man living at which he would not smile himselfe but deliver them in a grave and serious manner He was very liberall of what he had not in his owne gripe and would rather part with 100. li. hee never had in his keeping then one twenty shillings peece within his owne custody He spent much and had much use of his Subjects purses which bred some clashings with them in Parliament yet would alwayes come off and end with a sweet and plausible close and truly his bounty was not discommendable for his raising Favourites was the worst Rewarding old servants and releiving his Native Country-men was infinitely more to be commended in him then condemned His sending Embassadours were no lesse chargeable then dishonourable and unprofitable to him and his whole Kingdome for he was ever abused in all Negotiations yet hee had rather spend 100000. livre. on Embassies to keep or procure peace with dishonour then 10000. li. on an Army that would have forced peace with honour He loved good Lawes and had many made in his time and in his last Parliament for the good of his Subjects and suppressing Promoters and progging fellowes gave way to that Nullum tempus c. to be consined to 60. yeares which was more beneficiall to the Subjects in respect of their quiets then all the Parliaments had given him during his whole Reign By his frequentinâ— Sermons he appeared Religious yeâ— his Tuesday Sermons if you wiâ—â— beleeve his owne Country-men thaâ— lived in those times when they were erected and well understood the cause of erecting them were dedicated for a strange peece of devotion He would make a great deale too bold with God in his passion both in cursing and swearing and one straine higher vergeing on blasphemie But would in his better temper say he hoped God would not impute them as sins and lay them to his charge seeing they proceeded from passion He had need of great assurance rather then hopes that would make daily so bold with God He was very crafty and cunning in petty things as the circumventing any great man the change of a Favourite c. insomuch as a very wise man was wont to say he beleeved him the wisest foole in Chriâ—tendome meaning him wise in â—mall things but a foole in weighty â—ffaires He ever desired to prefer meane men in great places that when he turned them out again they should have no friend to bandy with them And besides they were so hated by being raised from a meane estate to over-top all men that every one held it a pretty recreation to have them often turned out There were living in this Kings time at one instant two Treasurers three Secretaries two Lord Keepers two Admiralls three Lord chief Justices yet but one in play therefore this King had a pretty faculty in putting out and in By this you may perceive in what his wisdome consisted but in great and weighty affaires even at his wits end He had a trick to cousen himselfe with bargains under hand by taking 1000. li. or 10000. livre. as a bribe when his Counsell was treating with his Customers to raise them to so much more yearly this went into his Privy purse wherein hee thought hee had over-reached the Lords but cousened himselfe but would as easily breake the bargaine upon the next offer saying he was mistaken and deceived and therefore no reason he should keep the bargaine this was often the case with the Farmers of the Customes He was infinitely inclined to peace but more out of feare then conscience and this was the greatest blemish this King had through all his Reign otherwise might have been ranked with the very best of our Kings yet sometimes would hee shew pretty flashes of valour which might easily be discerned to be forced not naturall and being forced could have wished rather it would have recoiled backe into himselfe then carryed to that King it had concerned least he might have been put to the tryall to maintaine his seeming valour In a word he was take him altogether and not in peeces such a King I wish this Kingdom have never any worse on the condition not any better for he lived in peace dyed in peace and left all his Kingdomes in a peaceable condition with his owne Motto Beati Pacifici The Court of King CHARLES NOw having brought this peaceable King to rest in all peace the 27th of March his Son by the sound of the Trumpet was proclaimed King by the name of CHARLES the FIRST His Fathers Reign began with a great Plague and we have seen what his Reign was his Sons with a greater Plague and the greatest that ever was in these parts we shall see what his Reign will be and the effects of this plague have also hung as a fatall commet over this Kingdome in some parts and over London in more particular ever since and we earnestly pray we may not fall into the hands of men but rather ever with that divinely inspired royall Prophet David that we fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great This King was not Crowned with that solemnity all other Kings have formerly been by riding through the City in all state although the same Triumphs were provided for him as sumptuous as for any other this some have taken as an ill omen It s further reported which I will not beleeve that he tooke not the ususall Oath all our Kings were bound unto at their Coronation and it s to be read in Covells book if so sure its a worse omen One more observation is of this King which I remember not to have happened in any other Kingdom I am confident never in this That with him did also rise his Fathers Favourite and in much more glory and luster then in his Fathers time as if he were no lesse an inheritor of his Sons favours than the Sonne of the Fathers Crowne and this as it happened was the worst omen of all for whereas in the Fathers time there was some kinde of moderation by reason he was weary of the insolency of his Favourite in the sons time he reigned like an impetuous storme bearing downe all before him that stood in his way and would not yeeld to him or comply with him This shewed no Heroicall or Kingly spirit for the King ever to endure him that had put such scornes and insolent affronts on him in his fathers time This King as his Father did set in peace did rise like a Mars as if he would say Arma virumque cano and to that end to make himselfe more formidable to Spaine and France he called a Parliament wherein never Subjects expressed more hearty affections to a Sovereigne and in truth were more loving then wise for as if for an income to welcome him they gave him two intire Subsidies and in so doing they brake the very foundation and priviledges of Parliament which never was wont to give Subsidies but as a thankfull gratuity for enacting
The day the King went from White-Hall to Theobalds and so to Royston the King sent for all the Judges his Lords and Servants encircling him where kneeling down in the midst of them he used these very words My Lords the Judges It is lately come to my hearing that you have now in examination a businesse of poysoning Lord in what a most miserable condition shall this Kingdom be the onely famous Nation for hospitality in the World if our Tables should become such a snare as none could eate without danger of life and that Italian custom should be introduced amongst us Therefore my Lords I charge you as you will answer it at that great and dreadfull day of Judgement that you examin it strictly without favour affection or partiality and if you shall spare any guilty of this crime Gods curse light upon you and your posterity And if I spare any that are found guilty Gods curse light on me and my posterity for ever But how this dreadfull thunder-Curse or imprecation was performed shall be shewed hereafter and I pray God the effect be not felt amongst us even at this day as it hath been I fear on that vertuous Lady Elizabeth and her children for God treasures up such imprecations and deprecations and poures them out when a Nation least dreams even when they cry peace peace to their souls and it may wel be at this time our other sins concurring that he is pouring them out upon King Judges and the whole State It appeares how unwilling the King was to ruin Somerset a creature of his owne making But immedicabile vulnus Ense rescinâ—endum est Grace was offered by the King had he had grace to have apprehended it The King with this took his farewell for a time of London and was accompanyed with Somerset to Royston where no sooner he brought him but instantly tooke his leave little imagining what viper lay amongst the hearbs nor must I forget to let you know how perfect the King was in the art of dissimulation or to give it his own phrase King-craft The Earle of Somerset to his apprehension never parted from him with more seeming affection then at this time when intentionally the King had so exposed him to Cookes dressing that hee knew Somerset should never see him more and had you seen that seeming affection as the Author himself did you would rather have beleeved he was in his rising then setting The Earl when he kissed his hand the King hung about his neck slabboring his cheeks saying for Gods sake when shall I see thee againe On my soule I shall neither eate nor sleep untill you come again the Earl told him on Monday this being on the Friday for Gods sake let me said the King shall I shall I Then lolled about his neck then for Gods sake give thy Lady this kisse for me in the same manner at the stayres head at the midle of the staires and at the stayres foot the Earle was not in his Coach when the King used these very words in the hearing of four servants of whom one was Somersets great creature and of the Bed-chamber who reported it instantly to the Author of this History I shall never see his face more I appeale therefore to the Reader whether this Motto of Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnare was not as well performed in this passage as his Beati pacifici in the whole course of his life and his love to the latter made him to bee beaten with his own weapon in the other by all Princes and States that had to doe with him But before Somersets approach to London his Countesse was apprehended at his arrivall himselfe and the King being that night at supper said to Sir Thomas Monson My Lord cheife Justice hath sent for you he asked the King when hee should waite on him again who replyed you may come when you can And as in the story of Byron and many others there have been many foolish observations as presage so was there in this Gentleman who was the Kings Mr. Faulconer and in truth such an one as no Prince in Christendom had for what Flights other Princes had he would excell them for his Master in which one was at the Kite The French sending over his Faulconers to shew that sport his Master Faulconer lay long here but could not kill one Kite ours being more magnanimous then the French Kite Sir Thomas Monson desired to have that flight in all exquisitnesse and to that end was at 1000l charge in Ger-Faulcons for that flight in all that charge he never had but one cast would performe it and those had killed nine Kites which were as many as they were put off unto not any one of them escaping Whereupon the Earle of Pembrooke with all the Lords desired the King but to walk out of Royston Townes end to see that Flight which was one of the most stateliest Flights of the world for the high mountee the King went unwillingly forth the Flight was shewed but the Kite went to such a mountee and the Hawke after her as all the field lost sight of Kite and Hawke and al and neither Kite nor Hawke were either seen or heard of to this present which made all the Court conjecture it a very ill omen So that you see the plot was so well laid as they could be all within the toyle at one instant not knowing of each other Now are in hold the Earle his Countesse Sir Thomas Monson Mris. Turner a very lewd and infamous woman of life Weston and Franklin with some others of lesse note of which one Simon a servant to Sir Thomas Monson who was imployed in carrying Ielly and Tart to the Tower who upon his examination for his pleasant answer was instantly dismissed My Lord told him Simon you have had a hand in this poysoning businesse He replyed no my good Lord I had but one finger in it which almost cost me my life and at the best cost me all my Hair and Nailes for the truth was Simon was somewhat liquorish and finding the syrrup swim from the top of a Tart as he carryed it he did with his finger scum it off and it was to be beleeved had he known what it had been hee would not have been his Taster at so deare a rate and that you may know Simons interest with that Family I shall tel you a story Sir Thomas Monson was a great lover of Musicke and had as good as England had especially for voyces and was at infinite charge in breeding some in Italy This Simon was an excellent Musician and did sing delicately but was a more generall Musician than ever the world had and in one kind he surpassed all He had a Catzo of an immense length and bignesse with this being his Tabor stick his palme of his hand his Tabor and his mouth his Pipe he would so imitate a Tabor and Pipe as if it had been so indeed To
Legion for they were all many Devills and like true Devills tooke pleasure in tormenting So that hereby may be perceived the Kingdome in generall had no benefit though some particular men as Weston Treasurer Coventry Lord Keeper and all such as paid his beggerly kindred Pensions which now were ceased by this mans death whose purpose 't was to have turn'd out of place both Coventry and Weston before his last intended voyage But now did Weston begin to be more cruell in Pride and Tyranny than Buckingham had been before him and had not the Arch-Bishop Laud ballanced him he would have been more insufferable He cheated the King in the sale of Timber and of Land and in the letting of his Customs the Arch-Bishop notwithstanding truly informing the King thereof Weston was so mad at the thought of it he would often say to his friends in private That little Priest would Monopolize the Kings eare for he was ever whispering to the King And now begin the Councel Table the Star-Chamber and High Commission to bee Scourges and Tortures of the Commonwealth by Imprisonments and Mutilations of Members and were made some of them by sinings the greatest incomes to the Exchequer and in truth did now put down the Common Laws deciding of Meum and Tuum And if any desiring to appeal from them refused to stand there to their censures they were committed untill they would submit thereunto If men sent unto by them for money refused it they would imprison them till they would give or lend and if any were summoned thither they had a mind to quarrell with in whom they could not find a fault they would make one by saying the Gentleman laughs at us Or the Gentleman saith thus and thus it may be that hee had not in his thought and yet there should not want a false witnesse for some Lords that sat with their backs towards them or so farre off that they could not heare yet would testifie either the words or actions or for want of this a Clerk of the Councell should bee called to witnesse who for his profit must swear what any Lord said If they hit not upon that trick then sometimes they would contrive to put a Gentleman into passion by calling him some disgracefull name or by scoffing at him so that indeed the Councell Table was growne more like a Pasquil then a grave Senate But if the spirit of the man wer such that he could not take those indignities without some regret it was well for him if he escaped with imprisonment and not called Ore tenus to the Star-Chamber and fined as many were to his undoing for to that point were now the Fines of that Court risen As for the High Commission-Court that was a very Spanish-like Inquisition in which all pollings and tyrannizings over our Estates and Consciences were practised as were in the other over our Estates and Bodyes Then were the Judges so much their Servants or rather Slaves that what ere they illegally put in execution they found Law to maintaine But that which is a wonder above all wonders is that Coventry who formerly had gained the opinion of a just and honest man was a principall in all these miscarriages yet dyed he unquestioned when had his actions been scanned by a Parliament in that they were not you may see what opinion is which in the multitude blindeth the understanding he had been found as foul a man as ever lived Finch a fellow of an excellent tongue but not of one dram of Law made for all that Cheife Justice of the Common-Pleas the onely Court most learned in the Law yet he brought all the learned Judges except two only Hutton and Crook to be of his illegall opinion for shipmony This surely must be a punishment from God on them and us for our sins otherwise it had been impossible so many grave Iudges should have been over-ruled by such a slight and triviall fellow Now also all Officers in all places took what Fees they pleased as if in a Iubilee Amongst the rest those of the Star-Chamber the Councell Table and the High Commission were very Grandees Yea the very Messengers to them were countenanced in their abuse and insultings over the Gentry when in their clutches and to such a strange passe were disorders come unto that every Lacquey of those great Lords might give a Check-Mate to any Gentleman yea to any Country Nobleman that was not in the Court favour And to fill full the measure of the times abounding iniquity the Court Chaplines and others elsewhere with the Reverend Bishops themselves did preach away our liberties and proprieties yet kept they Divinity enough for their owne interests for they concluded all was either Gods or the Kings their part belonged to God in which the King had no propriety Our part belonged wholly to the King in which we had propriety no longer when the King were disposed to call for them so that betwixt the Law and the Gospel we were ejected out of Lands Liberties and Lives at pleasure And now is Gods time come to visit with his Iustice and behold it For the pit they digged for others they themselves are fallen into for all their Honours Lands and Liberties are a gasping and the Iudges are but in very little better case for the Parliament will doe that to them by the Law which they would have done to us by wresting the Gospel But what needed all that joy for the death of Buckingham Sith the times succeeding him have been so infinitely beyond him in all oppression as they are like to bring all manner of miseries both upon King people So that in truth his Hydra's head being struck downe an hundred more instead thereof appeared which never durst in his life time And as he got much by Suites so did Weston much by cheating yet all came out of the Subjects purses and Coventry that so generally a reputed honest man got such an estate by Bribery and In-justice that he is said to have left a Family worth a Million Which may commend his Wisdome but in no wise his Honesty And now also dies Weston after he had first brought in as you may remember I told you himselfe was by Cranfield Sir Thomas Wentworth after Earle of Strafford the active manager of the State and sole Governour of the King This Strafford without doubt was the ablest Minister that this Kingdome had since Salisburies time and to speak uprightly there was not any but himselfe worthy of that name amongst all the Kings Councell yet I am confident by the weaknesse of that Boord his abilities in State affaires were judged more then they were and besides that very word of States-man was now grown a stranger to our Nation Nor was he as Salisbury or our ancient Heroes a generall States-man nor was it possible he should be he not having that breeding himselfe Nor kept he any upon his charge in forraigne parts for intelligence Nor had