THE LONDON GAZETTE, England, March 26, 1684 (1685 by today's calendar) 

* Death of King Charles II
* Long live King James II

 Over half of the four pages are taken up with reports and letters concerning both the sorrow of the people for the death of King Charles II, and the great wishes for the new King James II (see for portions).
Four pages, 6 1/2 by 11 inches, archivally rejoined at the spine, very nice condition.

background: This 340-year-old artifact is a visceral time capsule capturing the very heartbeat of the Stuart Restoration at its most volatile turning point. Published in March 1684/85, this issue of the London Gazette functions as a masterclass in 17th-century statecraft, documenting the high-stakes transition from the beloved "Merry Monarch," Charles II, to his controversial successor, James II. Across its four dense pages, you aren't just reading news; you are witnessing a kingdom’s desperate performance of unity through "Humble Addresses" of grief and loyalty, printed at a time when the threat of civil unrest and religious upheaval loomed in every shadow. To hold this paper is to hold the official script of the British Empire as it navigated a royal deathbed that changed the course of Western democracy—a rare, museum-grade witness to the end of one era and the fragile, fleeting dawn of the next.