your return for France True it is the deportment of some amongst you hath been very inoffensive unto Me but others again have so dallyed with my patience and so highly affronted Me as I cannot I will not longer endure it This accusation though not determined to any particular made all guilty and every single person was concerned to clear himself Whereupon the Bishop of Menes answered Sir If this accrimination be levelled at me let me I beseech you know my fault while I am here to make defence And Madam St. George said Sir I make no question but the Queen will give me a fair Testimonial to your Majesty But the King replyed no more then I name none and so commanded their speedy return to France This suddain action of the Kings overwhelmed the Queen whose tender years were not yet fit for so harsh an encounter with a great deal of impetuous passion against the King she at first taking it as the greatest extremity of unkindness that having so small a company of her native friends and servants to attend her they should in an instant be all cashiered and in lieu of them she to expect not a Train of Honour but a Guard of disaffected persons not so much to attend her as her actions whereby she should be treated more like a Prisoner then a Princesse That there could not be a higher affront put upon a Daughter of France or Queen of England The King observing her transportation endeavoured by all sweet and gentle perswasions to pacifie her but finding her inexorable he resolves to be so too and therefore the beginning of the next Month the French were all sent packing having their Salaries paid them to a penny and some of them large Gratuities given them contrary to that scandal of a Modern French Historian who writes That they were dismissed without their Wages and appointment Yet the doom fell heavy upon some of them who having sold all they had in France out of hopes to raise themselves Fortunes under the Queen in England were by this cashierment almost totally ruined Their misdemeanours were of several sorts The Ecclesiasticks stood charged with imposing several unhandsome and unbecoming Penances upon the Queen as particularly the forcing her to make a Progress bare-foot to Tyburn there to present her Devotions which action the King said could have no greater invective then the Relation The Bishop of Mends was blamed likewise for contesting with the Earl of Holland about the Stewardship of those Mannors which were setled upon the Queen as her Joynture that Office being conferred on the Earl by the King whilest the other claimed a Grant from the Queen Madam St. George was accused for having endeavoured by cunning insinuations to beget a disaffection between the King and Queen wherein she had gone so far that whatever she suggested found more credence with the Queen then whatsoever the King could alleadge an affront not to be comported And it appeared clearly after their departure that the Queens frowardness proceeded not from any natural disposition or inclination of her own but from their evil counsels and the products of their malicious spirits for ever after the Queen comported her self with so loving a complacencie and complyance that the whole world could not afford a couple more mutually endeared to one another Yet notwithstanding the Majesty of France highly resented the sending away of his Sisters Servants and Domestiques who filled his ears with many lyes and scandals one of which was the aforementioned That they were sent away without their Salary Whereas they had not only their full Debenters paid them but large Rewards besides Yet King Lewis his ears were so open to their complaints that he dispatches the Marshal de Bassompiere extraordinary Ambassador to the King of England to demand the restitution of the Queens Domestiques taxing our King with breaking the 14th Article of the Matrimonial part by which it was agreed That all the Domestique Servants which the Queen should bring over into England should be naturall French and Catholiques chosen by the most Christian King And in case of death she to choose other Catholiques of France provided the King of Great Britain should assent Yet this Embassage proved vain and ineffectual for it could not be expected but that although by the Articles the King of France was to choose the first set of Servants for the Queen yet they could not binde the King not to turn them away in case of misdemeanour for if so his power was so restrained that those Servants might take upon them to contradict his Majesty In sum their re-admission was utterly refused Whereupon King Lewis proceeded to an utter breach of the peace between both Kingdoms by seizing and securing the English Merchants Ships in the River of Bourdeaux and by employing the Vantguard and the other six Ships formerly lent to the French against Rochell contrary to Articles and their first Predestination This War proved unfortunate to the English for their first second and third attempts were all unsuccessefull and the Great Duke of Buckingham who commanded in chief in the first Expedition for relief of Rochell being to set forth again upon the same design was by one John Felton an obscure fellow stabbed to death at Portsmouth The Qu. in the Spring of the year 1629. was delivered of a Child which coming somewhat before its time lived not much above an hour yet having some life in it the Priests which attended the Qu. were very earnest to baptize it but the K. stepping in prevented them and commanded Dr. Web one of his Chaplains to officiate and name him Charls which immediately after he had done the Childe expired But on the 29th of May in the Year ensuing was her Majesty delivered of a Son both living and lively to the surpassing joy and exultation both of the Court and whole Kingdome Heaven it self seeming to rejoyce For at the time when the King rode to St. Pauls Church to give thanks to God for the Queens safe delivery of a Son though it were then neer Noon-day there visibly appeared a Star in the Firmament upon which these Verses were presented Rex ubi Paulinas accessit gratus ad aras Immicuit medio lucida stella Polo Dic divina mihi tractans aenigmata coeli Haec oriens nobis quid sibi stella velit Magnus in occiduo princeps modo nascitur orbe Moxque sub eclipsi regna Orientis erunt Thus Englished by Mr. Sanderson When to Pauls-cross the grateful King drew near A shining Star did in the Heavens appear Thou that consults with Divine Mysteries Tell me what this bright Comet signifies Now is there born a valiant Prince i' th West That shall Eclipse the Kingdoms of the East On the 27 of June following was the Prince baptized at St. James's with most refulgent pomp and Princely Ceremony and named CHARLS the Godfathers and Witnesses at
his Christning were the King of France and Prince Elector Palatine represented by the Duke of Lenox and Marquess Hamilton The Godmother was the Queen Mother of France whose Substitute was the Dutchess of Richmond But the more to binde the affections of this Pair Royal to a firm tie of Conjugal love on the fourth of November she blessed his Majesty and this Nation with the birth of her eldest Daughter the Princess Mary whereby she gave him pledges of both sexes which afterwards she encreased to a more numerous Issue For on the Thirteenth of October 1633. she was delivered of her second Son Christned James and by the Kings command styled Duke of York and so afterwards created by Letters Patents And on the 28 of December in the year 1635. was the Queen delivered of her second Daughter the Lady Elizabeth whose birth was congratulated by the United States of the Netherlands with a present of a massie piece of Amber-greece two fair and almost transparent China Basons a rare Clock of very excellent Art and four very admirable pieces of painting the Originals of Tintinet and Titian those incomparable Artists Thus farre had this Queen lived in all peace and prosperity enjoying the full and endeared love of her Royal Consort which there were no outward obstructions to hinder they enjoying all things wherewith peace and prosperity could cherish them besides a blessed Issue the delight of their eyes so that Fortune seemed to blow a gale upon them beyond their desires or expectations till unconstant as she is she turned the scale and involved them in as great a gulf of sorrow and misery as they had before been in the height of glory and greatness Yet the hard Fortunes they were subjected to did but the more illustrate and set forth those vertues which whilest their brows were encircled with prosperity were scarce discernable to vulgar eyes and judgements For though to bear ones self with even and noble spirit in the height of happiness and greatness be praise-worthy and admirable yet afflictions are the only trial of a great and magnanimous soul And that this Queen was a person of so great and magnanimous spirit none can doubt who shall consider with what a setled spirit she waded through those Afflictions with which God was pleased to chastize her and her Royal Consort The first time that she had occasion to shew herself ready and willing to endure a part of her Husbands afflictions was when his Majesty by reason of the Scots second Rebellion in 1639. notwithstanding his gracious Pardon and Pacification granted them but the year before was constrained by force of Arms to seek a course to reduce them to Obedience but by reason of the unwillingness of Parliaments to supply his extraordinary wants then and the great Charge which would accrue by his raising an Army to oppose them who were then ready to enter his Kingdom of England was forced to desire a Benevolence of those his Loyal Subjects of the Nobility and others who were willing to contribute towards his Necessities The Queen out of her meer motion and free will by her Substitutes Sir Kenelme Digby and Mr. Walter Montague negotiated with the Catholiques for a free and hearty Contribution And so free were those who though they were termed Recusants in point of Religion yet were not so but rather examples to others in point of loyalty few Catholiques then in the Kingdom that almost as great a sum was gathered from them as from the more numerous Protestants many of them proportioning their affections beyond their abilities Yet those Instruments which she had employed for the raising of those free and voluntary Contributions were after questioned by the House of Commons and their Collections though voluntary adjudged illegal there being a Law in England restraining all publique Collections but only what were made according to such and such Forms and Commissions which were to issue forth in Cases of such a general nature and though those Collections as was alleadged were rather Free Gifts then Collections yet the Collectors were like to have been punished Which together with the scandal cast upon her Majesty That she had been an Incendiary betwixt the King and his People and objections taken at the residence of the Popes Legate in England she by Letter acquainted that House That she had alwayes used her best endeavours for the removing of all misunderstandings betwixt the King and his People That she had effectually both by Letters and expresse Messages perswaded him to convoque that great Assembly That whereas there were exceptions taken at the residence of the Popes Legate in England she would take care to remove him speedily though he were here meerly for her own Conscience That touching the Collection if any thing were illegal in it it must be imputed to her ignorance of the Law being carried thereunto out of a dear and tender affection to his Majesty her Royal Spouse in so pressing an occasion but she would be more cautious hereafter not to do any thing but what might stand with Law That she was desirous to employ all the power she had to unite the King and People Therefore she desired them to look forwards and passe by such mistakes and errors of her Servants which respect of theirs should be repaid with all good Offices whereby they should finde real effects This complacent and gentle Message of the Queen mitigated the Parliaments resentments against her Collectors and upon further consideration all proceedings against them were suspended At the beginning of those second â—roubles in Scotland the Queen Mother of France who by the over-reaching power of the Cardinal Richelieu by her means and power advanced to that height wherewith he then swayed was not only expulsed out of her Dominion of that Kingdome but being likewise ignominiously led about the French Army in the manner of a Prisoner was after suffered to escape thence which she did first to the Cardinal d'Infanto Governour of Flanders and afterwards to the Prince of Orange from whence she was by our Queen her daughter compassionate of her miseries invited over into England where she arrived on the last of October 1638. just before the beginning of our sad and miserable troubles her coming over being upon unknown grounds imputed as a presage of all our future distractions she being accounted ominous to what place soever she came till the middle of the year 1641. when we began more visibly to be involved in our troubles she staid here when accompanyed with the Earl of Arundel she took her leave and journeyed through Zealand to Collen in Germany where soon afterward overwhelmed with age and miseries in a melancholy condition to see that Cardinal Richelieu whom she had raised from almost nothing to the whole administration the affairs of France this mighty Princesse expired During the being here of that Illustrious Princess the Queen was brought abed of a third
Son who entred into the world on the twentieth of July 1640. and was Christned Henry and after created Duke of Glocester She had before been delivered of her third Daughter on the 17th of March 1636. who was Christned Anna and died before her Father And shortly after the Duke of Glocesters birth in the same year the Ambassadour Leiger of Holland made some overtures of a Marriage between the young Prince William of Nassau Prince of Orange and the Kings eldest Daughter the Lady Mary Which Overtures were willingly assented to by the King and likewise agreed upon by the Parliament who expressed much joy at the Kings inclinations to marry his Daughter to a Protestant Prince though somewhat inferior to her in birth and nobleness So on Sunday the second of May the Marriage was with a great deal of Solemnity performed in the Kings Chappell at White-hall Notwithstanding the Parliaments former suspension of all proceedings against the Kings servants who collected the Benevolence amongst the Catholiques for the Kings necessary supply in his Expedition against the Scots yet a strange report after there was of the Parliaments intentions to draw up Articles of High Treason against her And indeed some resolutions there were of the Parliaments upon a fond conceit that the Queen had so much power with the King as to misadvise him either to perswade her to withdraw her self aside by some fears wherewith they would possess her or else to drive her away perforce which the King finding and thinking the first the surest course thought it better to have her go as it were voluntarily and therefore acquainted the Parliament That he was pressed by the States Ambassadours to send the Princesse Maria into Holland to her late Espoused Husband and that the Queen desiring it he had given her leave to goe with her And so the good Queen was got out of their Clutches the King accompanying her and the Princess to the Sea-side at Dover and she carrying with her all the Jewels belonging to the Crown the Pawn of which afterwards with some additional supplyes from the Prince of Orange assisted the King in his extreamest necessities The King was extreamly troubled at the Queens departure which made him fall into this rare Soliloquie of her in which because he who knew her best gives the best Characters of her that possibly can be given I shall here insert it ALthough I have much cause says the King to be troubled at my Wives departure from me and out of my Dominions yet not her absence so much as the scandal of that necessity which drives her away doth afflict me That she should be compelled by my own Subjects and those pretending to be Protestants to withdraw for her safety This being the first example of any Protestant Subjects that have taken Arms against their King a Protestant For I look upon this now done in England as another act of the same Tragedy which was lately begun in Scotland the Brands of that fire being ill quenched have kindled the like flames here I fear such motions so little to the adorning of the Protestant Profession may occasion a further alienation of minde and divorce of affections in her from that Religion wherein we only differ Which yet God can and I pray he would in time take away and not suffer these practices to be any obstruction to her judgement since it is the motion of those men for the most part who are yet to seek and settle their Religion for Doctrine Government and good manners and so not to be imputed to the true English Protestants who continue firm to their former setled Principles and Laws I am sorry my relation to so deserving a Lady should be any occasion of her danger and affliction whose merits would have served her for a protection amongst the savage Indians whilest their rudenesse and barbarity knows not so perfectly to hate all vertues as some mens subtilty doth among whom I yet think few are so malicious as to hate her for her self the fault is she is my Wife All justice then as well as affection commands me to studie her security who is only in danger for my sake I am content to be tossed weather-beaten and shipwrackt so as she may be in a safe harbour This comfort I shall enjoy by her safety in the middest of my personal dangers That I can perish but half if she be preserved to whose memory and hopefull Posterity I may yet survive the malice of mine enemies although they should be satiated with my blood I must leave her and them to the love and loyalty of my good Subjects and to his protection who is able to punish the faults of Princes and no lesse severely to revenge the Injuries done to them by those who in all duty and Allegiance ought to have made good that safety which the Laws chiefly provide for Princes But common civility is in vain expected from those who dispute their Loyalty Nor can it be safe for any Relation to a King to tarry among them who are shaking hands with their Allegiance under pretence of laying faster hold on their Religion 'T is pity so noble and peacefull a Soul should see much more suffer the rudenesse of those who must make up their want of Justice with inhumanity and impudence Her sympathie with me in affliction will make her Vertues shine with greater lustre as Stars in the darkest nights and assure the envious World That she loves me not my Fortunes Neither of us but can easily forgive since we do not much blame the unkindnesse of the generality and Vulgar for we see God is pleased to trie both our Patience by the most selfpunishing sin the ingratitude of those who having eaten of our Bread and being enriched by our bounty have scornfully lift up themselves against us and those of our own Houshold are become our enemies I pray God lay not their sin to their charge who think to satisfie all Obligations to duty by their Corban of Religion and can lesse endure to see then to sin against their Benefactors as well as their Soveraigns But even that policy of mine enemies is so far venial as it was necessary to their designs by scandalous Articles and all irreverend demeanour to seek to drive her out of my Kingdoms lest by the influence of her example eminent for Love as a Wife and Loyalty as a Subject she should have converted to or retained in their Love and Loyalty all those whom they had a purpose to pervert The lesse I can be blest with her Company the more I will retire to God and mine own Heart whence no malice can banish her Mine Enemies may envy but they can never deprive me of the enjoyment of her Vertues while I enjoy my self Let the world then judge by this noble character given her by him who of all men in the world best knew her how ill she deserved those many scandals and reproaches upon