"plause of the people in fo obfequious and fub"miffive a manner (fil admiring change) was "checkt by an honeft plain Scotsman (unused to "hear fuch humble acclamations) with a pro

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phetical expreffion: This people will spoyl a gude King. The King as unufed, fo tired with multitudes, efpecially in his hunting (which he "did as he went,) caufed an inhibition to be published, to reftrain the people from hunting "him. Happily being fearful of fo great a "concourfe as this novelty produced, the old "hatred betwixt the Borderers, not yet forgotten,

might make him apprehend it to be of a greater "extent; though it was generally imputed to a "defire of enjoying his recreations without interruption."

James was extremely fond of hunting, and very fevere against those who disturbed him in the purfuit of that amusement. "I dare boldly fay," fays Ofborn with fome fpleen," that one man "in his reign might with more fafety have killed "another than a rafcal deer; but if a ftag had "been known to have mifcarried, and the author

fled, a proclamation, with the description of "the party, had been presently penned by the "Attorney-General, and the penalty of his Ma

jefty's high difplcafure (by which was under"flood the Star chamber) threatened against all "that did abet, comfort, or relieve him: thus << fatyrical,

fatyrical, or, if you pleafe, tragical, was this fylvan Prince against deer-killers, and indulgent to man-flayers.-But, left this expreffion

fhould be thought too poetical for an historian, "I fhall leave his Majefty dreffed to pofterity in "the colours I saw him in the next progress after his inauguration, which was as green as the

grafs he trod on, with a feather in his cap, and "a horn instead of a sword by his fide; how fuit"able to his age, perfon, or calling, I leave others "to judge from his pictures, he owning a coun"tenance not in the least regard femblable to any

my eyes ever met with, befides an hoft dwelling "at Ampthill, formerly a fhepherd, and fo metaphorically of the fame profeffion."

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This Monarch was extremely profufe in his prefents to his favourites. Sir Robert Cecil, afterward Earl of Salisbury, his Treasurer, according to Ofborn, in his Memoirs of the Life of this Prince, took the following method to correct his extravagance:

"The Earl of Somerfet had procured from King James a warrant to the Treasurer for "20,000l. who, in his exquifite prudence, find

ing that not only the Exchequer, but that the "Indies themfelves would in time want fluency "to feed fo immenfe a prodigality, and, not with"out reason, apprehending the King as ignorant "of the value of what was demanded, as of the "defert

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"defert of the person who begged it, laid the "former mentioned fum upon the ground, in a "room through which his Majefty was to pass;

who, amazed at the quantity, as a fight not un"poffibly his eyes never faw before, afked the "Treasurer whofe money it was? who anfwered, "Yours, before you gave it away. Thereupon "the King fell into a paffion, protesting that he " was abused, never intending any fuch gift; and, "casting himself upon the heap, fcrabbled out "the quantity of two or three hundred pounds, "and swore he should have no more."

The King, on hearing a fermon in which there was more of politics than of religion, asked Bishop Andrews what he thought of it, and whether it was a fermon or not. "Please your Majesty," replied the Bishop, "by very charitable conftruc"tion it may pass for a fermon.”

James," according to Wilson, " in one of "his fpeeches to the Star-chamber, took notice "of those swarms of Gentrie, as he is pleased to "call them, who, through the inftigation of their "wives, or to new-model and fashion their

daughters, (who, if they were unmarried, "marred their reputations; if married, lost their

reputations, and robbed their husbands purses,) "did neglect their country hofpitalitie, and cum"ber the city (a general nuifance to the kingdom,) being as the frleen to the body, which

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as in measure it overgrows, the body waftes; " and seeing that a proclamation would not keep "them at home, he requires that the power of "the Star-chamber may not only regulate them, "but the exorbitancy of the new buildings about "the city, which he much repined at, as being " a shelter for them when they spent their estates " in coaches, lacqueys, and fine cloaths, like "Frenchmen; living miferably in their houses,

like Italians; and becoming apes to other na"tions; whereas it was the honour of the English "nobility and gentry (above all countries in the "world) to be hospitable amongst their tenants; " which," added this Prince, they may better "doe, by the fertility and abundance of all "things."

"It was a hard question," fays Wilfon," whe"ther the wifdom and knowledge of King James "exceeded his choler and his fear. Certainly "the last couple drew him with more violence, "because they were not acquifitions, but natural: "if he had not had that alloy, his high towering " and mastering reasoning had been of a rare and "fublimed excellency."

Into what degrading fituations his choler occafionally led him, the following paffage in Wilfon will but too ftrongly evince:

"One day at Theobalds the King wanted "fome papers that had relation to the Spanish

Treaty, fo hot in motion, which raised him highly into the paffion of anger, that he should "not know what he had done with them, being things fo materiall, and of fuch concernment;

and, calling his memory to a strict account, "at last he discharged it upon John Gib, a Scotchman, who was of his bed-chamber, and " had been an old fervant to him. Gib is called "for in hafte, and the King afkes him for the

papers he gave him. Gib, collecting himself, "anfwered the King he received no papers from

him. The King broke into extreme rage, (as "he would often when the humor of choller began to boyle in him,) protesting he had "them, and reviling him exceedingly for deny

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ing them. Gib threw himself at the King's "feet, protesting his innocency, that he never "received any, and defired his life might make "fatisfaction for his fault if he were guilty. "This could not calme the King's spirit, toffed "in this tempeft of paffion; and, overcharged

with it, as he paffed by Gib (kneeling) threw "fome of it upon him, giving him a kicke with "his foot; which kicke infected Gib, and turnred his humility into anger; for, rifing inftant"ly, he faid, Sir, I have served you from my youth, and you never found me unfaithfull; I have not deferved this from you, nor can I live longer with you with this difgrace. Fare ye

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