King's Evil is the name in England of a disease which the people believed their kings had the power of curing by touch. So strong was the popular conviction that the ecclesiastical authorities devised a special form of religious service to be recited while the king was touching the diseased person. It is as follows:
"The first gospel was exactly the same with that on Ascension Bay. At the touching of every infirm person, these words wore repeated, 'They shall hiy their hands on the sick, and they shall recover.' The second gospel hoi;;in at the tii-st of St. .John, and ended at these words, 'full of grace and tnilh.' At putting the angel (or gold) about their necks, 'That light was the true litrht which lights every man that comelh into the world,' was re- peated,
Lord have mercy upon us.
Christ have merei/ tijion its.
Lord have merry upon us.
Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, etc.
Minister. O Lord, save thy servants.
Ansri^er. Which put their trust iu thee. Minister. Send unto them help from above. Answer. And evermore mightily defend them. Minister. Help us, O God, our Saviour. Answer. And for the glory of thy name's sake deliver us ; be merciful unto us sinners, for thy name's sake. Minister. O Lord, hear our prayer. Answer. And let our cry come unto thee.
Tin-; COLLECT.
Almighty God, the eternal health of all such as put their trust iu thee, hear us, we beseech thee, on the behalf of these thy servants, for whoiji we call for thy merciful help ; that they, receiving health, may give thanks unto thee iu thy holy Church,~throngh Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The peace of God, etc." — Hook, Chureli Dictionary .
"The evidence which has sometimes been offered for supposed miraculous cures of the king's evil is none at all ibr the miracle, but goes to prove that patients were touched, and afterwards recovered. SjTnptoms of many ' diseases abate spontaneously ; and especially in the case of scrofula, a strong excitement of mind is su]iposed by medical men to exert often a reaction in the absorbents. The touch of a hanged man's hand has been held iu at least equal repute for Scrofula and wens, doubtless fur a like reason. If Jesus had laid his hands on many sick persons, and some of them had recovered within a week, how different would have been the state of the case ! (See Paley on tentative miracles and gradual cures.) As the reality of a cure by the touch of a ro3-al hand cannot be believed without the utmost degree of superstition, it is probable that the service was used as a petition for the cure, and that the touching the part affected was a superstitions act, followed by a cure in those cases iu which the action of the mind was favorable to such an effect. Thus the cure itself would be explicable from natural causes."
King's Garden. See Garden.
King's Honse. See Palace.
King's Mother. See Queen.
King's Mowings. See Mowing.
King's Pool. See Pool.
King's Primer. See Peijier,
King's Sepulchre. See Tomb.
Kingsbury, Cyrus, a noted American missionary to the Indians, was born about 1789. He commenced his missionary labors about 1816, and for more than hfty years faithfully, quietly, and meekly served his INIaster in making known to those committed to his care the unsearchable riches of Christ. Kingsbury died August, 1870. His influence among the savages was great, and few men in any service could be more missed. Among the missionaries of this age, no purer name, no lovelier character, has appeared than that which belongs to Cy- rus Kingsbury.
Kingsbviry, William, a Congregational minister, was born in London July 12, 1744, and educated first at Christ's Hospital, London, and for the ministry at the educational institution for Congregational ministers at Mile End. where he graduated in 17G4. He was ordained in 1765, and became pastor of the Independent Church at Southampton, a position which he most successfully filleel for forty-five years. In 1772. in addition to his pastoral duties, he established an academy for the education of young men. In 1787 he declined a position iu Homer- ton College. In 1795 he was one of the prime movers iu founding the London jMissionary Society, and was the first to preside over its deliberations. He died at Cav- ersham Feb. 18, 1818. He published in 1798 An Apol- ogi/for Village Preachers, in answer to an attack made upon them. IMr. Kingsbury was "one of the brightest ornaments of the ministerial character that has graced the Church of God in modern times — a man of rare and exalted worth, possessed of vigor of intellect, sound crit- ical knowledge, as well as depth of piety." — JMorison, Missiiinarg Fiitliirs. (II. C. W.)
Kingsley, Calvin, D.D., LL.D., a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was born of Presbyterian
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