"they die, English are to fucceed. She is allowed "twenty-eight Ecclefiaftics, of any Order except Jefuits: a Bishop for her Almoner; and to have private exercise of her religion for herself and for her fervants."

The ill behaviour of the French that the Queen brought over with her, occafioned Charles the First to write the following letters to the Duke of Buckingham, which are copied from the Originals in the British Museum:

" STEENIE,

"I writ to you by Ned Clarke, that I thought "I would here cause anufe in fhorte tyme to put away the Monfers*, either by attempting to steale away my wyfe, or by making plots amongst my "owen fubjects. I cannot fay certainlie whether "it was intended, but I am fure it is hindered. "For the other, though I have good grounds to "belife it, and am ftill hunting after it, yet seeing "dailie the malitiousness of the Monfers, by making and fomenting discontents in my wyfe, "I could tarie no longer from adverticing of you, "that I meane to feeke for no other grounds to cafiert my Monfers, having for this purpose "fent you this other letter, that you may if you

"think

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• Meaning his wife's French fervants and dependants.

t

↑ Cafhier.

+ Mary

"think good advertise the Queen Mother with "C my intention.

" STEENIE,

"I have received your letter by Dic Greme: "this is my anfwer-I command you to fend "all the French away to-morrow out of the

"So I reft

"Your faithfull, conftant, loving frende,
"CHARLES R."

Mary of Medicis, widow of Henry the Fourth.

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§ Howell, in a Letter, dated March 15, 1626, fays" The "French that came over with her Majefty, for their petu"lancies and fome mifdemeanors, and impofing fome odd "penancies upon the Queen, are all cashiered this week. It was a thing fuddenly done; for about one of the clock, as they were at dinner, my Lord Conway and Sir Thomas "Edmondes came with an order from the King, that they "must instantly away to Somerset House, for there were "barges and coaches ftaying for them, and there they should "have all their wages paid them to a penny, and fo they must "be content to quit the kingdom. This fudden undreamed"of order ftruck an astonishment into them all, both men and

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women; and running to complain to the Queen, his Ma"jesty had taken her before into his bed chamber, and locked "the door upon them, till he had told her how matters stood. "The Queen fell into a violent paffion, broke the glass win"dows, and tore her hair, but the cooled afterwards. Just "fuch a destiny happened in France fome years fince, to the "Queen's Spanish fervants there, who were all dismissed in "like manner for fome miscarriages. The like was done in "Spain to the French, therefore 'tis no new thing."

VOL. I.

X

"towne

"towne, if you can by fayer means, (but ftike not long in difputing,) otherways force them away lyke fo manie wyld beaftes, untill ye have shipped them, and so the Devil goe with them. "Lett me heare no answer, but of the performance "of my command.

"So I reft

"Your faithfull, conftant, loving frende,
"CHARLES R."

Oaking, the "7 of Auguft, 1627." (Superfcribed)" THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM."

The following letter of this intrepid Princess, written foon after the unfortunate attempt upon Hull, in April 1642, is tranflated from the French Original in the British Museum. It is without a date.

"As I was clofing my letter Sir L. Dives arrived, who has told me all that paffed at Hull. "Do not lofe courage, and pursue the bufinefs "with refolution; for you must now fhew that

you will make good what you have under"taken. If the man who is in the place will "not fubmit, you have already declared him a "traitor: you must have him, alive or dead; "for matters now begin to be very ferious. "You must declare yourfelf; you have fhewn gentlenefs enough, you must now fhew your "firmnefs. You fee what has happened from

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*not having followed your first resolution, when tr you declared the five Members traitors; let that "serve you for an example: dally no longer with "consultations, but proceed to action. I hear་ tily wished myself in the place of my fon James " in Hull; I would have thrown the fcoundrel "Hotham over the walls, or he should have thrown "c me. I am in fuch hafte to dispatch this bearer, "that I can write to nobody else. Go boldly to work, as I fee there is no hope of accommoda"tion," &c.

This beautiful Princefs faid of Kings, that "they should be as filent and difcreet as Father "Confeffors."

A perfon appearing anxious to tell her the names of fome who had indifpofed many of the English Nobility against her, the replied "I forbid you to do fo. Though they hate me now, they will not perhaps always hate me; "and if they have any fentiments of honour, they will be afhamed of tormenting a poor "woman, who takes fo little precaution to defend " herself."

""

Active and indefatigable on the breaking out of the troubles, fhe went to Holland to fell her jewels, and returned to England with feverel veffels loaded with provifions for her husband's army. The veffel that carried her was once in great danger; but fhe fat upon the deck with perfect tranquillity,

X 2

and

and faid laughingly, " Les Reines ne fe noyant pas

Queens are never drowned."

"

This Princefs, according to Sir William Waller, in his " Recollections," endeared herself to the inhabitants of Exeter by the following act of benevolence. "As fhe was walking out north"ward of the city of Exeter, foon after her

lying-in, fhe ftopped at the cottage of a poor "woman, whom he heard making doleful "cries: fhe fent one of her train to enquire "what it might be which occafioned them. The

page returned, and faid the woman was for"rowing grievously, because her daughter had "been two days in the ftrawe, and was almost "dead for want of nourishment, fhe having nothing to give her but water, and not being "able, for the hardness of the times, to get any

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thing. On this the Queen took a small chain "of gold from her neck, at which hung an Agnus. "She took off the Agnus, and put it in her bosom ; "and making the woman be called to her, gave "her the chain, and bade her go into the city "to a goldfmith and fell it, and with the money "to provide for the good woman in the strawe: "and for this," adds Sir William, "her Con"feffor did afterwards rebuke her, because they. "were heretics. When this thing was told to "the King, he asked, jeftingly, if her Confeffor "had made the Queen to do a penance for it, as "The