AN ACCOUNT OF THE Several Impressions, or Editions of King CHARLES the Martyr's most Excellent Book, INTITULED, EIKON BASILIKE. THAT WERE Printed without the Prayers at the End, and some with the Prayers, with a Letter translated from the Original. Written by Mr. William Levet, Page of the Bed-Chamber in Ordinary to His Majesty King CHARLES the I. he having observed His Majesty oftentimes writing the said Book.

These 28 of the first Impressions or Editions of the King's Book, are Printed without the Prayers.
  • THE 1st. Impression in 12o. printed Anno Dom. 1648. last pag. 187. Contents one leaf at the end.
  • 2 Impression in 8o. printed 1648. last pag. 269. Contents two leaves.
  • 3 Impression in 8o. printed 1648. last pag. 269. Contents three leaves.
  • 4 Impression in 12o. printed 1648. last pag. 269. Contents three leaves.
  • 5 Impression in 12o. printed 1648. last pag. 269. Contents one leaf.
  • 6 Impression in 8o. printed 1648. last pag. 268. Contents two leaves.
  • 7 Impression in 8o. Reprinted in R. M. 1648. last pag. 268. Contents two leaves.
  • 8 Impression in 8o. printed 1648. last pag. 270. Contents three leaves.
  • 9 Impression in 8o. printed 1648. with only the Lady Eliz. Relation last pag. 302. Contents two leaves.
  • 10 Impression in 8o. printed 1648. last pag. 242.
  • 11 Impression in 8o. printed 1648. last pag. 302. Contents two leaves.
  • 12 Impression in 8o. Reprinted for James Young 1648. last pag. 268. Contents two leaves.
  • 13 Impression in 12o. printed 1648. last pag. 164. Contents one leaf.
  • 14 Impression in 12o. printed 1648. last pag. 187. Contents one leaf.
  • 15 Impression in 12o. printed 1648. last pag. 225. Contents two leaves.
  • 16 Impression in 24o. printed 1648. last pag. 342. Contents two leaves.
  • 17 Impression in 24o. printed 1648. no Pages or Figures. Contents two leaves.
  • 18 Impression in 8o. printed 1649. last pag. 204. Contents one leaf.
  • 19 Impression in 8o. printed at Paris English 1649. last pag. 196. Contents one leaf.
  • 20 Impression in 12o. printed 1649. last pag. 264. with Epitaphs.
  • 21 Impression in 12o. printed 1649. last pag. 195. Cantents one leaf.
  • [Page 2]22 Impression in 12o. printed 1649. in Latin, last pag. 272. with Apothegms.
  • 23 Impression in 12o. printed at the Hague by Sam. Brown 1649. in Lat. last pag. 272. Contents two leaves.
  • 24 Impression in 12o. printed 1649. at the Hague for Williams and Eglesfield, Lat. last pag. 272. Cont. two leaves.
  • 25 Impression in 12o. printed in Latin 1649. last pag. 258.
  • 26 Impression in 12o. printed with the Works 1649. last pag. 182.
  • 27 Impression in 24o. printed at the Hague by Sam. Brown 1649. last pag. 318. Contents four leaves.
  • 28 Impression in 8o. printed for R. Royston 1681. last pag. 256. Contents one leaf.
These 27 of the Second Impressions or Editions of the King's Book Printed with the Prayers.
  • THE 1st. Impression in 8o. printed 1648. last pag. 270. the Prayers added in 1649.
  • 2 Impression in 24o. printed 1648. last pag. 354.
  • 3 Impression in 24o. printed 1649. last pag. 436. Contents two leaves with the Additions of the Prayers.
  • 4 Impression in 8o. printed 1649. last pag. 258.
  • 5 Impression in 8o. very large, the best printed 1649. the last pag. 263. Contents two leaves.
  • 6 Impression in 8o. printed 1649. last pag. 236. with Apothegms.
  • 7 Impression in 8o. printed 1649. last pag. 247. Prayers added.
  • 8 Impression in 8o. printed 1649. last pag. 269. Contents three leaves.
  • 9 Impression in 12o. printed 1649. with Apothegms.
  • 10 Impression in 12o. printed 1649. in Dutch.
  • 11 Impression in 12o. printed 1649. in French, last pag. 442. Contents one leaf and half.
  • 12 Impression in 12o. printed 1649. in French, last pag. 269. Contents two leaves, with some of his Work.
  • 13 Impression in 12o. printed 1649. last pag. 230. Contents one leaf.
  • 14 Impression in 12o. printed 1649. last pag. Contents one leaf.
  • 15 Impression in 24o. printed 1649. last pag. 226.
  • 16 Impression in 24o. printed 1649. last pag. 175.
  • 17 Impression in 24o. printed 1649. last pag. 354.
  • 18 Impression in 8o. printed at the Hague by Sam. Browne. Reliquiae Sacrae Carolinae the Works of King Charles the I. without date. Last pag. 324.
  • 19 Impression in 8o. printed at the Hague by Sam. Brown 1651. last pag. 324.
  • 20 Impression in 8o. of the King's Works in 2 Vol. printed 1695.
  • 21 Impression in 24o. printed at the Hague by Sam. Browne. in 1657. the King's Works.
  • 22 Impression in 24o. printed in 1651. with the King's Works.
  • 23 Impression in 24o. Reprinted in 1649. Reg. M. last pag. 181. Contents two leaves.
  • 24 Impression in 12o. of the King's Works printed in 1650. at the Hague by Sam. Browne, with divers [...] His Majestys Prayers, whereof the three last used by him in the time of his Restraint, were delivered [...] the Bishop of London, at his death, from whom they were taken away by the Officers of the Army And amongst these six Prayers that entitled to be said in Time of Captivity, and taken out [...] Sir Phillip Sidney's Arcadia is not one of them, however it came to be printed in some of them.
  • 25 Impression in Folio being the whole Works of King Charles the I. and by Order of King Charles the [...]
  • 26 Impression in 8o. large printed in 1685. last pag. 272. for R. Royston.
  • 27 Impression in Folio being the whole Works of King Charles the I. and by Order of King Ja [...] the II. printed in 1686.

Place this at the End of the King's Works.

TO THE READER.

UPON a late Dispute concerning the Author of the Book, Entituled, Eikon Basilike, it was by some affirmed, that they had the first Impression of the said Book with Prayers as they are now Printed and added to the End thereof, (by one of the Impressions in 12o. of the King's Works, printed in 1650. at the Hague by Sam. Browne; in the said Book are divers of his Majesty's Prayers, whereof the three last used by him in the time of his Restraint, were delivered to the Bishop of London at his death, from whom they were taken away by the Officers of the Army, and amongst these Six Prayers, that entitled to be said in Time of Captivity, and taken out of Sir Phillip Sidney's Arcadia, is not one of them, however it came to be printed and added in some Editions of them.) As to which being desirous to know the Truth as well for my own as others satisfaction, I endeavoured to make as full a search as I could, and to that end, did not only enquire at the Booksellers Shops in Lon­don and Westminster, but as far as my Interest would permit me, did cause to be made search both in Private Libraries of several Gentlemen, and Divines, and Publick ones at Oxford, &c. (having before seen several of those which were affirmed as aforesaid to be the first Edition) where I found the above­mentioned Twenty Eight several Impressions or Editions of the King's Book without the Prayers, and the Twenty Seven Editions with the Prayers added at the End of the said Book; all which being transmitted to me, I took the said Account with all the exactness I could, by noting (lest there should happen any mistake) the size of the Volumn, the time of Printing, the number of Leaves, the Contents did consist of, and the number of the Pages, all which I testifie under my hand.

At the Turks-head in Fleet-street, June the 15th. 1693.
SAMUEL KEBLE.

IMPRIMATUR.

Junii 17. 1693.
Guil. Lancaster.

I shall insert a Letter, transcribed from the Original, which I have by me, written by Mr. Levet.

The Superscription of the said Letter runs thus,

For Seymor Bowman, Esq near the Arch in Lincolns Inn-Fields.

Dear Brother,

Licensed, May the 10th. 1691.

By Z. Isham.

YOurs of the 21th. of this instant April I received, and one Letter before that to the same effect, viz. To give a true Account of my knowledge of that unparallel'd Book, which his Sacred Majesty, of ever blessed Memory, King Charles the First (murdered by his own Rebellious Subjects before his own Palace at Whitehall, with all the violent and malitious Circumstances that Wicked men could invent) which Book, of my certain Knowledge, I can depose, was truly His own, having observed His Majesty oftentimes writing His Royal Resentments of the bold [Page 4] and insolent behaviour of His Souldiers (His Rebellious Subjects) when they had Him in ti [...] custody. I waited on His Majesty as Page of the Bed-Chamber in ordinary during all the t [...] of His Solitudes, (except when I was forced from Him) and especially being nominated by [...] Majesty to be one of His Servants, amongst others, that should attend Him during the Tre [...] at Newport in the Isle of Wight, had the happiness to read the same oftentimes in Manuscri [...] under His Majesty's own Hand, being pleased to leave it in the Window in His own Bed-chamb [...] where I was always obliged to attend His Majesty's coming thither. But the Treaty be [...] ended in few days after, the Souldiers with one to conduct them, by name Mr. Anthony Mild [...] then Cup-bearer, came to the Bed-chamber, about Two of the Clock in the Night, and knocked [...] the Door, and one Mr. Herbert, Mr. Kirk, and my self having some hint of their Intenti [...] were watching in an inward Room, and hearing the noise, went into His Majesty's B [...]-Chamber, and asked, who they were that durst disturb His Majesty at that unseasonable tim [...] the Night, who answered, they were sent to tell the King, He must rise and go with them. [...] acquainting His Majesty with their Design, He was pleased to command us to tell them, [...] would go with them, but it was not His usual hour to rise so soon, we again acquainted [...] Souldiers with His Majesty's Answer. They instead of complying with His Majesty, bid us [...] Him, if He did not rise presently, they must force Him to it: His Majesty only said, if I m [...] give me my Cloaths, and so He immediately arose. (Here you may observe a mirror of [...] tience in a distressed Prince.) During the time of His Majesty's making himself ready, he [...] cern'd himself only how to secure this Book of his, and a small Cabinet, wherein he secured [...] Letters to his Queen, who was then beyond the Sea, and His Majesty having procured a [...] for me from the Governour, that I should wait on him there; He gave me in charge this [...] Book and small Cabinet, which I faithfully presented to His Majesty's own hands that Nigh [...] Hurst-Castle. But the Governour, by what information is too tedious to insert here at this ti [...] and therefore I omit it, did on the Saturday banish me out of the Castle.

I should have sent you a Relation which I had from Royston, the King's Printer, for [...] Printing the said Book by His Majesty's especial Command, brought to him by a Divine, [...] not to be* printed till after the King's death, which he observed accordingly, for w [...] Cromwel sent for him to Whitehall, not only promising Rewards, but also threatning Pu [...] ment, if he would not deny, that he printed it by His Majesty's Order, which he refusin [...] do, did imprison him for about a Fortnight, but seeing he could not work upon him, rele [...] him; which is all at present from

From Savernack Park near Marlborough, Apr. 29. 1691.
Your Affectionate Brother, To serve you WILLIAM LEVET
*
By Printed, is to be understood, Published.
↵

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