THE CEREMONIES FOR THE HEALING Of them that be Diseased with the KINGS EVIL, As they were Practised in the Time of King Henry VII.
First, The King, kneeling, shall begin, and say,
And so soon as He hath said that,
He shall say,
The Chaplain kneeling before the King, having a Stole about His Neck, shall answer and say,
Or else to say,
Then by and by the King shall say,
The Chaplain shall answer and say,
Misereatur Vestri omnipotens Deus, & demittat vobis omnia Peccata vestra, liberet vos ab omni malo, salvet & confirmet in bono, & ad vitam perducat aeternam. Amen.
Absolutionem & Remissionem omnium peccatorum vestrorum, spatium verae poenitentiae, & emendationem vitae, gratiam & consolationem Sancti Spiritus, tribuat vobis omnipotens & misericors Dominus. Amen.
This done, the Chaplain shall say,
The King shall answer.
The Chaplain,
The King shall answer,
The Chaplain shall read the Gospel.
Which Clause, Super aegros, &c. the Chaplain repeats as long as the King is handling the Sick Person. And in the time of the repeating the aforesaid Words, Super aegros, &c. the Clerk of the Closet shall kneel before the King, having the Sick Person upon the Right Hand; and the Sick Person shall likewise kneel before the King: And then the King shall lay His Hand upon the Sore of the Sick Person.
This done, the Chaplain shall make an end of the Gospel; and in the mean time the Chirurgeon shall [Page 6]lead away the Sick Person from the King.
Then the Chaplain shall begin to say again,
The King shall answer,
The Chaplain,
The King shall say,
The Chaplain then shall say this Gospel following.
Which last Clause, Erat lux vera, &c. shall still be repeated so long as the King shall be Crossing the Sore of the Sick Person with an Angel Noble; and the Sick Person to have the same Angel hanged about his Neck, and to wear it until he be full whole.
This done, the Chirurgeon shall lead away the Sick Person as he did before; and then the Chaplain shall make an end of the Gospel.
Then the Chaplain, shall say,
The King shall answer,
Then shall the Chaplain say this Collect following, praying for the Sick Person or Persons.
The King shall answer,
Oremus.
This Prayer is to be said secretly after the Sick Persons are departed from the King, at his pleasure.
DOminator Domine Deus Omnipotens cujus benignitate, caeci vident, surdi audiunt, muti loquuntur, claudi ambulant, leprosi mundantur, omnes infirmorum curantur languores, & a quo solo donum sanationis humano generi etiam tribuitur & tanta gratia pro incredibili tua erga hoc regnum bonitate, Regibus ejusdem concessa est, ut sola manuum illorum impofiotione, morbus gravissimus foetidissimusque [Page 11]depellatur, concede propitius ut tibi propterea gratias agamus, & pro isto singulari beneficio in nos collato, non nobis ipsis, sed nomini tuo assidue gloriam demus, nosque sic ad pietatem semper exerceamus, ut tuam nobis donatam gratiam non solum diligenter conservare, sed in dies magis magisque adaugere laboremus, & praesta, ut quorumcunque corporibus, in nomine tuo manus imposuerimus hac tua virtute in illis operante & nobis ministrantibus, ad pristinam sanitatem restituantur, eam conservent, & pro eadem tibi, ut summo medico & omnium morborum depulsori, perpetuo nobiscum gratias agant: Sicque deinceps vitam instituant ut non corpus solum ab infirmitate, sed anima etiam a peccato omnino sanata videatur. Per Dominum [Page 12]nostrum JESUM CHRISTUM Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit & regnat in unitate Sancti Spiritus per omnia secula seculorum. Amen.