Transcription Transcription des fichiers de la notice - Dédicace de <em>St Cecily</em> Medbourne, Matthew 1666 chargé d'édition/chercheur Lochert, Véronique (Responsable de projet) Véronique Lochert (Projet Spectatrix, UHA et IUF) ; EMAN (Thalim, CNRS-ENS-Sorbonne nouvelle) PARIS
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1666_streater_st-cecily 1666 Véronique Lochert (Projet Spectatrix, UHA et IUF) ; EMAN (Thalim, CNRS-ENS-Sorbonne nouvelle). Licence Creative Commons Attribution – Partage à l’Identique 3.0 (CC BY-SA 3.0 FR) <a href="https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_st-cecily-or-the-conv_medbourne-matthew_1666/page/n1/mode/2up" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Internet Archive</a> Anglais

To her sacred Majesty, the Queen Consort.

Madame,

There is so great a distance between the meanness of a comedian and the Majesty of a crowned head, that the presumption of this address may occasion some, to charge me with an oblivion of the former and want of reverence to the sacredness of the latter. It is true, at the first blush, it might appear so, but I have this self-encouragement, that my applications are made to a greatness surrounded with goodness, to an equal transcendence of power and piety and this regard not so much the merit, as the humility of the suppliant.

But, Madame, when I find represented in this small piece, the triumphs of divine love over all the most alluring concerns of sublunary happiness. When I reflect on a tender virginity, defying all the charming enjoyments of this world, nay what is most harsh to the delicacy of that fair sex, torture. When I see inflamed youth, by an heroic contempt, spurning the greatest pleasures, to court the cross of Christ. When I observe the sudden, yet efficacious operations of that wind which blows where it lists, converting a Saul into a Paul, a persecutor into a sufferer. And lastly, when I consider, how the want of a humble perseverance (like an unexpected wrack within the port) made way to the apostasy of one ready to lay hold on the crown of martyrdom. When these reflections fill my thoughts, how should I conceive any patronage too great for so great examples.

These, Madame, were the inducements prevailed with me, to offer them to that of your sacred Majesty. For, where should innocence, virtue, piety and all the other amazing heights of Christian life, expect to be more kindly entertained, than where they are in the highest degree practised? Whilst then they are admitted into so royal a presence, if I can but press in, as the meanest attendant, after so noble a train, it will be only with this hope, that Your Majesty may, though at a great distance shed some providential graces upon,

Madame,

Your Majesty’s most dutiful and most obedient servant,

M. Medbourne.