Reliquiae Sacrae Carolinae

It incorporates the Eikon Basilike (the "sacred") as well as speeches and letters by the King (the "civil") during the rise of Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians.

As with the Eikon itself, the Reliquiae was published specifically to elicit sympathy for the recently executed King, and the Royalist cause in general.

Later editions of the King's Works were produced but which no longer included the words "Reliquiæ Sacræ Carolinæ" in the title.

The dated speeches are most revealing when seen in the context of the history of the time, beginning with Charles I's dealings with the Long Parliament.

This was the occasion when the King entered Parliament with an armed guard, with the intention of arresting five members he accused of treason for colluding with the invading Scots.

Well, sithence I see all the Birds are flown, I do expect you, that you shall send them unto me, as soon as they return hither: But I assure you, in the word of the King, I never did intend any force, but shall proceed against them in a legal and fair way, for I never meant any other.

I will trouble you no more, but tell you, I do expect as soon as they come to the House, you will send them to me, otherwise I must take my own course to finde them.Speech 14 was made on the following day to the Guild Hall, on the same subject:Gentleman, I have come to demand such prisoners as I have already attainted of High Treason, and do believe they are shrouded in the City, I hope no good man will keep them from Me, their offences are Treason and misdemeanours of an high nature, I desire your loving assistance herein, that they may be brought to a legall trial.

And whereas there are divers suspicions raised, that I am a favourer of the Popish Religion, I do professe in the name of a King, that I did and ever will, and that to the utmost of My power, be a prosecutor of all such that as shall oppose the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom, either Papist or Separatist, and not onely so, but I will maintain and defend that true Protestant Religion which my Father did professe: and I will still continue in, during life.Shortly after this point Charles lost control of London, and subsequent speeches (16-26) were made in other parts of the country as he strove to raise an army against the militia that the Parliamentarians were assembling, and also to the Royalist Parliament that was established in Oxford.

This consists of the Eikon Basilike itself, his Majesties papers about "Church-Government", prayers and a miscellany of items relating to his death.

[4] Prayers: "His Majesties Prayers, with other things relating to His Majesties Death" Amongst the "other things" are the King's reasons against what he referred to as the "pretended Commission of the High Court of Injustice, etc" that sentenced him, and in an deliberate action of finger-pointing, the names of all 73 persons who passed the sentence of death on the King are listed.

The later, and now considered definitive, work was produced by Francis F Madan in his A New Bibliography of the Eikon Basilike of King Charles the First, published in 1950.