SEP 3 1907 THE HISTORY O F ENGLAN D.. BOOK SIX T H. From the Union of the two Crowns, to the AE MES I. of Scotland king of England. T the death of Elizabeth, the crown of A. C. 1603, England peaceably devolved to James VI. James king of Scotland, as the defcendant of Henry proclaimed VII. who was great grandfather to both his pa- Ed. rents; and he fucceeded to the English throne in the thirty-fixth of his age. Immediately after the decease of Elizabeth, the council, with the unanimous confent of the lords fpiritual and temporal then at London, proclaimed the new king; to whom they dispatched a letter, by Sir Charles Piercy and Sir Thomas Somerfet, to notify his acceffion, and receive his commands. But Robert Cary, fon to the lord Hunfdon, was the firft perfon who arrived at Edinburgh with the tidings of Elizabeth's deceafe. James no fooner understood В 2 that 1 A. C. 1603. that he had been proclaimed, without the leaft op position, than he began to prepare for his journey to England. In the mean time, he fent Sir Roger Afhton to inform the council and nobility of his intention; and confirmed the lord-keeper, with all the reft of them, in their offices, during pleasure. Having left a commiffion with his Scottish council, for the adminiftration of affairs in that kingdom, he, on the fifth day of April, departed from Edinburgh, attended by the duke of Lennox, the earls of Mar, Murray, and Argyle, the lords Hume and Kinlos, Sir George Hume treasurer, and fecretary Elphinfton. He had received from the English council fix thousand pounds to defray the expence of his journey; and the fheriffs of the counties through which he paffed had been ordered to attend him in their refpective districts, and fupply him plentifully with provisions and other neceffaries. The people in general expreffed the most tumultuous joy at his entering the kingdom. The towns through which he travelled vied with each other in the magnificence of their entertainments. The roads were crowded with innumerable multitudes, who came to fee their new fovereign. They called aloud to heaven to bless him with a long and profperous reign: the air rung with repeated acclamations; and he was feafted and flattered in fuch a manner, that one of his attendants could not help faying, the English would spoil a good king. James was not at all pleased with the concourfe of people that continually furrounded him. Though meanly familiar with his particular friends and courtiers, he was extremely averfe to crowds and ceremony. Perhaps he was ashamed of his ungracious figure, and aukward address; and, in all probability, he did not think himself fafe in the midst of fo many ftrangers. Whatever were his motives, he certainly iffued a proclama tion, forbidding all ftrangers to approach his per- A. C. 1603. fon. At York he received the refpects and homage of almost all the nobility in the kingdom; and there he favoured fecretary Cecil with a moft gracious reception, contrary to the expectation of every body in the kingdom: for that minister had been the inveterate enemy of Effex, whom James confidered as a martyr to his intereft; and he was moreover son of that Burleigh who had brought the king's mother to the block. He had, notwith Wilfon ftanding those disadvantages, found means to infinuate himself into the favour of James, with whom he had carried on a correfpondence during the latter part of the queen's reign. In all appearance he accommodated himself to the king's notions of government, and rendered himself neceffary to his occafions, by his wealth, experience, and fagacity. This prince had conceived a most romantic notion of the kingly prerogative; and, in order to communicate this idea to his people betimes, he commanded a thief to be hanged at Newark, without any form of trial. Stowe, ter difagree When he arrived at Theobalds, a house belong- His characing to Cecil, he was vifited by the council in a able to the body, and augmented the number of the mem- English, bers, with fome of his Scottish attendants; namely, the duke of Lennox, the earl of Mar, the lord Hume, and Sir James Elphinfton. He likewife added the lord Zouch and baron Burleigh, brother to fecretary Cecil. He afterwards admitted the earls of Northumberland and Weftmoreland, together with Thomas and Henry Howard, fon and brother of the late duke of Norfolk. The first of these was, in the fequel, created earl of Suffolk and lord treasurer; and the other was promoted to the earldom of Northampton. The king's gratitude to this family, which had been ruined for its adhe rence to his mother's caufe, was not limited to thefe A. C, 1603. benefits. He restored to his title Thomas Howard, fon of the earl of Arundel who had been condemned in the reign of Elizabeth. By thefe fteps, he fignified his difapprobation of her conduct; and payed fo little regard to her memory, that he would not fuffer any person to appear at his court in mourning. Notwithstanding the good-will which the English people had manifefted towards their new king, they foon began to draw odioùs comparisons between him and his predeceffor. They were shocked at his referve; they ridiculed his perfon, and they defpifed his conduct. He had already difcovered marks of idle prodigality; and dealt out his honours with fuch a lavish hand, that, before he reached London, he had conferred the order of knighthood upon two hundred perfons. In a few days after his arrival in the capital, he doubled that number. Thomas Sackville, baron of Buckhurst, and lord-treasurer, was created earl of Dorset: the barony of Effendon was bestowed upon Sir Robert Cecil the fecretary, afterwards vifcount Cranburn, and finally earl of Salisbury; and Philip Herbert, brother to the earl of Pembroke, was promoted to the earldom of Montgomery. While the king was on the road from Scotland, he had given orders for releafing rhe earl of Southampton, who, with the fon of Effex, was restored to his honours and eftate: but the lords Grey, Cobham, Carew, and Sir Walter Raleigh, met with a very cold reception from his majefty. They had been concerned in the death of Effex, and were now deferted by Cecil, though he had acted as their confederate in that tragedy. The king's refentment demanded a facrifice; and the fecretary was not forry at the difgrace of Raleigh, whofe talents had excited his jealoufy. This cunning politician foon gained an afcendancy over the fpirit of James, who, with very little experience and judg ment, |