bassador continued to pay assiduous court to the queen, to the great jealousy and anger of the French resident ambassador, Villeroi, who declares that the Spaniard, being discontented with a seat on the queen's left hand, went round and took a place at her right hand, among all her ladies, who regarded his intrusion with displeasure and astonishment. Astonished they might be; but it appears, by contemporary court letters, that this Spanish ambassador was a very general favourite with the queen's ladies. The king and queen redeemed their promise of paying a visit to the city, in lieu of the Tower procession, delayed by the pest at the coronation. The 15th of March was the day appointed for this grand festival. Two days previously the king brought the queen privately in a coach, on his way to the Tower, to examine Gresham's Exchange, and see the merchants on their separate walks, without being known. This plan was in some degree frustrated, by the London populace recognising their majesties, and giving a great shout, began to run about and crowd on them, so that the queen was much alarmed at their unruly conduct, and the attendants had much ado to shut the Exchange gates on the mob, and bar the doors to the stairs that led to the upper stories. From one of the windows the king and queen had a view of the assembled merchants, who kept their stations, and, though aware of the royal visit, appeared to be conferring on business. With this sight the royal pair expressed themselves infinitely pleased, and James declared "that it was a goodly thing to behold so many persons, of various nations, met together in peace and goodwill." An observation highly creditable to James, and which placed his pacific character in a more respectable light than history usually views it; but the philosophy of modern times will do better justice to such sentiments, than an age in which "revenge and all ferocious thoughts" were virtues. The king further observed, "that when he next came to visit his people, he hoped they would not run here and there as if possessed, ramping as though they meant to overthrow him and his wife;" he recommended, "that, like his good douce lieges of Edinburgh, they would stand still, be quiet, and see all they could.' Advice which ought never to be obsolete to a sight-loving people. That day the king and queen arrived at the Tower, where they visited the Mint, and the king, with his own hand, coined some money, and made the queen do the same. They then went to see the lions, and the king expressed a wish for a lion-bait, for the amusement of the queen and his young son, as well as for his own diversion. The queen, who was a very great huntress, and therefore used to sights of cruelty, did not make the objection she ought to have done, and the savage exhibition took place, with some dogs, which were brought over from the Bear Garden, in Southwark, to fight the lions.' Such were the diversions during the royal sojourn at the Tower, which lasted till the day of the grand procession, through the city, to Westminster. An extraordinary display of pageantry then took place, in which the queen, and her young son, expressed as much delight, as any of the humble spectators. Prince Henry, could not restrain his glee, and the bows and smiles, with which he greeted his father's new subjects obtained for him, a degree of popularity, which his real worth of character rendered afterwards permanent. It would be as tedious a task to narrate, as to peruse the description of these entertainments, yet a trait or two, may be detached, as amusing illustrations of manners and costume. At the Conduit, Cheapside, was a grand display of tapestry, goldcloth, and silks, and before the structure, "a handsome apprentice was appointed, whose part it was to walk backwards and forwards, in his flat-cap and usual dress, addressing the passengers with his shop-cry, for custom of, What do you lack, gentles, what will you buy? Silks, satins, or tuff-taffeties?" He then broke into premeditated verse: "But stay bold tongue! I stand at giddy gaze; Live long on earth, and England's sceptre sway. 'Gilbert Dugdale, whose description of these pageants, may be read at length (reprinted from a scarce tract) in Nichols' Progresses of king James, vol. i. The old custom of the king of England, and his queen and family, sojourning for some nights at the Tower, after his accession, was only altered after the demolition by Cromwell of the royal lodgings at the Tower. Gilbert Dugdale notices that all the prisoners, sir Walter Raleigh, lord Gray and Cobham, were sent out of the Tower, and drafted to the Marshalsea and other prisons, while the royal visit took place. Thy city, gracious king, admires thy fame, If women's wishes may prevail, thus being, They wish you both long lives and good agreeing." It has been before observed, that the queen left her second son, prince Charles, at her palace of Dunfermline, where he was languishing under delicate health, occasioned very probably, by the bad mode of nursing, prevalent at this time, which regularly killed two-thirds of the children born into the world. Sir Robert Carey, whose headlong career into Scotland, with the news of the death of his royal kinswoman, queen Elizabeth, had by no means been rewarded according to his own ideas of his deserts, had taken into his head a notion, by way of speculation, of attaching himself to this young prince, a desperate proceeding; since sickly and rickety, as Charles was, in the cold, blighting air of his native north, there did not seem a remote chance of his surviving, to attain the graceful stature, and fine constitution, which afterwards distinguished him. Sir Robert Carey, had made an officious journey to Scotland, in order to pay his court to this royal infant; and, he brought to queen Anne, doleful accounts of his miserably crippled state, and cadaverous appearance. The queen, of course, was anxious, in this case, that her poor child should be near her, and entreated king James to send for "baby Charles," instead of permitting him to remain in Scotland, as intended, for the purpose of retaining the attachment of the northern people to his family. Lord and lady Dunfermline, were commanded to bring prince Charles to England, in the summer of 1604, and the queen, desirous of embracing her sickly little one, set out on progress to meet him. She had advanced as far as Northamptonshire, and was at the seat of sir George Fermor, when "baby Charles" arrived safely under the escort of his noble governor and governess, and of sir Robert Carey. The royal infant was between three and four years old, and, if the representations of sir Robert Carey, be not exaggerated, it was to the exertions of lady Carey, and to her sensible management, that the preservation of Charles I. from deformity may be attributed. The description of the manner in which lady Carey guarded her young charge from the injurious experiments which the indiscreet affection of king James urged him to inflict on this suffering child, are replete with a lesson of great utility, by proving how far patient care and excellent nursing, aided by the bland hand of nature, are superior to surgical operations, in restoring the tender organs of children, injured by disease, or bad treatment. The queen deserves the full credit of choosing so excellent a foster-mother for her afflicted child, as lady Carey, and supporting her in her judicious plans, when he was committed to her care. "The queen, by the approbation of the lord-chancellor," wrote sir Robert Carey, in his memoirs, "made choice of my wife, to have the care and keeping of the duke of York. Those, who wished me no good, were glad of it, thinking, if the duke were to die in our charge, (his weakness being such as gave them great cause to suspect it,) then we should be thought unfit to remain at court after. When the little duke was first delivered to my wife, he was not able to go, nor scarcely to stand alone, he was so weak in his joints, especially in his ancles, insomuch many feared they were out of joint. Many a battle my wife had with the king, but she still prevailed. The king was desirous, that the string under his tongue should be cut, for he was so long beginning to speak, that he thought he would never have spoken. Then, he would have him put into iron boots, to strengthen his sinews and joints, but my wife protested so much against them both, that she got the victory, and the king was fain to yield." The queen firmly supported lady Carey in all her judicious arrangements, and the king found contention against the will of two ladies unavailing, especially when they decidedly had the best of the argument. The consequence was, that, as sir Robert Carey says, "Prince Charles grew daily more and more in health and strength, both of body and mind, to the amazement of many, who knew his weakness, when she first took charge of him. The queen rejoiced much to see him prosper as he did, and my wife for her diligence, which was indeed great, was well esteemed of both her and the king, as appeared by the rewards bestowed upon us.' The king, in the autumn of 1604, established himself at Had the queen and lady Carey read and studied Dr. Arnott's work, the Elements of Physics, she could not have coincided better with the precepts of that great physician and physiologist. his hunting-seat at Royston, in Essex, where his queen, whose passion for the chase equalled, if not exceeded, his own, used to visit him, and share in the sports of the field. Her brother, duke Ulric, still continued his long visit in England. He was invited to remain till after the accouchement of the queen, because he was to stand sponsor to her infant. "He lodgeth in the court in my lord-treasurer's lodging,' and his company, in my lord of Derby's house, in Canon Row. He hath twenty dishes of meat allowed every meal, and certain of the guard bring him the same, and attend therewith. To-morrow, the king goeth towards Royston, and this duke (of Holstein), with him, for fourteen days." While the queen's brother was at this hunting-party, at Royston, a hint was given, by some of the gentry of that country, of the inconvenience of the royal visit. "One of the king's special hounds, called Jowler, was missing one day. The king was much displeased at his absence: he went hunting, notwithstanding. The next day, when they went to the field, Jowler came in, among the rest of the hounds: the king was told, and was glad of his return, but, looking on him, spied a paper about his neck. On this paper was written, Good Mr. Jowler, we pray you speak to the king (for he hears you every day, and so he doth not us), that it please his majesty to go back to London, for else the country will be undone; all our provision is spent, and we are not able to entertain him longer." The king laughed at this intimation, as a good jest, and it was passed over; but the king intimated that he intended to remain at Royston for a fortnight longer.2 The little prince Charles, who had been called duke of York since his father's accession to the English crown, was, on Twelfth-day, 1605, formally installed as such. Several knights of the Bath were created on this occasion; among others, the royal boy himself, who, though he had just 1 Lodge, &c. vol. iii. p. 106; Letter of lord Lumley. Lodge's Illustrations, vol. iii. p. 109; Letter of Edmund Lascelles, groom of the privy chamber, afterwards recommended, when in great distress, by queen Anne to her brother-in law, the duke of Brunswick, in whose service he remained the rest of his life. |