Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A65393
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The court and character of King James whereunto is now added The court of King Charles : continued unto the beginning of these unhappy times : with some observations upon him instead of a character / collected and perfected by Sir A.W.
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Weldon, Anthony, Sir, d. 1649?
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1651
(1651)
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Wing W1274; ESTC R229346
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73,767
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247
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too ranke and appeared too poore and plaine a tricke of State and Salisbury in this had a double benefit First in ridding himselfe of such as he feared would have been thornes in his sides Secondly by endearing himselfe to the King by shewing his diligence and vigilancy for his safety so that it might be said of him as of Caesar in another case Inveniam aut saciam I will either finde out a Treason or make one and this had been a pretty trick had it been only to disgrace without taking away life but how this peece of policy may stand with Religion I feare by this time he too well understands and this plot as neare as I can tell you and I dare say my intelligence gave me as neare a guesse as ever any man had was that all these in a discontented humour had by Watson and Clarke being Confessors dealt with Count Aremberge the Arch Dukes Embassadour to negotiate with the Arch Duke to raise an Army and invade England and they would raise another of Papists and Male-contents to joyne for you must understand the King was beleeved an errand Puritan Cujus contrarium verum est how likely this Plot was let the world judge that the King of Spaine who had bought peace at so deare a rate and found it so advantageous to him by the lamentable experience he had formerly in the Wars with this formidable State should seek to breake it so soone and had it been a reall Treason the State had been bound to have rewarded these Traytors as the best peece of service done in England all that Kings reigne it was indeed those that made the Peace not those that endeavoured the breaking of it were the Traytors and are to be cursed by all Posterity yet this foolish Plot served well enough to take some blocks out of the way that might afterward have made some of them stumble to the breaking of their owne necks They were all Arraigned of Treason at Winchester whither the King having sent some secretly to observe all passages upon whose true and faithfull relations of the innocencies of the Persons Arraigned and the sleight proofes upon which they were condemned he would not be drawne to signe any Warrant for the execution of Rawleigh Cobham and Grey very hardly for any of the rest the two Priests excepted For Rawleighs defence it was so brave and just as had he not wilfully cast himselfe out of very wearinesse as unwilling to detaine the company longer no Jury could ever have cast him all the Evidence brought against him was Cobhams Accusation which he only desired might appeare viva voce and he would yeeld without further defence but that they knew ful well Cobham would not nor could not accuse him having been tampered with by Wade then Lieutenant of the Tower and Salisburies great Creature Wade desired it under his hand that also he refused at last Wade got a trick by his cunning to surprize Cobhams weaknesse to get him write his name to a Blank to which Wade no question wrote the accusation as will appeare hereafter for Salisbury urging Rawleigh often if Cobham had accused him under his hand would he then yeeld Rawleigh replyed He knew Cobham weake of judgement and did not know how that weaknesse might be wrought upon but was confident he would not to his face accuse him and therefore would not put his life fortune and all on that at which fence he stood til nine at night at last his fate carried him against his reason and he yeelded upon the producing his hand which was instantly pulled out and was in truth his hand but not his act or deed so at that present was George Brooke Watson and Clarke executed Parham acquitted and Sir Walter Rawleigh executed many yeares after for the same treason as much against all justice as beyond all reason or any president yea after he had been a Generall by the Kings Commission and had by that power of the Lives of many others utterly against the Civill Law which saith He that hath power of the Lives of others ought to be Master of his owne But the Spaniard was so powerfull at that time in Court as that Faction could command the life of any man that might prove dangerous to his designes Grey and Cobham dyed in their restraint the one much pittied the other scorned and his death as base for hee dyed lousie for want of Apparrell and Linnen and had starved had not a Trencher-scraper sometime his Servant in Court releived him with scraps in whose house he dyed being so poore a house as he was forced to creep up a Ladder into a little hole to his Chamber which was a strange judgement and unpresidented that a man of seven thousand pounds per annum and of a personall estate of thirty thousand pounds of all which the King was so cheated of what should have Escheated to him that he could not give him any maintenance as in all cases the King doth unlesse out of his owne Revenue of the Crown which was the occasion of this Lords want his Wife being very rich would not give him the crums that fell from her Table and this was a just judgement of God on him And now because it will be pertinent in this place to let you understand that Rawleigh had his life surrepticiously taken away I shall give you a true story Queen Anne that brave Princesse was in a desperate and some beleeved an incurable Disease whereof the Phisitians were at the furthest end of their studies to finde the cause at a Non-plus for the Cure Sir Walter Rawleigh being by his long studies an admirable Chymist undertooke and performed the Cure for which he would receive no other reward but that her Majesty would procure that certaine Lords might be sent to examine Cobham whether he had accused Sir Walter Rawleigh of Treason at any time under his hand the King at the Queens request and in Justice could doe no lesse sends six Lords which I take were the Duke of Leonox Salisbury Worcester Suffolke Sir George Carew and Sir Julius Caesar to demand of Cobham whether he had not under his hand accused Sir Walter Rawleigh at Winchester upon that Treason he was Arraigned for Cobham did protest never nor could he but said he That Villaine Wade did often solicite me and not prevailing that way got me by a trick to write my name upon a peece of white Paper which I thinking nothing did so that if any Charge came under my hand it was forged by that Villaine Wade by writing something above my hand without my consent or knowledge These six returning to the King the rest made Salisbury their Spokes-man who said Sir my Lord Cobham hath made good all that ever hee wrote or said Where it is to be noted that this was but an equivocating tricke in Salisbury for it was true that Cobham had made good whatever hee had writ that being but in truth to
Northampton though a great Clerke yet not a wise man but the grossest Flatterer of the World and as Salisbury by his Wit so this by his Flattery raised himselfe yet one great motive to the raising all of that Name of Howards was the Duke of Norfolke suffering for the Queene of Scots the Kings Mother yet did Suffolke so farre get the start of Northampton that Northampton never after loved him but from the teeth outwards only had so much discretion as not to fall to actuall enmity to the over-throw of both and the weakning that faction Suffolk also using him with all submissive respect not for any love but hope of gaining his great estate and sharing it amongst his Children but Northamptons distaste was such by his losse of the Treasurers place which he had with such assurance promised to himselfe in his thoughts that except what he gave to Master Henry Howard the rest he gave to the Earl of Arundell who by his observance but more especially by giving Northampton all his Estate if he never returned from travell had wrought himselfe so far into his affections that he doted on him And now the principall managers of the English affaires were Salisbury Suffolke Northampton Buckhurst Egerton Lord Keeper Worcester and the Old Admirall For the Scots Sir George Hewme now Earle of Dunbar Secretary Elfeston after Earle of Balmerino and as wise a man as was in England or Scotland the Lord of Kinlosse a very honest but weak man You are now to observe that Salisbury had shaken off all that were great with him and of his Faction in Queene Elizabeths dayes as Sir Walter Rawleigh Sir George Carew the Lord Grey the Lord Cobham the three first very able men as the world had the last but one degree from a foole yet served their turnes better then a wiser man by his greatnesse with the Queen for they would put him on any thing and make him tell any Lye with as great confidence as a truth Three of these were utterly ruined as you shall heare in the following Discourse the fourth being a very wise man contented himselfe with a meane place that was worthy of a much greater and although very active formerly called to minde this saying Foelix quem faciunt c. and medled with no State businesse his wisdome fore-telling his Fate if he had done otherwise for he did see one better head-peece then his owne sit tottering at that time and fell off afterwards which made him think it was good sleeping in a whole skin The King no sooner came to London but notice was taken of a rising Favourite the first Meteor of that nature appearing in our climate as the King cast his eye upon him for affection so did all the Courtiers to adore him his name was Mr. James Hay a Gentleman that lived long in France and some say of the Scottish Guard to that King this Gentleman comming over to meet the King and share with him in his new Conquest according to the Scots phrase it should seeme had some former acquaintance with the then Leiger Embassadour in Scotland for the French King who comming with his Majesty into England presented this Gentleman as a well accomplished Gentleman to the King in such an high commendation as engendered a liking that produced a favourite in thankfull acknowledgement whereof he did him many faire offices for the present and comming afterwards an extraordinary Embassadour to our King made him the most sumptuous Feast at Essex house that ever was seene before never equalled since in which was such plenty and Fish of that immensity brought out of Muscovia that Dishes were made to containe them no Dishes in all England before could neare hold them and after that a costly Voydee and after that a Maske of choyse Noble-men and Gentlemen and after that a most costly and magnificent Banquet the King Lords and all the prime Gentlemen then about London being invited thither Truly he was a most compleat and well accomplished Gentleman modest and Court-like and of so faire a demeanour as made him be generally beloved and for his wisdome I shall give you but one character for all Hee was ever great with all the Favourites of his time and although the King did often change yet he was semper idem with the King and Favourites and got by both for although Favourites had that exorbitant power over the King to make him grace and disgrace whom they pleased yet he was out of their power and the only exception to that generall rule and for his gettings it was more then almost all the Favourites of his time which appeared in those vast expences of all sorts and had not the bounty of his minde exceeded his gettings he might have left the greatest estate that ever our age or climate had heard of he was indeed made for a Courtier who wholly studied his Master and understood him better then any other He was imployed in very many of the most weighty Affaires and sent with the most stately Embassies of our times which he performed with that wisdome and magnificence that he seemed an honour to his King and Country For his carriage in State-affaires he was termed by some Princes the Kings Juggler He married the Daughter and Heire of the Lord Denny after the Earl of Northumberlands daughter and was hated of none that ever I heard of but the Earle of Northampton who had no patience to see him being himselfe of so venemous and cankred a disposition that indeed he hated all men of noble parts nor loved any but Flatterers like himselfe yet it was a great question whether he hated the Earl of Carlisle or Sir Robert Mansell most by whom he hath been heard to say Body of God I will be content to be damned perpetually in Hell to be revenged of that proud Welshman and did so hate him that he kept an Inquisition on him seven yeares to prove that he had cousened the King of fourteen thousand pounds which at the seven yeares end at an hearing before the King the Lords the Queen and all the Ladies being present with all the gallantry of the Court ended in one paire of silke Stockins given by one for a New-yeares Gift to Master Wels Sir Robert Mansells Servant at which the King stood up and sware very deeply Doe you beleeve I will take a paire of silke Stockins for my fourteen thousand pounds give me that give me that is this all the fruit of seven yeares Commission at which words Sir Robert Mansell kneeled downe and said I will now Sir take all the faults they can charge my servant with upon my selfe at which the King was very angry that so noble a Gentleman who had so wel acquitted himselfe and Honour should intrust it in the keeping of a Servant at the end of all the Earle of Salisbury kneeled down and said Sir if you will suffer malice so farre to prevaile as to have your