable, or enjoy their Peace and Liberties while I am oppressed.

The world may see how soon mens designe, like Absoloms, is by enormous actions to widen differences, and exasperate all sides to such distances, as may make all Reconciliation desperate.

Yet I thank God, I can not only with patience bear this, as other indignities, but with charity forgive them.

The integrity of my intentions is not jealous of any injury my expressions can do them, for although the confidence of privacy may admit of greater freedome in writing such letters, which may be liable to envious exceptions; yet the innocency of my chief purposes cannot be so obtained, or mis-interpreted by them, as not to let all men see, that I wish nothing more then a happy composure of differences with Justice & Honor, nor more to My own, then My peoples content, who have any sparks of Love or Loyalty left in them: who, by those my Letters may be convinced that I can both mind and act My own, and My Kingdomes Affaires, so as becomes a Prince; which Mine Enemies have alwayes been very loth should be beleeved of me, as if I were wholly confined to the Dictates and Directions of others; whom they please to brand with the names of Evil Counsellours.

Its probable some men will now look upon me as my own Counsellour, and having none else to quarrell with under that notion, they will hereafter confine their anger to my self: Although I know they are very unwilling I should enjoy the liberty of my own thoughts, or follow the light of my own Conscience, which they labour to bring into an absolute captivitie to themselves; not allowing me to think their Counsels to be other then good for me, which have so long maintained a War against Me.

The Victory they obtained that day, when my Letters became their prize, had been enough to have satiated the most ambitious thirst of popular glory among the Vulgar; with whom prosperity gaines the greatest esteem and applause as adversity exposeth to their greatest sleighting and dis-respect: As if good fortune were alwayes the shadow of Vertue and Justice, and did not oftner attend vitious and injurious actions, as to this world.

But I see no secular advantages seem sufficient to that cause, which began with Tumults, and depends chiefly upon the reputation with the vulgar.

They think no Victories so effectual to their designs, as those that most rout and waste My Credit with My People; in whose hearts they seek by all means to smother and extinguish all sparks of Love, Respect and Loyaltie to Me, that they may never kindle again, so as to recover Mine, the Laws & the Kingdoms Liberties, which some men seek to overthrow: The taking away of my Credit, is but a necessary preparation to the taking away of my Life and my Kingdoms; first I must seem neither fit to Live, nor worthy to Reign: By exquisite methods of cunning & crueltie, I must be compelled, first to follow the Funerals of my Honor, and then be destroyed: But I know Gods un-erring and impartial justice can & will over rule the most perverse wils and designs of men; he is able, and (I hope) will turn even the worst of mine Enemies thoughts and actions to my good.

Nor do I think, that by the surprize of my Letters, I have lost any more then so many papers: how much they have lost of that reputation, for Civility and Humanity (which ought to be paid to all men, and most becomes such as pretend to Religion) besides that of Respect and Honor, which they owe to their KING, present, and after-times will judge. And I cannot think that their own consciences are so stupid, as not to inflict upon them some secret impressions of that shame & dishonor which attends all unworthy actions have they never so much of publick flattery and popular countenance.

I am sure they can never expect the divine approbation of such indecent actions, if they do but remember how God blest the modest respect & filial tenderness which Noah's Sons bare to their Father; nor did his open infirmity justifie Cham's impudency, or exempt him from that curse of being Servant of Servants; which curse must needs be on them who seek by dishonorable actions to please the Vulgar, and confirm by ignoble acts, their dependance upon the People.

Nor can their malitious intentions be ever either excusable or prosperous, who thought to expose me to the highest reproach & contempt of my People, forgetting that duty of modest concealment which they owed to the Father of their Country, in case they had discovered any real uncomliness, which, I thank God they did not; who can, and I believe hath made Me more respected in the hearts of many (as he did David) to whom they thought, by publishing my private Letters, to have rendred me as a vile Person, not fit to be trusted or considered, under any Notion of Majesty.

But thou, O Lord, whose wise and all disposing Providence ordereth the greatest contingences of humane affairs, make me to see the constancie of thy mercies to me, in the greatest advantages thou seemest to give the malice of my Enemies against me.

As thou didst blast the council of Achitophel turning it to Davids good and his own ruine: so canst thou defeat their Designe, who intended by publishing my private Letters, nothing else but to render me more odious and contemptible to my People.

I must first appeal to thy Omniscience, who canst witnesse my integritie, how unjust and false those scandalous misconstructions are, which my Enemies endevour by those papers of mine to represent unto the world.

Make the evil they imagined, and displeasure they intended thereby against me, so to return on their own heads, that they may be ashamed, and covered with their own confusion as with a cloak.

Thou seest how mine Enemies use all means to cloud mine Honour, to pervert my purposes, and to slander the footsteps of thine Annointed.

But give me an heart content to be dishonoured for thy sake, and thy Churches good.

Fix in me a purpose to honour thee, and then I know thou wilt honour me, either by restoring to me the enjoyment of that Power and Majesty, which thou hast suffered some men to seek to deprive me of; or by bestowing on me that Crown of Christian patience, which knows how to serve thee in honour or dishonour, in good report or evil.

Thou, O Lord, art the fountain of goodness and honour; thou art cloathed with excellent Majesty; make me to partake of thy excellency for wisdom, justice and mercy, and I shall not want that degree of Honour and Majestie which becomes the Place in which thou hast set me; who art the lifter up of my head, and my Salvation.

Lord, by thy Grace, lead me to thy Glory, which is both true and eternall.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Gen.50.20;Rom.8.28 — As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, so as to bring it about this day, to preserve a numerous people alive. Rom.8.28 — And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good — for those who are called according to his purpose.
  2. ↩Ps.7.16 — He dug a pit and hollowed it out, and he fell into the pit he had made.
  3. ↩Ps.109.29 — Let my accusers be clothed with disgrace, and let them wrap themselves in their shame as in a robe.
  4. ↩Ps.89.51 — Remember, O Lord, the reproach of your servants—how I bear in my bosom all the many peoples.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Early modern 'experiments of Vertue' rendered as 'tests of virtue' (trial/proof of character), not scientific experiment.
  2. 2 ↩Seventeenth-century rhetorical diction: 'dresses' means ornamental dressing-up of speech; 'captations' means bids for popular favor (captatio benevolentiae), not modern 'captions'.
  3. 3 ↩Source 'then' is the Early Modern spelling of 'than' in the comparative 'not more…than…'. 'They are divided' continues the previous section’s 'most retired Thoughts'; rendered as 'those thoughts' for clear anaphora without adding sense.
  4. 4 ↩Source 'correspondences' means fair dealings, letters, and negotiations, not mere private mail; kept as 'correspondence' for that range of sense.
  5. 5 ↩Period 'enormous' means monstrous or outrageous, not merely large; 'desperate' here means past hope, not frantic.
  6. 6 ↩Early modern 'obtained' here is taken as 'seized on / laid hold of' (hostile capture of the text's sense), parallel to 'mis-interpreted'; not as 'acquired' in a neutral sense.
  7. 7 ↩Source 'Cham' is the older English form of Ham (Genesis 9); modernized to Ham for readability.
  8. 8 ↩'Vulgar' here means the common people / the crowd, not merely crude speech.
  9. 9 ↩Early modern 'displeasure' here means hostile intent or injury aimed at the speaker, not mere annoyance; rendered as 'ill will'.

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