were printed, till the reign of James I. when the Roman character (the one now employed) was adopted, and soon entirely superseded the use of the old black letter In the reign of James the soldiers led idle lives, but the sailors were not without employment. The increase of trade and commerce, and the frequent voyages to America, gave them something to do: for in this reign may be dated the establishment of the first English colonies in America. James also took great pride in his navy, and built many large ships. Though James's court was a continual scene of discontent and misrule, the mass of the people appeared to have lived very comfortably under his reign. By discouraging the thronging of the higher orders to court, he kept many of the principal families of the kingdom quietly at home, where they lived both frugally and usefully amongst their tenantry. There were no expensive wars, and but few The farmers in James's reign were better off than the earls of Henry VII.'s. James himself was probably the poorest man in his dominions. Though not extravagant in his habits, he was always embarrassed from his extreme What was the condition of the army and navy in James's reign? ignorance of the value of money, and from his thoughtless profusion to his favorites. The queen also brought great expenses on him, by her excessive passion for masques, and all kinds of show and entertainments.-Masques were a kind of plays, generally performed by ladies and gentlemen in private houses. It is proper to mention that Shakspeare, the greatest dramatic poet of England, lived in the reigns of Elizabeth and James. Ben Johnson and Edmund Spenser, also poets, were contemporaries with Shakspeare. PRINCE HENRY. Prince Henry is always spoken of as a very extraordinary young man. He showed such an early application to his studies, that even at the time when he was seven years old he wrote his father a Latin letter. And after he grew up, he constantly exercised himself in that language, by corresponding in it with his friend, sir John Harrington. Although he was fond of study, he did not neglect active and manly exercises, in all which he was extraordinarily expert. But what was most admirable in him was his great judgment and discretion, of which, though he died so young, he gave many proofs. When he grew old enough to have a separate establishment, that is, a palace and servants of Was Prince Henry a promising youth? his own, he never would admit any one into his house hold whom he did not believe to be in all respects deserv ing of his good opinion. He was himself sincerely reli gious, and a strict observer of all pious duties. Lady Arabella Stuart's history belongs to this reign, and a very melancholy one it is. It was her misfortune to be great-great-grand-daughter to Henry VII.; for being, after Mary queen of Scots and her son, nearest in relationship to the throne, she was an object of jealousy to both Elizabeth and James. James, however, when he came to the crown of England, behaved kindly to her as long as she remained unmarried. At last she married a Mr. Seymour. For this offence both Mr. Seymour and she were imprisoned. Though confined in different prisons, they both of them contrived to make their escape at the same time; and hoped to join each other in some place of refuge abroad. Mr. Seymour was so fortunate as to get safely into Flanders; but poor Lady Arabella was taken in Calais road, and brought back. This renewal of her captivity preyed so much upon her mind as to deprive her of her reason. She never recovered, and died in a few years. Some of her letters have been preserved, which show her to have been an amiable woman, naturally of a cheerful temper, and very far from having any ambition to be a queen. HENRY the Seventh's children. HENRY the Seventh's grand children. TABLE. Henry VIII., father of Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth; Mary, married, first, Louis XII.; secondly, Brandon duke Mary; Elizabeth; James V., father of Mary, queen of Scotland; Margaret Douglas, mother of Henry Darnley, and of Margaret Brandon, married Grey earl of Dorset, ana What were the misfortunes of Lady Arabella Stuart! CHAPTER XXX CHARLES I. (PART 1.) [Years after Christ, 1625-1642.] Charles was in the twenty-fifth year of his age when he ascended the throne. His features were regular, and he would have been handsome, if it had not been for the melancholy cast of his countenance. His deportment was exceedingly dignified. In the morality and regularity of his conduct he set a good example to his court and people he was moderate in all his habits and his expenses, humane and gentle in his disposition, was a man of kind affections, and a most tender husband and father. Charles's mind was cultivated, but he seldom acted as wisely as he could talk, and was often swayed by the counsels of men of far inferior capacity. His temper was somewhat hasty, but he was generous and forgiving. With all Charles's good qualities, he had unfortunately imbibed some prejudices, of education that proved fatal to him as a king. He had too high an idea of his royal prerogative, and, with every desire to do right, had not the smallest notion of the true principles of government or policy. From the very commencement of the new reign much popular dissatisfaction prevailed, chiefly because the king surrendered himself entirely to the control of Buckingham, who, implacable in his hatreds, fickle in his friendships, imperious and grasping in his desires, was regarded with universal dislike. The king's marriage with Henrietta Maria, sister to the king of France, was also very displeasing to the people, principally because she was a Papist, and their religious What was the private character of Charles I.? Was the conduct of Charles equal to the wisdom of his discourse? Under whose influence did Charles commence his reign? How did the English regard queen Henrietta Maria ? feelings were shocked at her being allowed to exercise publicly her own form of worship. She also offended the more serious part of the nation, by the change her elegance and gaiety wrought in the manners of the court: and the Puritans found less to dislike in the homely vulgarity of the late queen Anne of Denmark than in the grace and beauty of Henrietta. It was a great error in James, and one into which Charles also fell, to be occupied with abstract speculations, that is, with thoughts of matters which did not concern his own business and duties, and not to see what passed under his eyes. Thus, while James was writing books on kingly government, he never perceived that the house of commons was no longer that subservient body it had been in all former reigns, but that it had at last found out its own strength, and that from being the slave of kings it was now able to be their ruler. Charles also had been equally blind to this change, and was not aware of the difficulties which he was bringing on himself by his rash treatment of this great organ of the popular voice. The first year of his reign was spent by him in making attempts to extend his authority, and by the commons in trying to curb it. Provoked by this opposition, Charles hastily dissolved the parliament; and thus the king and the commons parted in mutual disgust and animosity, and, when the new parliament assembled, they met with feelings of suspicion and dislike. A. D. 1627. Charles, by the persuasion of Buckingham, plunged into a war with France. and sent some troops to the relief of the French Hugonots at Rochelle. Buckingham had the command of this expedition, which was ill-planned and unskilfully executed; and in an attempt to land on the Isle of Rhé, he was repulsed with great loss. Another expedition for the relief of Rochelle was fitted out in 1628, and Buckingham went to Portsmouth to survey the preparations. What change in the character of parliament took place in the reigns of James and his son Charles? What conflict arose between Charles and the commons of England? In what foreign enterprise did Charles engage in 1627? |