not follow fast enough for the young hero, who soon overtook his enemies near a little river, which was swelled with rain and human blood. Just at the place where it empties itself into the Neva, and where a tree laid across served for a bridge, at that spot, overthrowing and slaying all who opposed him, he succeeded in delivering his beloved; tranquillized her with respect to her father; presumed to encircle her in his arms, and falling at her feet, weakened with the number of wounds he had received, begged that he might, in dying, have the happiness to embrace one he so dearly loved. Stephania, in despair, vainly implored heaven to prolong the life of her lover. Boris arrived in time to see him expire at their feet. The unfortunate lady spent the remainder of her days in sorrow and grief.

The victorious Russians having entirely routed the Swedes, before they quitted the place collected a large heap of stones and pieces of rock, to render immortal the attachment of this noble hero to his country, to its glory, and to his love!

LAST DAYS OF KING CHARLES I.

The recent discovery of the body of Charles I. has given rise to many inquiries respecting his interment, both as to its place and mode. It will, therefore, be amusing to our readers, perhaps, to peruse the following account of what took place from the day of his execution to that of his burial, as narrated by one of his constant attendants, (Mr. Herbert,) and published by authority in Wood's Athene Oxonienses. Mr. Bennet and Bishop Juxon were the persons who received the body of the unfortunate monarch after decapitation, and charged themselves with the duties of its interment; and the former confided to Wood a relation of the last days of the king's life, with a promise from him that he would introduce it into some part of his voluminous work. Wood did so; and as his Athene is a book not commonly to be met with, the following extract cannot fail to be interesting at the pre

sent moment:

JANUARY 30, Tuesday. Herbert, (saith the king,) this is my second marriage day; I will be as trim to-day as may be, for be fore night I hope to be espoused to my blessed Jesus. He then appointed what clothes he would wear. Let me have a shirt more than ordinary (said the king) by reason the season is so sharp as probably may make me shake, which some observers will imagine proceeds from fear: I would have no such imputation; I fear not death; death is not terrible to me; I bless God I am prepared. Death, indeed, only sets men free from the misery of this world, and breaks asunder the chains of bondage, &c. These, or words to the same effect, his majesty spake to Mr. Herbert as he was making ready. Soon after came Dr. Juxon, Bishop of London, precisely at the time his majesty the night before had appointed him. Mr. Herbert then falling upon his knees, he humbly beg ged his majesty's pardon if he had at any time been negligent in

his duty while he had the honour to serve him. The king then gave his hand to kiss, having the day before been graciously pleased, under his royal hand, to give him a certificate, expressing that the said Mr. Herbert was not imposed upon him, but by his majesty made choice of to attend him in his bed-chamber, and had served him with faithfulness and loyal affection. At the same time his majesty delivered to him his bible, in the margin whereof he had, with his own hand, wrote many annotations and quotations, and charged him to give it to the Prince of Wales so soon as he returned, repeating what he had enjoined the Princess Elizabeth his daughter, and that he the prince would be dutiful and indulgent to the queen his mother, (to whom his majesty wrote two days before by Mr. Seymour,) affectionate to his bro thers and sisters, who also were to be observant and dutiful to him, their sovereign: and forasmuch as from his heart he had forgiven his enemies, and in perfect charity with all men would leave this world, he advised the prince his son to exceed in mercy, not in rigour, &c. And as to episcopacy, it was still his opinion that it is of apostolic institution, and in his kingdom exercised from the primitive times, and therein, as in all other his affairs, he prayed God to vouchsafe, both in reference to the church and state, a pious and discerning spirit, &c. and that it was his last and earnest request, that the prince would read the bible, which, in all the time of his affliction, had been his best instructor and delight, and to meditate upon what he read, as also such other books as might improve his knowledge, &c. He likewise commanded Mr. Herbert to give his son, the Duke of York, his large ring-sundial of silver, a jewel his majesty much valued; it was invented and made by Richard Delamaine, a very able mathematician, who projected it, and in a little printed book did show its excellent use in resolving many questions in arithmetic and other rare operations to be wrought by it in the mathematics. To the Princess Elizabeth he gave the sermons of Dr. Lanc. Andrews, some time Bishop of Winchester and Prelate of the Garter, Archbishop Laud's Conference between him and John Fisher, the Jesuit, which book, the king said, would ground her against popery, and Mr. Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity. He also gave him a paper to be delivered to the said Princess Elizabeth to be printed, in which his majesty asserted, "Regal government to have a divine right," with proofs out of sundry authors, civil and sacred. To the Duke of Gloucester he gave King James's works, and Dr. Hammond's "Practical Catechism." He gave also to Montague, Earl of Lindsey, Lord High Chamberlain, "Cassandra;" and his gold watch to Mary, Duchess of Richmond: all which, as opportunity served, Mr. Herbert delivered. His majesty then bid him withdraw, which being done, his ma

jesty with the bishop were in private together about an hour; and then Mr. Herbert being called in, the bishop went to prayer, and reading the 27th chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, which relates to the passion of our blessed Saviour, the king, after the service was done, asked the bishop "if he had made choice of that chapter, being so applicable to his present condition;" the bishop answered, "May it please your majesty it is the proper lesson for the day, as appears by the kalendar." Whereupon his majesty was much affected with it, as so aptly serving a seasonable preparation for his death that day. His majesty abandoned all thoughts of earthly concerns, continued in prayer and meditation, and concluded with a cheerful submission to the will and pleasure of the Almighty, saying he was ready to resign himself into the hands of Christ Jesus, and with the kingly prophet, as 'tis expressed in the 31st Psalm, v. 5. "Into thy hands," &c. Col. Francis Hacker then knocked easily at the king's door, but Mr. Herbert being within, would not stir to ask who it was that knocked: at length, the colonel knocking the second time a little louder, the king bade him go to the door; he guessed the busi ness: so Mr. Herbert demanding wherefore he knocked, the colonel said he would speak with the king. The king said let him come in the colonel, in a trembling manner, came near and told his majesty, Sir, it is time to go to Whitehall, where you may have some further time to rest. The king bade him go forth, and told him I will come presently. Some time his majesty was private, and afterwards taking the good bishop by the hand, looking upon him with a cheerful countenance, said, Come let us go; and bidding Mr. Herbert take with him the silver clock that hung by his bed-side, said, open the door, Hacker has given us a second warning.

The king passed through the garden into the park, where, making a stand, asked Mr. Herbert the hour of the day, and taking the clock in his hand, and looking upon it, gave it to him and said, keep this in memory of me, which Mr. Herbert kept to his dying day. The park had several companies of foot drawn up, who made a guard on each side as the king passed, and a guard of halberdiers in company went, some before, and others followed, the king. The drums beat, and the noise was so great as one could hardly hear what another spoke. Upon the king's right hand went the bishop, and on the left Colonel Matthew Tomlinson, with whom his majesty had some discourse by the way. Mr. Herbert was next behind the king, and after him the guards. In this manner went the king through the park, and coming to the stairs leading into Whitehall, he passed along through the galleries to his bed-chamber; where, after a little repose, the bishop went to prayer: which being done, his majesty bid Mr.

Herbert bring him some bread and wine; which being brought, the king broke the manchet and eat a mouthful of it, and drank a small glass full of claret, and then was some time in private with the bishop, expecting when Hacker would the third and last time give warning. In the mean time his majesty told Mr. Herbert what satin cap he would use; which being provided, Mr. Herbert, after prayer, addressed himself to the bishop, and told him the king had ordered him to have a white satin nightcap ready, but he being not able to endure the sight of the violence that they would offer to the king on the scaffold, he could not be there to give it to the king when he should call for it. The good bishop bid him then give him the cap, and that he should wait at the end of the banqueting-house, near to the scaffold, to take care of the king's body, for (said he) that and his interment will be our last office. Colonel Hacker came soon after to the bedchamber door, and gave his last signal: the bishop and Mr. Herbert weeping, they both fell upon their knees: the king thereupon gave him his hand to kiss, and helped the bishop up, for he was aged. Col. Hacker attending still at the chamber door, the king took notice of it, and said open the door and bid Hacker go, he would follow him.

A guard was made all along the galleries and the banquetinghouse, but behind the soldiers, abundance of men and women crowded in, though with some peril to their persons, to behold the saddest sight that England ever saw: and as his majesty passed by with a cheerful look he heard them pray for him. The soldiers did not rebuke any of them, for by their silence and dejected faces they seemed rather afflicted than insulting. There was a passage broke through the wall of the banqueting-house, by which the king passed unto the scaffold; where, after his majesty had spoken and declared publicly that he died a christian according to the profession of the church of England, (the contents of which have been several times printed,) the fatal stroke was given by a disguised person. Mr. Herbert, during this time, was at the door leading to the scaffold much lamenting, and the bishop coming from the scaffold with the royal corpse, which was immediately coffined and covered with a velvet pall, he and Mr. Herbert went with it to the back stairs to have it embalmed; and Mr. Herbert, after the body had been deposited, meeting with the Lord Fairfax, the general, that persón asked him how the king did? whereupon Herbert, being something astonished at that question, told him the king was beheaded, at which he seemed much surprised. See more of the said General Fairfax in the Fasti following, among the creations of doctors of civil law, under the year 1649. The royal corpse being embalmed and well coffined, and all afterwards wrapt up in lead and covered with a new velvet pall, it was removed to St. James's, where was great pressing by all sorts VOL. II. New Series,

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of people to see the king, a doleful spectacle, but few had leave to enter or behold it.

Where to bury the king was the last duty remaining. By some historians 'tis said the king spoke something to the bishop concerning his burial. Mr. Herbert, both before and after the king's death, was frequently in company with the bishop, and affirmed that he never mentioned any thing to him of the king's naming any place where he would be buried; nor did Mr. Herbert (who constantly attended his majesty, and after his coming to Hurst Castle was the only person in his bedchamber) hear him at any time to declare his mind concerning it. Nor was it in his lifetime a proper question for either of them to ask, notwithstanding they had oftentimes the opportunity, especially when his majesty was bequeathing to his royal children and friends what is formerly related. Nor did the bishop declare any thing concerning the place to Mr. Herbert, which doubtless he would upon Mr. Herbert's pious care about it; which being duly considered, they thought no place more fit to inter the corpse than in the chapel of King Henry VII. at the end of the church of Westminster Abbey; out of whose loins King Charles I. was lineally extracted, &c. Whereupon Mr. Herbert made his application to such as were then in power for leave to bury the king's body in the said chapel among his ancestors, but his request was denied for this reason, that his burying there would attract infinite numbers of all sorts thither to see where the king was buried; which, as the times then were, was judged unsafe and inconvenient. Mr. Herbert acquainting the bishop with this, they then resolved to bury the king's body in the royal chapel of St. George, within the castle of Windsor, both in regard that his majesty was sovereign of the most noble order of the garter, and that several kings had been there interred, namely, King Henry VI. King Edward IV. and King Henry VIII. &c. Upon which consideration Mr. Herbert made his second address to the committee of parliament, who, after some deliberation, gave him an order bearing date the 6th February, 1648, authorizing him and Mr. Anthony Mildmay to bury the king's body there, which the governor was to observe.

Accordingly the corpse was carried thither from St. James's, Feb. 7, in a hearse covered with black velvet, drawn by six horses covered with black cloth, in which were about a dozen gentlemen, most of them being such that had waited upon his majesty at Carisbrook Castle and other places since his majesty's going from Newcastle. Mr. Herbert showed the governor, Colonel Witchcot, the committee's order for permitting Mr. Herbert and Mr. Mildmay to bury him, the late king, in any place within Windsor Castle that they should think fit and meet. In the first place, in order thereunto, they carried the king's body into the dean's house, which was hung with black, and after to his usual