Almighty God, whose continued providence ordereth all things both in Heaven and Earth; Who never slumberest nor sleepest; but hast divided the light from the darkness, and made the day for employment and the night for rest to Thy creatures the inhabitants of the earth: we acknowledge with all thankfulness Thy merciful preservation of us this day, by which we are brought in safety to the evening of it. We implore Thy forgiveness of all the offences which we have been guilty of in it, whether in thought, word, or deed; and desire to have a due sense of Thy goodness in keeping us out of the way of those temptations by which we might have fallen into greater sins, and in preserving us from those misfortunes and sad accidents, common to every day, and which must have befallen many others. We humbly commit ourselves to the same good providence this night, that we may sleep in quiet under Thy protection, and wake, if it be Thy will, in the morning in renewed life and strength. And we beg the assistance of Thy grace to live in such a manner, that when the few days and nights which thou shalt allot us in this world be passed away, we may die in peace, and finally obtain the resurrection unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Almighty God, Whose tender mercies are over all Thy works, who feedest the fowls of the air and the
beasts of the field, and hast given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, we desire to have our souls possessed with a due sense of Thy blessings, and to show forth our thankfulness by moderation and temperance in the use of them, by being kind and compassionate to those who are in distress, and by all those good works which Thou hast appointed us to walk in. And we humbly hope we shall at last experience all Thy goodness to us consummate in that future state, which Thou hast prepared for them that love and fear Thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
EXTRACT FROM THE MS. COLLECTIONS
From the MS. Collections of the Rev. W. Cole, now in the Library at the British Museum. Vol. 10, p. 92, taken at Bristol in the year 1746.
Having done with what is in the Cathedral, let us just step into the Bishop’s Palace on the south side of it: and here we cannot help observing the generous Temper of the present worthy prelate; who in a poor Bishoprick of about £500 per ann. has already laid out on building an entire new Palace in the room of the old one which was gone to decay, above £3000. The small Chapel belonging to the old one is standing; but entirely new fitted up, furnished in an elegant Taste and newly wainscoted and a Tribune from one of his Lordship’s rooms to look into it at the west end, over the door which is entirely new. The altar piece is of black marble inlaid with a milk white cross of white marble; which is plain and has a good effect. In the East window over it is a small Crucifix with the B. Virgin and St. John under the Cross weeping, of old glass; and not very curious. Over the new Door into the Chapel from the Hall, in a void space made on purpose, is a very old Coat of Glass of the Arms of Berkly ensigned with a mitre: and this is another reason to make one think that the old Abbey of Bristol gave these arms to their Founder, for their own Coat. I was pleased to find the present Bishop paid such a regard to the memory of
the Ancient Abbey and its Founders, as to preserve this old memorial of them with so much care and precaution. A pattern worthy to be imitated in an age, that to my knowledge, in certain places, has not only had such marks of their benefactors taken away in order to get up modern crown glass; but has also given away and destroyed such memorials of them, as the care of their predecessors for 3 or 400 years have with the utmost gratitude and veneration preserved.
Over the hall chimney-piece, which is preserved with equal care by his Lordship, are the arms of Bishop Wright impaled by his See, and a mitre over them, and R. W. on each side of them; as also Wright impaling per Pale undé six martlets countercharged for Fleetwood.
I don’t see his Lordship’s Arms in any part of the Palace, which has so just a title to have them in every part of it; but however, I shall give them a place here in gratitude to his memory who so well deserves of this place, which, though I have no concern in, nor no acquaintance with his Lordship, yet one always has a value for a grateful and benevolent mind.