prodigality in which the Revenue of the Kingdom would not satisfie their vast expences if this had been spoken out of a Noble minde or out of that feeling he had of the Kingdomes misery as being Treasurer he ought to have done had he fallen it had been with honour and a generall compassion but being spoken out of the pride and insolency of his owne heart whose minde was ever so base as never to discerne what Honour was nor ever had he any other inherent Honour then what in his Apprentiship he raked out of the Kennel besides it was knowne to be out of hatred that he was not of councell in the undertaking he then looking at himselfe as the only States-man of all the Councell He fell without pitty and with much scorne as I formerly set downe yet left in a higher estate and better condition then so worthlesse a fellow and base Projector deserved yet afterwards hee was againe questioned upon his accounts But all this was nothing himselfe and his Posterity being left Peeres of the Realme In this case was the Prince a principall actour and did duly keep the earliest houres to sit in that Parliament where then he discerned so much juggling even to serve his owne ends on Cranfield that it was not much to be wondred at being come to be King he did not affect them And it was not well that a Prince should shew so much spleen though Cranfield deserved any ill could be cast on him and who knowes whether God doth now punish by Tallion Law to call his owne sin to remembrance and to repent In this place I hold it not unfit to shew the Reader how the King hath ever been abused and would be abused by over-much credulity in the treaty of Spaine for marriages as well as in all other Negotiations You shall now perceive how the King was abused in this treaty which was an error inexcusable in himselfe and whole Councell The Italians having a Proverbe He that deceives me once it s his fault but if twice it s my fault this second time therefore could not but be the only fault of the King and Councell In Prince Henry his life time the King had a little man but a very great and wise Counsellour his Secretary of State little Salisbury that great States-man who did inherit all his Fathers wisdome as well as his Offices and the sonne came little short of the father who was held the greatest States-man in the world of his time It is true that one State may abuse another but not to finde out the abuse is an unpardonable fault in any Statesman There was a treaty in the like case for Prince Henry Salisbury instantly discovered the juggling before any other did thinke of any for although it went forward currently yet did Salisbury so put the Duke of Lerma unto it that either it must be so or they must confesse their juggling The Duke of Lerma denyed that ever there had been any treaty or any intention from that State Salisbury sent for the Embassadour to a full Councell told him how hee had abused the King State about a treaty for Marriage which he had no Commission for that therefore he was lyable to the Lawes of our Kingdome for where any Embassadour doth abuse a State by their Mrs. Commission then the servant was freed but without Commission was culpable and lyable to be punished by the Lawes of that State as being disavowed to be servant to the King his Master The Embassadour answered gravely he did not understand the cause of his comming therefore was then unprepared to give any answer but on Monday he would againe come this being Saturday and give his answer On Monday he comes begins with these words My soule is my Gods my life my Masters my reputation my owne I will not forfeit the first and last to preserve the second Then layes downe his Commission and Letters of instruction under the Duke of Lerma's owne hand he acquitted himselfe honestly to this State yet lost his owne being instantly sent for home where he lived and dyed in disgrace Here was Legatus vir bonus peregrè missus sed non ad mentiendum reipublicae causa And had we had as honest and good Statesmen in after times as Salisbury was and so demonstrated himselfe in this weighty Affaire this State could not have been so abused in all Treaties By this you see the advantage and benefit of one wise Counsellour in a whole State and although Solomon say By the multitude of Counsellors doth a kingdome flourish yet surely he intended they should be wise men that are Counsellours for we had such a multitude of Counsellours that a longer table and a larger Counsell-chamber was provided yet our State was so far from flourishing that it had been almost utterly destroyed this was the last Statesman worthy of that name and now are the ancient stock of Statesmen decayed and with them all our honour and glory I shall now bring my Story to an end as I shall this Kings life although I have made some digressions yet all pertinent to the discourse of this Kings reigne He now goes to his last Hunting journey I meane the last of the yeare as wel as of his life which he ever ended in Lent and was seized on by an ordinary and moderate Tertian Ague which at that season according to the Proverb was Physick for a King but it proved not so to him and poore King what was but Physick to any other was made mortall to him yet not the Ague as himselfe confessed to a servant of his now living who cryed courage Sir this is but a small fit the next will be none at all at which he most earnestly looked and said Ah it is not the Ague afflicteth me but the black plaister and powder given me and laid to my stomack and in truth the plaister so tormented him that he was glad to have it pulled off with it the skin also nor was it faire dealing if he had faire play which himselfe suspected often saying to Montgomery whom he trusted above all men in his sicknesse for Gods sake looke I have faire play to bring in an Emprick to apply any Medicines whilst those Physitians appointed to attend him were at dinner nor could any but Buckingham answer it with lesse then his life at that present as he had the next Parliament had it not been dissolved upon the very questioning him for the Kings death and all those that prosecuted him utterly disgraced and banished the Court Buckingham comming into the Kings Chamber even when he was at the point of death and an honest servant of the Kings crying Ah my Lord you have undone us all his poore servants although you are so well provided you need not care At which Buckingham kickt at him who caught his foot and made his head first come to ground where Buckingham presently rising run to the dying Kings bed side and
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
purpose one Noy a very famous Lawyer as ever this Kingdome bred and formerly a great Patriot and the only searcher of Presidents for the Parliaments by which he grew so cunning as he understood all the shifts which former Kings had used to get monies with This man the King sends for tels him he wil make him his Attorney Noy like a true Cynick as he was for that time went away not returning to the King so much as the civility of a Thankes nor indeed was it worth his thankes I am sure he was not worthy of ours For after the Court sollicitings had bewitched him to become the Kings he grew the most hatefull man that ever lived And it s to me a wonder that this Parliament of Wonders doth not enact a Law that his very name should never more be in this Kingdome he having been as great a Deluge to this Realme as the Flood was to the whole World for he swept away all our Priviledges and in truth hath been the cause of all these miseries this kingdome hath since been ingulphed whether you consider our Religion he being a great Papist if not an Atheist and the protector of all Papists and the raiser of them up unto that boldnesse they were now growne unto who formerly had some moderation or if you consider our Estates and Liberties they were impoverished and enthralled by multitudes of projects and illegall wayes this Monster was the sole Author of all But first now because there must be some great man as a Captaine Projector to lead some on and hearten others to follow Sir George Goring leads up the March and Dance with the Monopolie of Tobacco and Licensing of Tavernes setting some up where and as many as he pleased and this done by a Seale appendicular to an Office erected by him for that purpose as if authorised by a Law besides all this hee hath Pensions out of the pretermitted Customs insomuch as I have heard it most credibly reported that his Revenue was 9000. l. per annum all of these kindes and for this peece of good service he was made a Lord and Privy Councellour to countenance his traine of Projectors the better Then did Weston enhance the Customes and laid new and heavyer impositions on all things exported or imported with such unconscionable rates upon Tobacco that millions of pounds of it lay rotting in the Custome-house the Merchants refusing to pay the Custome besides losse of all other charges for the Tobacco it selfe In short there was not any thing almost that any man did eate drinke or weare or had in his house from forraigne parts or scarce any domesticke commodities exempted but he paid as it were an Excise for it yea at last even Cards and Dice escaped not but they were monopolized by a great Councellour the Lord Cottington yea to keep their hands in ure they got Patents for the very Rags Marrow-bones Guts and such like Excrements as were thought of no use but to be cast on the Dunghils and he was held the bravest Common-wealths man that could bring in the most money yet the Kings private Purse or publick Treasury little or nothing bettered but to impoverish and vex the Subject and to no other end for which he was ordinarily rewarded with honour This good service the quite contrary way did Weston and Noy doe for the King and I beleeve you shall see God reward them and their posterity for the one like a Jonas Gourd sprang up suddenly from a beggerly estate to much Honour and great Fortunes will shortly wither the other his Son and Heire was killed in France presently after his death and when both are dead let their names and memory rot and be extinct from the face of the earth Now doth Buckingham provide for another forraigne Enterprise but carried so close I could never learne what it was nor did any wise men much inquire after it assuring themselves that such counsells could produce no better effects than those former In the beginning yea even at the very entrance thereunto he did so stinke in the Nostrils of God and Man that God made one Felton his Instrument to take such a Monster as he was indeed from his longer domineering amongst men by a blow as fearefull as strange after which he had not time to say Lord have mercy on him a just judgement on him that forsooke God to seeke to the Devill by Witches and Sorcerers in his life one whereof was Doctor Lamb who was his great defensitive preserver as he thought him whose fate it was to be brained by a Shoo-makers Last when he least look'd for it the other was stabb'd the next morning after that night he had caused a Fellow to be hanged not suffering him to have that nights respite after his sentence and offence what ere it was to repent him of his sins with this vow he would neither eate nor drinke untill he see him dye God in requitall of his mercilesse cruelty would neither suffer him to eate nor drinke before he dyed by that dismall stroake of a poore tenpenny knife of the said Feltons setting home Thus neare alike in time and manner were these two hellish Agents Catastrophees And now is set that great Sun or rather portendous Comet from whose influences all the Officers and Ministers had by reflexion their life and heat After his death the very name of a Favourite dyed with him none singly engrossing the Kings eare and favour but a regular motion was set to all Officers as appertained to their severall places as to the Arch-Bishop the mannagement and chiefe super-intendency of the Church to the Lord Treasurer the Exchequer and the Customs to the Lords Keepers of the Great and Privie Seales what belonged to equity to the Judges what belonged to Law so that one would have thought all things now went so just and equall and in their proper Channell as none but might now expect from that new and better government halcyon dayes But it far'd farre otherwise God being angry at the Nations sins the generall juggling of the State was one and a great one all those procedures being but in appearance righteous nothing really so but like the Apples of Sodome faire in shew rotten and corrupt within For now instead of the late but one Favourite every great Officer and Lord of the Councell proved a very Tyrant and it appeared that not their vertues but the former Favourites power only did restraine them from being so for that falling together with himselfe as you have heard and they left to their owne Arbitrary power you would verily have beleeved that Hell had been broke loose And to make good that Metaphor one of the Councell being told by a Gentleman that the country was much troubled at a certaine great grievance replyed Doth that trouble them by God there are seaven worse Devills to be shortly let out amongst them And in sober sadnesse they all might truly have undergone the name of
honest Servants traduced to satisfie the humours of any I beseech you take my staffe for were my selfe and the Earl of Worcester here present put in the ballance against Sir Robert Mansell we should prove too light I am in a great Place and cannot say but by my selfe or servants I may faile yet not with our own wils therefore Sir if you wil suffer such inquisitions there will be no serving your Majesty in such places as I hold by your Majesties favour thus ended the Earle of Northamptons malice which only served to honour Sir Robert Mansell and make a scorne of himselfe and this only to make the venome of this Monster appear who did flatter the King and dissemble with God And now begin Embassadours to appeare from divers Princes the principall were Roney Duke of Sullice from the French King the Constable of Castile from the Spanish King the Count Arremberg from the Arch Duke the former came to congratulate only and desired the confirmation of the ancient amity betwixt the two Crownes the latter two about the establishing a firme peace betwixt these two Kingdomes that had lived in perpetuall Warre and hatred of each other by which it might appeare where the advantage of such a peace would fall by those that sought or rather bought it with an infinite masse of treasure prodigally cast about the English Court To bring these Embassadours over were appointed Sir Robert Mansell being Admirall of the narrow Seas and Sir Jerome Turner his Vice-Admirall the first commanded to attend at Graveling for the Spanish Embassadour the latter at Calis for the French but the French comming first and hearing the Vice-Admirall was to attend him the Admirall the other in a scorne put himselfe in a Passage-boat of Calis came forth with flagge in top instantly Sir Jerome Turner sent to know of the Admirall what he should doe Sir Robert Mansell sent him word to shoot and sinke him if he would not take in the flag this as it made the flag bee pulled in so a great complaint and 't was beleeved it would have undone Sir Robert Mansell the French Faction pressing it so home but he maintained the act and was the better beloved of his Master ever after to his dying day This makes it appeare how jealous old Commanders were of their owne honour and of their Masters and Kingdomes honours which since hath been so prodigally wasted as we are utterly bankerupt having spent our old Stock and have not bravery enough to erect a new The Constable of Castile so plyed his Masters businesse in which he spared for no cost that he procured a peace so advantageous for Spaine and so disadvantageous for England that it and all Christendome have since both seen and felt the lamentable effects thereof There was not one Courtier of note that tasted not of Spaines bounty either in Gold or Jewels and among them not any in so large a proportion as the Countesse of Suffolke who shared in her Lords interest being then a potent man and in that interest which she had in being Mistris to that little great Secretary little in body and stature but great in wit and policy the sole manager of State affaires so it may be said she was a double sharer and in truth Audley-end that famous and great structure had its foundation of Spanish Gold The King was a peaceable and merciful Prince yet God for some secret intent best known to himself laid the foundation of his reigne with the greatest mortality ever before heard of in this Kingdome by a fearefull Plague and some by that judged what his future reign would be yet their wisdomes failed for he was a King of mercy as well as peace never cruell yet surely it had some morall He was forced by that contagion to leave the Metropolis and goe into a by corner in Wiltshire Wilton the Earle of Pembrookes House in which time of his abode there a kinde of Treason brake forth but what it was as no man could then tell so it is left with so dark a Comment that posterity will never understand the Text or remember any such treason it is true some lost their lives yet the world was never satisfied of the justice and one of them and that the only marke of Tyranny upon this good Kings reigne executed many yeares after without all president and on my conscience without any just cause and even against that good Kings will who in many things was over-awed by his timorous disposition But the Spanish Faction and Spanish Gold betrayed his life as they had done the Kingdome before and I beleeve it was one of the greatest Master-peeces of that Embassadour to purchase Rawleighs head yet had not Bristol co-operated the King would never have consented and it may be he had his secret ends fearing his wisdome might once againe have raised him to have looked over Sherborne Castle once his owne and how unjustly taken from him God will one day judge I know not whether there be a curse on those that are owners of it as Fables report but I am confident there is a curse on Bristol for taking away his life I will not take upon me too farre to pry into Gods Arke yet what is like to befall him and hath already his Son as hopefull a Gentleman as any in the Kingdome may give some token of Gods anger against him and his family But because I will not leave you altogether blinde-folded I shall as neare as I can lead you to the discovery of this Treason which consisted of Protestants Puritans Papists and of an Atheist a strange medley you will say to meet in one and the same Treason and keepe counsell which surely they did because they knew not of any the Protestants were the Lord Cobham and George Brook his Brother the one very learned and wise the other a most silly Lord the Puritan the Lord Grey of VVilton a very hopefull Gentleman blasted in the very Bud the Papists VVatson and Clarke Priests and Parham a Gentleman the Atheist Sir Walter Rawleigh then generally so beleeved though after brought by affliction the best School-Mistris to be and so dyed a most religious Gentleman This Treason was compounded of strange ingredients and more strange then true it was very true most of these were discontented to see Salisbury their old friend so high to trample on them that before had been his chiefe supporters and being ever of his faction now neglected and contemned it was then beleeved an errand trick of State to over-throw some and disable others knowing their strong abilities might otherwise live to over-throw Salisbury for they were intimate in all his secret Councels for the ruine of Essex especially Rawleigh Grey and Cobham though the latter was a foole yet had been very usefull to them as the Toole in the hand of the Workman and to have singled out these without some Priests which were Traytors by the Law had smelt
cryed Justice Sir I am abused by your servant and wrongfully accused at which the poore King become by that time speechlesse mournfully fixed his eies on him as who would have said not wrongfully It were worth the knowledge what his confession was or what other expressions he made of himselfe or any other but that was only known to the dead Arch-Bishop Abbot and the Bishop Williams then also Lord Keeper and it was thought Williams had blabbed something which incensed the Kings anger and Buckinghams hatred so much against him that the losse of his place could not be expiatory sufficient but his utter ruine must be determined and that not upon any knowne crime but upon circumstances and examinations to pick out faults committed in his whole life time but his greatest crime for the present no question was lapsus linguae but quod defertur non aufertur for although he escaped by the calme of that Parliament yet is he more ruined by this Parliament and his owne folly and truly we may observe the just Judgement of God on him for flying from the Parliament his protector to give wicked counsell to the King his former prosecutor And now have I brought this great Kings Reigne to an end in a volant discourse and shall give you his Character in briefe and so leave him in peace after his life who was stiled the King of peace in his life THE CHARACTER OF KING JAMES THis Kings Character is much easier to take then hi Picture for he could never be brought to sit for the taking of that which is the reason of so few good peeces of him but his Character was obvious to every eye He was of a middle stature more corpulent through his cloathes then in his body yet fat enough his cloathes ever being made large and easie the Doublets quilted for steletto proofe his Breeches in great pleits and full stuffed Hee was naturally of a timorous disposition which was the reason of his quilted Doublets His eyes large ever rowling after any stranger came in his presence insomuch as many for shame have left the roome as being out of countenance His Beard was very thin His Tongue too large for his mouth which ever made him speak full in the mouth and made him drink very uncomely as if eating his drink which came out into the cup of each side of his mouth His skin was as soft as Taffeta Sarsnet which felt so because hee never washt his hands onely rubb'd his fingers ends slightly with the wet end of a Napkin His Legs were very weake having had as was thought some foul play in his youth or rather before he was born that he was not able to stand at seven years of age that weaknesse made him ever leaning on other mens shoulders his walke was ever circular his fingers ever in that walke sidling about his Codpiece He was very temperate in his exercises and in his dyet and not intemperate in his drinking however in his old age and Buckinghams joviall Suppers when he had any turne to doe with him made him sometimes overtaken which he would the very next day remember and repent with teares it is true he dranke very often which was rather out of a custom then any delight and his drinks were of that kind for strength as Frontiniack Canary High Country wine Tent Wine and Scottish Ale that had he not had a very strong brain might have daily been overtaken although he seldom drank at any one time above four spoonfulls many times not above one or two He was very constant in all things his Favourites excepted in which he loved change yet never cast down any he once raised from the height of greatnesse though from their wonted nearnesse and privacy unlesse by their own default by opposing his change as in Somersets case yet had he not been in that foul poysoning busines and so cast down himself I do verily beleeve not him neither for al his other Favorites he left great in Honour great in Fortune and did much love Mountgomery and trusted him more at the very last gaspe then at the first minute of his Favoriteship In his Dyet Apparrell and Journeys he was very constant in his Apparrell so constant as by his good wil he would never change his cloathes untill worn out to very ragges His Fashion never Insomuch as one bringing to him a Hat of a Spanish Block he cast it from him swearing he neither loved them nor their fashions Another time bringing him Roses on his Shooes he asked if they would make him a ruffefooted-Dove one yard of six penny Ribbond served that turn His Dyet and Journies was so constant that the best observing Courtier of our time was wont to say were he asleep seven yeares and then awakened he would tell where the King every day had been and every dish he had had at his Table Hee was not very uxorious though he had a very brave Queen that never crossed his designes nor intermedled with State affaires but ever complyed with him even against the nature of any but of a milde spirit in the change of Favourites for he was ever best when furthest from his Queene and that was thought to be the first grounds of his often removes which afterwards proved habituall He was unfortunate in the marriage of his Daughter and so was all Christendome besides but sure the Daughter was more unfortunate in a Father then he in a Daughter He naturally loved not the sight of a Souldier nor of any valiant man and it was an observation that Sir Robert Mansell was the only valiant man he ever loved and him he loved so intirely that for all Buckinghams greatnesse with the King and his hatred of Sir Robert Mansell yet could not that alienate the Kings affections from him insomuch as when by the instigation of Cottington then Embassadour in Spaine by Buckinghams procurement the Spanish Embassadour came with a great complaint against Sir Robert Mansell then at Argiers to suppresse the Pirats That he did support them having never a friend there though many that durst speake in his defence the King himselfe defended him in these words My Lord Embassadour I cannot beleeve this for I made choyce my selfe of him out of these reasons I know him to be valiant honest and Nobly descended as most in my Kingdome and will never beleeve a man thus qualified will doe so base an act He naturally loved honest men that were not over active yet never loved any man heartily untill he had bound him unto him by giving him some suite which he thought bound the others love to him again but that argued a poore disposition in him to beleeve that any thing but a Noble minde seasoned with vertue could make any firme love or union for mercinary mindes are carried away with a greater prize but Noble mindes alienated with nothing but publick disgraces He was very witty and had as many ready witty jests as any
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
imprecations for their reliefe and assistance wherein they put some confidence was meerly betrayed by him insomuch that when the Rochel Agents found themselves abused through their whole yeares attendance they left this bitter jeere upon him that now they could rightly call England the Land of Promise He seldome loved any but to serve his turne and would himselfe serve a turne to doe any mischiefe as was to be seene by his saying Amen to every full point of Buckinghams Accusation in the face of the Parliament against Bristol for his miscarriage in Spaine when it appeared by Bristols defence in Publick before the face of that same Parliament that there was not scarce one syllable had any truth in it who also freely put himself upon the Test that if there were any truth in that combined Accusation against him he would yeeld himselfe guilty of it all He was of a very poore spirit which may be conceived amongst other things by his making Buckingham his Privado after he came to the Crown otherwise would he never have forgotten those unsufferable insolencies offered him being Prince what they were you have already heard His Predecessor Henry the fifth and so his brother Henry would have instructed him otherwise for although its true noble mindes should forget injuries so as not to revenge them yet so as not to countenance the doers of them especially to take them into so much nearnesse and dearnesse as he did him after those two proud affronts which argued in him as I said before a poore and ignoble spirit He had all his Kingdomes left in peace and tranquility by his Father which he soone after made a shift to distemper by a foolish Warre upon France and Spaine and by a more foolish conduct of either ignorant unexperienced or cowardly Commanders And in truth if you will give credit to Vox populi the Booke so called written by one Scot they were suitable to the grounds of such Quarrels being no fairer than the satisfying the beastly appetite of his Favourite who must be reveng'd forsooth upon those States In which I admire Gods Justice that he who unjustly made War upon unwarrantable grounds should have Warre thus brought home unto him so that now God hath given him the same measure he hath met to others even full pressed down and running over I wish I may have a time to give him a fairer Character when he is dead then are my observations in his life but I may rather wish then hope in that course he yet continues Certaine observations before Queene Elizabeths death I Cannot but admire Gods Providence in bringing Peace when nothing was thought of but War and now bringing a cruell Warre when nothing could be expected but peace Peace with all forraigne Estates peace at Home Not long before the death of Queene Elizabeth all the discourse was in a secret whispering on whom the Succession would fall some said the Lady Arabella some the King of Scotland and reason given pro and con on both sides they who were for her saying the Lady Arabella was a Native and a Maid and that this Kingdome never flourished more then under a Maidens Reigne Others for the Scot said that the King of Scots was more neare to the Crowne by descent farther off say others as being a Stranger and that Nation ever in Hostility against us Nor did the King himselfe beleeve he should have come in with a sheathed Sword which appeared by that Letter he produced of the Earle of Northumberlands that if he made any doubt hereof he would bring him forty thousand Catholicks should conduct him into England But the Queene dyed the King comes in peaceably even to the admiration of all Forraigne Princes and to the gnashing of their teeth but the reason was they had lived in obedience under a just Sovereigne who was wont ever to say when any great man had opprest a poore Gentleman that Petitioned her for redresse against such oppression when all the great Lords and Officers would hold together to support the Suppressor and trample upon the oppressed My Lords quoth she content you I am Queene of the Valleys as well as of the Hills and I must not suffer the Hills to ore-top nor yet to over-shade the Valleys A worthy saying which if it had been imitated by her Successors these our miseries had never happened but I say and this is it I now drive at her Justice made her Subjects to beleeve there could be no injustice in Monarchy and that was it did facilitate the Kings peaceable entrance In that tranquility did the Kingdome continue all his dayes and about fifteen yeares of his Sons Reign when behold there was nothing but jollity in the Court as if saying to themselves Who dares molest us the King having now a plentifull Issue for let me tell you the Kings Issue made Him and his Courtiers the more to trample on the country Gentry But behold when nothing but peace peace sudden destruction came on them and us unawares and God sends such a War as no man could dreame of Now the corollary of all is this the high injustice of Church and State was the cause of this Warre And O may not the continuing of that in any other Government prove the continuance of this war there being a farre greater appearance of the continuance thereof then ever there was of the beginning But Gods will be done The Contents QVeene Elizabeth died at Richmond house on March 24 1602. page 1 2â— The first that carryed newes thereof into Scotland was Sir Rob. Carew who was afterward made Governor of the Kings then second Son Charles Duke of York p. 2 3â— The first man imployed from Scotland to the English Nobility for preparations of the Kings comming into England was Sir Roger Aston p. 4â— He was afterwards made from the Kings Barbar 〈◊〉 gentleman of his Bed-Chamber p. 6â— The Kings Favourites 1 Sir George Hewme a kind of Favourite for having been of some secret councels with the King whilsâ— in Scotland the cheife of which was that of Gourieâ— Conspiracy p. 7 8â— 2 Sir Robert Cicill a Favourite p. 9â— His il offices he did this Nation p. 1â— His Herodian disease and end p. 1â— 3 4. Hen Howard Tho. Howard Favorites p. 1â— The principall managers of the State affaires in Englanâ— then were Salisbury Suffolke c. p. 1â— 5 Mr. James Hay an high Favourite c. See his riâ— c. p. 17 18 1â— Passages concerning Sir Walter Rawleigh p. 27 â— A notable discovery made by Sir Rob. Mansel of a Spaniards stealing plate which cleared the false imputation laid by them on the English p. 40. c. The King easily perswaâ—ed to retire himselfe by those Managers of the State of which Salisbury was the cheif p. 46 47 48 Secretary Lake p. 49 c. Salisbury Suffolk Northampton great getters more then the whole bunch of the Scots Dunbar excepted p. 54 Kelly Annandale
then said Yelverton how dare you enter a close prisoners lodging it is as much as your life is worth And assure your selfe Master Lieutenant the King shall know of this and you must answer it My Lord said I come to you as a friend though formerly I confesse upon just cause your mortall enemy only to aske you but two questions which if you will resolve me I vow to be a greater friend now then ever an enemy and can and will restore you foure-fold Yelverton told him if they were such as he might hee would The first he asked was What wrong he had ever done him that he so greedily thirsted after his blood Yelverton replyed never any but I was set on by a power that I could not withstand to doe what I did he asked him by whom by the King your Master said he who hates you more then any man living which you might well understand when in his Speech to the Parliament he said he would not spare any no not any that were dearest to him or lay in his bosome by which he pointed them to you Wel said Buckingham I see you have dealt like a Friend with me by many other concurrences as well as by this give me your hand henceforth you are my friend and I am yours and I will raise you highet then I have cast you downe which he had made good had Yelverton lived to have injoyed it for he was instantly released and the next preferment he gratified him with was a Judges place and he had been Lord Keeper had not death prevented it And if there were no other reason but his change from a mortall enemy to so firme a friend this were sufficient to confirme the truth of this story But the Authour had this from Yelvertons owne relation and cannot commend Yelverton because it is verily beleeved this hastened the Kings death Now have you heard the true causes of Buckinghams hatred to the King and the Kings to Buckingham the King having the more power to revenge had the lesse courage Buckingham lesse power but more courage sharpened with revenge And however the World did beleeve the Kings inclination was out of a religious ground that he might not revenge yet it was no other but a cowardly disposition that dust not adventure But although the King lost his opportunity on Buckingham yet the black plaister and powder did shew Buckingham lost not his on the King and that it was no fiction but a reallity that Padro Macestria had formerly told the King And now to returne from this digression which is not impertinent besides a great secret the Prince returnes from Spaine contrary to expectation in which the wisdome and gravity of the Spaniard failed him especially if they did beleeve Padro Macestria besides nature could not long support the old King and then the Spaniard might have made no little advantage by injoying such a pledge But they have confessed their errour yet doe palliate it with having the Prince his faith and his proxie left with Digby and got thence with the very same tricke Sir Francis Michell said he got out of the Inquisition at Rome Now is all the fault laid on Digbyes false play and unfaithfulnesse to his Master and combining with the Spaniard and by this peece of service expressing his hatred to the Spaniard for his owne ends the Subjects of England having ever naturally hated them Buckingham the most hated man then living from an accused man in the former Parliament came to be the very darling of this Parliament and a favourite to the whole Kingdome which after King James his death he as soone lost againe so inconstant are the multitude In the Banquetting-house before both Houses of Parliament is Buckingham to give an account of this voyage which he did at large and to every full point as a further attestation he saith how say you Sir to which the Prince answered I yea or yes and through all his discourse laboured to make Bristoll as hatefull to this Parliament as himselfe had been to the former which had these things delivered by him and attested by the Prince been truths he had justly deserved death the accusations were foule and little lesse then treason without any legislative power Digby had some friends who instantly sent this Declaration into Spaine Digby acquaints that King takes his leave of him for England that King sets his danger before him offers if he will stay with him seeing it is for his sake he is like to suffer he would make him much greater in Honour and fortune then his Master can doe Digby gives him thankes but sayes he served so just a Master that would not condemne him unheard and should he yet he had much rather suffer under innocency then lye under the imputation of a false accusation of a fugitive and Traytor for the highest preferment in the World Away therefore comes he puts himselfe into a desperate passage least the Parliament should have been dissolved before his comming and so no place or meanes left him for his defence but must lye under those false calumnies and was here as the Prince came into Spaine sooner then either looked for or welcome Into the Parliament comes he with his Hat full of papers where he puts himselfe upon this point that if there were one syllable true that Buckingham had delivered if this holding up a Paper in his hand be a true copy I will yeeld my selfe guilty of all treasons can be laid to my charge and said these papers pointing to his Hat shall make it manifest Besides some of them shall make Buckingham appeare a very monster in his lascivious carriages too too unchaste for the eares of this Honourable Assembly Bristoll was instantly committed close prisoner to the Tower for a contempt the next day hee was riding through Cheap-side in his Coach by which it appeares Buckinghams power was in the wane with his old Master his relation and accusation being scandalous and false nor ever durst hee bring Bristol to any further tryall Whether this wound was deeper given by Bristol to Buckingham or the Prince I will leave to the reader to judge and will not my selfe determine And how Bristol hath since stood in favour with the Prince since he was King may give a conjecture that he tooke it as a wound to himselfe I am sure it was an ill omen and hath since given him lesse credit with his Subjects And in this Parliament doth Buckingham by his under-hand Ministers and Agents accuse Cranfield the Lord Treasurer in which the Prince also shewes himselfe Cranfield was so hated a fellow for his insolency that a small accusation would serve the turne as this truly was had his care of expending the Kings Treasure been out of a true zeale for it should seeme that the Prince sending for monies Cranfield restrained his Expresse using some words that the journey it selfe was foolishly undertaken and now must be maintained by