The honourable esteem I have ever had of you and your brave parts, is my first motive of presenting it to your view: That it comes from no ordinary author, (this being the first, and for for ought I know, the last,) a second: That it was written in a melancholly humour, therefore fittest for your melancholly temper, the last.

I dare no more trust any other hand to write this than (willingly) any but yourselfe, or some such good friends, to read it.

Which is the reason it appears no fairer to your view. And it treads too near the heels of truth, and these times, to appear in publick.

If you shall please to accept of it, as worthy to cast a glance upon at your idle or melancholly hours, I have my full desires. If cast from you it hath just deserts.

Mine ambition only is, that so noble a lady shall be the godmother of the first and only heir that ever shall come of this quality, from

Your ladyships most humble servant,

A. W.

Upon the Authors Discourse and Observations concerning the whole Reigne of King James, and part of King Charles.

Reader, here view a picture of our times
Drawn to the life; the foulest secret crimes
Discover'd, with their authors: Tricks of state,
To create guilty soules, the peoples hate,
The princes feares: favourites rise and fall;
Greatnesse debauched, gentry slighted all,
To please those favourites, whose highest ends
Were to exhaust the state, to please their friends.
View the Isles first monarch dead, the second's breath,
Prerogatives sole life, the kingdomes death.

PREFACE

TO THE

FIRST EDITION.

THE

PUBLISHER TO THE READER.

AMONGST the many remarkable passages in this short relation, the reader may take notice chiefly of five things here discovered:

First, How Almighty God was mockt, and the world abused, by the Tuesday sermons at court, and the anniversary festivals upon the fifth of August, in commemoration of King James' deliverance from the Gowries conspiracy; whereas, indeed, there

310 PUBLISHER TO THE READER.

was no such matter, but a meere feigned thing, as appears by the story.

Secondly, How this kingdome was gulled in the supposed treason of Sir Walter Rawley and others, who suffered as traytors, whereas, to this day, it could never be known that ever there was any such treason; but a meer trick of state to remove some blocks out of the way.

Thirdly, The fearful imprecation made by King James against himself and his posterity, in the presence of many of his servants, and the judges, even upon his knees, if he should spare any that were found guilty in the poysoning business of Sir Tho. Overbury; but how he failed, this story will tell you; and how the justice of God hath been; and is upon himself and posterity, his owne death, by poyson, and the sufferings of his posterity, doe sufficiently manifest.

Fourthly, The untimely death of that hopefull Prince Henry is here partly discovered; if the reader cannot, in this dis