A MEDITATION For the Thirtieth day of January, THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE murder and Martyrdom OF K. Charles the I.  
The best of Kings, of Husbands, of Fathers, and of Men, who was decolated on that day, Anno 1648. and in the Four and twentieth year of His Sacred Majesties most Gracious Reign.  Cain rose up against Abel his Brother, and slew him. Gen. 4. 8. 
Heard hearted Nature! That being yet so young, should bring forth so cruel a Monster? A Brother to kill a Brother, and that for no other quarrel, but for his Righteousness, because his deeds were good, and Cains evil; what malignity did our first Parents fall, distil into all the succeeding Race? Yet being questioned by the voice of Heaven, Cain, desperately evil as he was, was not so impudently shameless as to own, though not so ingenuous, as to confess the fact; but why should we remember Cain with so black a Character? Cain, a Saint may seem, compared with the Sons of Belial, whom this latter age hath produced; we have seen (as this day England direful Tragedy; England, that most dismally hath committed Felony upon herself, and with her own bloody hands, cut off her own Royal head: Oh, 'tis a sad judgement, that upon the defect of our prayers, and the omission of our obedience, is fallen upon us, a judgement accompanied with such lamentable consequences, occasioned by so deplorable an action, so fatal a blow, as no hand can write the story of it, for trembling; or if it could, no eye were able to read for weeping; no tongue is able to speak its grief, for stammering and titubations; or if it should, no ear were able to hear it, for glowing: Nay, we have seen that that is so far from being communicable to posterity in any credible relation, that we ourselves, can hardly believe ourselves, to have seen a most gracious, glorious King, settled in his father's Throne, by the Laws of God and of the Land, confirmed in his Regal Power, by the oaths of Allegiance, taken by his very enemies, in the issue of a sharp tedious War, after the expense of many thousands of Noble, Generous, Loyal, Protestant Christians lives, in his just defence, to be at length, by the power of a rebellious, treacherous crew of his own Subjects, (and many of them his false-hearted, household Servants,) born, and bred▪ and grown rich under his happy Government, (and by his liberal hand) brought to a solemn trial, under pretence of Law, formally arraigned for his life & adjudged by those that were his professed foes (and without being heard) as a Tyrant, traitor, murderer and a public Enemy to be put to death, by the severing his Head from his Body; and that this sentence should be executed, by the force of the soldiery, on a Scaffold erected before his own Court? In the midst of Populous London and Westminster; in the face of the Sun at noon day, God, Angels, Men, looking on; and to pass through his Banqueting-house, his house of State and Pleasure, to this Mount-Calvary; and as a Lamb, before the Shearers not to open his mouth? Oh the Heavens! I dare not enter into too serious a consideration of this unheard off, unparalleled fact, lest I drown my senses in the abyss of incomprehensible sorrow; the whole world abroad stands amazed at it, England only being under the stroke, remains stupidly insensible of her own, both fin and misery: The earth indeed at this day, was not felt to quake, but all men's hearts, (not more hard than the Adamant) trembled: The graves indeed did not open to let forth their dead, but many tender-hearted, amongst the living, with grief died, and went to their graves: The vales of our Temples indeed were not rent, but our material Temples themselves, in this the head of our Church on earth, were virtually destroyed in his majesty's Dominions: More, I cannot tell more, on this sad theme; I dare not so much as think, lest I thinking, die: Much less do I know what to do, (for since the Creation of the World, the like hath not been seen) but mine eyes, dear God, are towards thee.  

EJACULATION.  
Lord! How long wilt thou be angry? shall thy jealousy burn like fire for ever? If this be done to the green and fruitful tree, what shall become of the dry and withered? If a gracious King, whom thou hast made so near thyself, escape not thy hand of temporal punishment, what may a rebellious, a monstrously sinful People expect? But in judgement thou hast promised to remember mercy, have mercy than I humbly pray thee, upon the remnant of thy People, preserve us under the shadow of thy wings, until this Tyranny be overpast, and establish over us if it be thy holy will CHARLES the Second, the undoubted Son and heir of his father's virtues and Crowns, that Kings again according to thy own ordinance, may be Nursing Fathers, and Queen's Nursing Mothers is this our Israel, that Religion, Law, Liberty, Property, Commerce, Love, and unity, may return again to our bleeding and fainting Nations, and all this for thy son's sake, our Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen, Amen.    

Written and wept by M. de R. of the Middle-Temple. Exq. 3. Printed in the Year. 1660.