Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 4.djvu/309

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1547.]

THE PROTECTORATE.

289

said that he was not come to rob Scotland of her independence, but to compel her, in spite of herself, to accomplish the engagements of her Parliament.^[1]

Sunday, Sept. 4.Waiting till Sunday, for Sunday was his favourite day—on a Sunday he announced to Edward that he was King, on a Sunday he accepted from the council his dukedom and his lands, on a Sunday the seals were taken away from his rival Wriothesley, on a Sunday the commission was dated which made him Protector by the grace of the King—waiting, therefore, till Sunday, and invoking on his enterprise the blessing of the Almighty, he crossed the Tweed with fifteen cannon, fourteen thousand foot, and four thousand horse.^[2] Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday

↑ Holinshed.
↑ Somerset's being one of the disputed characters in history, everything is welcome which throws light upon his inner nature. In the prayers of men it is hard to tell how much is real—they often cannot tell themselves; nevertheless, one reads with interest,

THE PRAYER OF THE PROTECTOR BEFORE THE SCOTTISH WAR.

'Most merciful God, the granter of all peace and quietness, the giver of all good gifts, the defender of all nations, who hast willed all men to be accounted as our neighbours, and commanded us to love them as ourself, and not to hate our enemies, but rather to wish them, yea, and also to do them good if we can, bow down thy holy and merciful eyes upon us, and look upon the small portion of the earth which professeth thy holy name and thy Son Jesus Christ. Give to us all desire of peace, unity, and quietness, and a speedy wearisomeness of all war, hostility, and enmity to all them that be our enemies, that we and they may in one heart and charitable agreement, praise thy Holy Name, and reform our lives to thy godly commandment. And especially have an eye to this small Isle of Britain; and that which was begun by thy great and infinite mercy and love to the unity and concord of both the nations, that the Scottishmen and we might hereafter live in one love and amity, knit into one nation by the most happy and godly

[1] Holinshed.

[p309-2] Somerset's being one of the disputed characters in history, everything is welcome which throws light upon his inner nature. In the prayers of men it is hard to tell how much is real—they often cannot tell themselves; nevertheless, one reads with interest,

THE PRAYER OF THE PROTECTOR BEFORE THE SCOTTISH WAR.

'Most merciful God, the granter of all peace and quietness, the giver of all good gifts, the defender of all nations, who hast willed all men to be accounted as our neighbours, and commanded us to love them as ourself, and not to hate our enemies, but rather to wish them, yea, and also to do them good if we can, bow down thy holy and merciful eyes upon us, and look upon the small portion of the earth which professeth thy holy name and thy Son Jesus Christ. Give to us all desire of peace, unity, and quietness, and a speedy wearisomeness of all war, hostility, and enmity to all them that be our enemies, that we and they may in one heart and charitable agreement, praise thy Holy Name, and reform our lives to thy godly commandment. And especially have an eye to this small Isle of Britain; and that which was begun by thy great and infinite mercy and love to the unity and concord of both the nations, that the Scottishmen and we might hereafter live in one love and amity, knit into one nation by the most happy and godly

[1]

[2]