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them till they confessed what was an impossibility or a flitting dream of madness,' and had then cut off their heads or strangled them. The news of this atrocious proceeding reached

England just at the moment that Buckingham was preparing to assist the Dutch in their own country. The English court made formal remonstrances; the States apologized and promised

MUSKETEER AND PIKEMAN OF THE PERIOD. -From Meyrick's Ancient Armour.

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redress; and the massacre of Amboyna," as it was called by the people, was lost sight of for a time. Though it was the high notion of Buckingham to make this a war of religion, it was found necessary to include in the league the Catholic states of France, Savoy, and Venice, who were led on by their jealousy of the house of Austria. After the Dutch, the Protestant powers that contracted were Denmark, Sweden, and some of the German states, who all required subsidies in English money. The first object to be achieved was the expulsion of the Spaniards from the Netherlands, and of the Spaniards, Austrians, and Bavarians from the Palatinate. The result of the campaign, as far as the English were engaged, may be told in a few words of shame and disgrace. The 6000 men already in Holland acted as auxiliaries to the Dutch army commanded by Prince Maurice of Orange, who soon felt himself overmatched by Spinola. The Italian took Breda before the prince's eyes. 1 "There were not twenty Englishmen, nor above thirty Japanese, in the whole island, with whom they were said to machinate this conspiracy, and the castle had in it two hundred Dutch soldiers, and eight ships riding before it well manned,

whereof two were above 1200 tons a-piece; besides, the Dutch had two other castles in the same island; and what probability could there be (if the plot were as plain as their malicious

tongues could make it) that so weak a force should attempt

upon so many, having men enough in the ships and castles to have devoured the attempters?"— Wilson.

Maurice moved upon the castle of Antwerp, which he was informed had been left with a weak garrison; and he was so confident of taking it, that he would have none but the Dutch with him. Here also he failed. "And so, with some few little bickerings of small parties of horse, betwixt two entrenched armies, the whole summer was shuffled away;" and, winter approaching, Prince Maurice retired to winter-quarters. The prince died at the Hague: the Earl of Southampton and other English officers returned home to England. During the summer, Count Mansfeldt, one of the former heroes of the Palatinate war, was em ployed in raising mercenaries on the Continent, and in the autumn he embarked from Zealand to procure English money and English troops which had been promised him, The ship which bore him was wrecked; the English captain and crew were drowned: but Mansfeldt, with some of his followers, escaped in the long boat and got safe to England. There was at least one person here who wished the waves had swallowed him

and this was King James, who for some time would not admit the adventurer to an audience. But, in the end, Mansfeldt obtained the promise of £20,000 per month, and of the command of 12,000 Englishmen, who were to be levied by press. These pressed men when raised were fitter to march through Coventry than to retrieve

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the somewhat tarnished honour of the British | and his colleagues that it was security enough. arms. No time was allowed to train and disci- "But," say they, "we did sing a song to the pline them; they were marched to Dover (where deaf, for they would not endure to hear of it." several of them were hanged), and then hurried "In the next place," continue these diplomatists, on board ship. The court had negotiated for we offered the same to be signed by his hightheir passage through a part of France, but when ness (Prince Charles) and a secretary of state, they appeared off Calais they were refused a wherein we pretended to come home to their landing. Mansfeldt thence led them to the island own asking; but this would not serve the turn of Zealand, where the Dutch were scarcely more neither." Carlisle made a good stand, and would willing to receive them than the French had have bartered a toleration in England for French been. When, at last, Mansfeldt reached the troops to be sent into the Palatinate. He reRhine and the border of the Palatinate, he found peated words which they had used at the first that more than one-half of his army was gone, opening of the negotiation—“Give us priests," and that it would be impossible for him to under- said the cardinal, "and we will give you colonels." take any offensive operations. "Give us pomp and ceremony to content the pope," said another, "and we will throw ourselves wholly in your interests." "Yes," said the chancellor, we will espouse all your interests as if they were our own." They confessed to these expressions, but pretended that they had already done enough in joining the league. Carlisle made several good struggles, but he was badly supported. Secretary Conway, whose instructions and despatches seem to have been dictated entirely by Charles and Buckingham, became very obscure or ambiguous"3 After some negotiation, Richelieu consented to the écrit secret, as it was styled in French diplomacy, and Car

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While these events were in progress, nay, even before the warlike note was sounded, and before the Spanish match was actually broken off, a new matrimonial treaty was set on foot with France for the hand of Louis' sister, Henrietta Maria. Some time before, Lord Herbert of Cherbury, the resident ambassador, was assured by the favourite De Luynes, that if there were any overture made for such a match, it should be received with all honour and affection. An overture was made; and it was thought fit, for the concluding of the match, that the Earl of Carlisle and Lord Kensington-created on the occasion Earl of Holland-should be sent as ambas-lisle dropped the question of the French army sadors extraordinary to France.' It was in this embassy that Hay displayed all his pomp and extravagance; but though a sensualist and a solemn fop, the Scottish Earl of Carlisle was destitute neither of abilities nor spirit. But he had to measure himself against one of the most wonder ful of men-the incomparably crafty and resolute Cardinal Richelieu, who had now established a sort of dictatorship over both the court and the nation, and who was at once a ruthless tyrant and a benefactor to France. Richelieu, who was most eager to defeat Charles's Spanish match, was all obsequiousness till it was absolutely broken off, and then he "stood upon his tip-toes," resolving not to abate a jot of the articles of religion, and of liberty to the Catholics of England, which had been agreed upon with Spain. This was excessively inconvenient to King James and Prince Charles, who only six months before had both solemnly vowed that they would never tolerate the Papists. In fact, when the proposal was made, they were permitting a fresh persecution of the recusants. James, however, signed a private paper, promising favour to the Catholics, without which the pope would not grant the dispensation. Carlisle presented this document, and endeavoured to convince Richelieu Life of Lord Herbert.

2 Lord Nithsdale, a Catholic, was sent to Rome to make pro mises and compliments to the pope, in the name of King James and his son.

for the Palatinate. The secret promise imported that James would permit all his Roman Catholic subjects to enjoy greater franchise and freedom of religion than they would have enjoyed in virtue of any articles of the Spanish treaty of marriage. This paper was duly signed in November, by James, by Charles, and by a secretary of state; and a copy of the engagement was signed by Carlisle and Holland. The marriage treaty was signed and ratified by the solemn oaths of King James and King Louis. But even after this the French ministers raised a fresh objection. They represented that the secret promise was conceived in general or vague terms, and they demanded that James should specify the favours he intended. Carlisle was indignant, and recommended a resistance to this demand, but James and his son feared to try the temper of Richelieu and the queen-mother, and they submitted to the specification of the three following articles:-1. That all Catholics in prison for their religion since the rising of parliament should be set free. 2. That all fines levied on them since that period should be repaid. 3. That, for the future, they might freely exercise their own worship in private. There was another incident of a very different kind, which occurred during the latter part of these negotiations, to the great alarm of James. The Huguenots, or "those of the religion," as 3 Hardwicke State Papers.

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THE PALACE OF THEOBALDS.'-From a picture by Vinkenboone, in the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge.

crowns a small sum compared with the dower which had been promised with the infanta.

But James did not live to see the arrival either of the money or of the long-sought daughter-inlaw. His health had long been breaking under the united influences of anxiety, fear, full-feeding, and continual use of sweet wines; and he returned to Theobalds from his last hunting party with a disease which the doctors called a tertian ague. But it should appear that he had also the worst kind of gout upon him. He had always entertained a great aversion to medicine and physicians, but at this extremity all the court doctors were called in. While they were in attendance, Buckingham's mother presented herself with an infallible remedy, in the shape of a plaster and a posset, which she had procured from one Remington, a quack living in Essex, where, it was said, he had cured many agues. It should appear that the plaster was applied and the drink given contrary to the advice of the

The palace of Theobalds was situated a little north of the road to Ware, about twelve miles from London. The estate was purchased by Sir William Cecil, afterwards Lord Burghley, in 1563; and he appears to have immediately commenced building this magnificent residence, which he must have finished before 1571. He had subsequently to enlarge it on account of the visits of Queen Elizabeth, of which he received ten or twelve at Theobalds, costing him from £2000 to £3000 each, an enormous sum in those days. After the death of Lord Burghley, in 1598, his son Sir Robert Cecil, afterwards Earl of Salisbury, and lord-treasurer under James I., succeeded to the estate, and having here entertained the king at two splendid banquets, his

physicians. They may have produced irritation and done mischief; but we cannot believe that they were the cause of the death of James, or even intended to hasten his end. On the fourteenth day of his illness, being Sunday, the 27th of March, he sent before day-break for the prince, who rose out of his bed and went to him in his night-gown. The king seemed to have some earnest thing to say to him, and so endeavoured to raise himself upon his pillow; but his spirits were so spent that he had not strength to make his words audible. He lingered for a few hours, and then "went to his last rest, upon the day of rest, presently after sermon was done." James was in his fifty-ninth year, and he had been twenty-two years King of England. As soon as the breath was out of his body the privy council, or all the members of it that were at Theobalds, assembled, and in less than a quarter of an hour King Charles was proclaimed at Theobalds court-gate by Sir Edward Zouch, knight-marshal. majesty took a fancy to the house, and shortly afterwards induced the earl to exchange it for Hatfield. He gave up possession in 1607, and it continued to be James's favourite residence till the time of his death, after which it became the residence of his son Charles I. In 1650, by order of parliament, the greater part was levelled with the ground for the sake of the materials; but the room in which James I. died, with some other apartments, was standing in 1765, at which time, having passed through various hands, it had been purchased by Mr. Prescott (in 1763), who cleared away the entire remains to make room for building new houses.

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CHAPTER VI.-CIVIL AND MILITARY HISTORY.-A.D. 1625-1627.

CHARLES I.-ACCESSION, A.D. 1625-DEATH, A.D. 1649.

Accession of Charles I.-His marriage with Henrietta Maria-Her arrival in England-Her train of Popish priests-Charles applies to parliament for money-Their restricted supply-Their applications for religious reforms-Discontent at Charles's proceedings in the war of the French Huguenots Money refused for the prosecution of the war-Bold remonstrance of parliament-Its dissolution-Unsuccessful expedition against Spain-Buckingham's proceedings to precipitate a war with France-His insolent conduct to Queen Henrietta -Charles revives the old statutes against Papists-His coronation-Opening of parliament-Its proceedings in the reform of abuses-Charles interferes-Opposition of the commons to his interference-They impeach the Duke of Buckingham-Charles quarrels with the House of Lords-Accusations of the Earl of Bristol against the Duke of Buckingham-The duke's trial-The proceedings interrupted by the king-He confers additional honours on Buckingham-Parliament dissolved-Despotic measures of Charles to raise money-Discontent occasioned by them-His proceedings defended from the pulpit-Puritanism thereby increasedCharles drives the queen's priests out of the kingdom-Complaints of the French court in consequenceAnswer of the English council-War against France commenced-Buckingham's expedition for the relief of Rochelle His attempts on the island of Rhé-His unwise and inefficient proceedings-His ruinous retreat—– His welcome from Charles at his return to England.

N the afternoon of Monday, the 28th of March, Charles took coach at Theobalds with the Duke of Buckingham, and came to Whitehall. On the same day he was proclaimed at Whitehall-gate and in Cheapside, in the midst of a sad shower of rain; and the weather was thought suitable to the condition in which he found the kingdom. A few days after, the plague broke out in Whitechapel, whence it extended its ravages to every part of London. It was said to be even a worse plague than that which raged at the time of his father's coronation. Charles re-appointed the council and the officers of government, making scarcely any change. Buckingham stood forward more powerful and vainglorious than ever. There was, however, some change for the better at court; the fools, and buffoons, and other familiars of

James were dismissed,

the church, and an attentive listener to prayers and sermons; that he intended to pay all his father's, mother's, and brother's debts; and that, by disparking most of his remote parks and chases, to reform the court of unnecessary charges, and to drive from it all recusant Papists. On the 30th of March, three days after his father's death, Charles ratified, as king, the treaty with France; and on the 1st of May the marriage

CHARLES I.-After Vandyke.

ceremony was performed

at Paris- the Duke of Chevreuse, a member of the house of Guise, acting as Charles's proxy. Buckingham was appointed to bring the bride to England, and he proceeded with an immense retinue to Paris, where he dazzled all eyes with his splendour. This man's gallantry was not checked by the national shyness of Englishmen ; for he had scarcely set foot in the French court, when he declared love to the young queen, Anne of Austria. The Cardinal Richelieu made all the haste he decently

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the courtiers were required to be attentive to re- | could to get him back to England, and, after ligion, and modest and quiet in their demeanour, eight days, Buckingham left Paris, with Henand they generally became, if not more moral, far more decorous. In a few days after the accession, it was reported of the new sovereign that he was zealous for God's truth, a diligent frequenter of

rietta Maria. They travelled very slowly, or stopped very frequently; for though they began their journey on the 23d of May, they did not reach Dover till the 12th of June in the

evening. That night the young queen slept in Dover Castle. On the morrow morning Charles, who had slept at Canterbury, rode to Dover to receive his wife. They met in the castle: the bride knelt down at his feet, and would have kissed his hand, but the king took her up in his arms and kissed her with many kisses. The royal couple proceeded together to Canterbury, on the following day to Rochester, the day after to Gravesend, and, on the 16th, there being a very great shower, the king and queen, in the royal barge, passed through London bridge to Whitehall. Notwithstanding the rain and the plague, the Londoners crowded the river and its banks to get a sight of the bride, whose appearance and cheerful manners gave them much satisfaction. Stories were soon circulated of her wit, and freedom from bigotry. It was said (and the thing was considered very important) that she had eaten pheasant and venison on a fast-day, notwithstanding the remonstrance of her confessor, and that, upon being asked if she could abide a Huguenot, she replied, "Why not?-was not my father one?" In short, before she had been four-and-twenty hours at Whitehall, it was joyfully announced that she had already given some good signs of hope that she might ere long become a very good Protestant. But in a few days these bright hopes seemed to fade; and people began to count the great number of priests she had brought over in her train, and to murmur at the idolatry of the mass being again set up in the palaces of their kings. She had twenty-nine priests, fourteen of them Theatines,' and fifteen seculars, besides a bishop, a young man under thirty years of age. On Sundays and saints' days mass was celebrated in the queen's closet at Whitehall, Charles giving strict orders that no English man or woman should come near the place during the celebration. The priests were very importunate to have a large chapel finished at St. James's, but the king was very slow in gratifying them in this particular. If the French princess had been the most excellent and amiable of women, these circumstances would have rendered her odious in the eyes of the nation; but Henrietta Maria, though lively and pleasant, when pleased, was not the most amiable of women: she was selfwilled, obstinate, haughty, and overbearing, and began to show her temper, even in public, before

An order founded at Rome in 1524, by John Peter Caraffa, afterwards Pope Paul IV., then Archbishop of Chieti, or Theate, in the province of Abruzzi, in the kingdom of Naples.

2 Meade, in one of his epistles, gives the following passage from a letter written by his court-frequenting friend, Mr. Mordant:

"The queen, howsoever, very little of stature, is yet of a pleasing countenance (if she be pleased), but full of spirit and vigour; and seems of more than ordinary resolution. With one

Mean

she had been a fortnight in England. while, the plague grew worse and worse. In the eyes of the Puritans the inference was obviousthe land was scourged for relapsing into idolatry.

Charles had issued writs for a parliament to meet on the 17th of May; but in consequence of two prorogations, it did not assemble till the 10th of June, the very day after his arrival at Whitehall with his queen. Though not yet crowned, he wore the crown on his head. The young king (he was in his twenty-fifth year) was no orator, and he had the defect of stammering; but the words of his first address were plain and sensible. Instead of trying the patience of the houses with long, rambling, pedantic speeches, he went at once to the point. He wanted money, and he told them so. In fact, the debts which his father had left amounted to £700,000; he had already contracted considerable debts of his own: and the money voted for the war was long since swallowed up. He did not hint at a peace; he said, on the contrary, that the war must be pushed with vigour, and here minded them that they themselves had voted a recourse to arms, and, therefore, the war being their own work, the dishonour would lie upon them, if it were not followed up with spirit from a want of the necessary supplies. But though still inclined to hostilities with Spain and the Catholics, the commons knew by this time that the war had been most miserably conducted. They now hated and suspected Buckingham, whose popularity bloomed and died almost as fast as a flower; and they required from the new king, who had already declared against concession, some pledges of an extensive reform. In this temper they limited their votes to two subsidies (about £140,000), and the duties of tonnage and poundage, not for life, as had been practised for two centuries, but for one year. They were also distressed by the anomalous position of the kingthe head of the Protestant league, the chief of a war of religion, or what they at least meant should be such-and yet suffering mass to be celebrated in his own house, and his court to swarm with Papists and priests. They presented a "a pious petition" to his majesty, conjuring him to put into immediate execution all the penal statutes against Catholics and missionaries. Charles had promised, had signed, and sealed, and solemnly sworn, in his matri

frown, divers of us being at Whitehall to see her being at dinner, and the room somewhat over-heated with the fire and company. she drove us all out of the chamber. I suppose none but a queen could have cast such a scowl."

3 Although troops had been sent to Holland and the Rhine, no war had been declared against any one either at Charles accession or at the dissolution of the late parliament. If Charle had not been more eager for war than for peace, he might eas if have negotiated.

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