Mothers approbation yet he must return her thanks for her after ordering them intimating thereby That she would rely and rest upon him but lodge his Son in her heart But before the Conclusion of this Treaty it pleased the Almighty to put an end to King James his dayes a Prince who all his life had kept this Kingdome in a continual Peace and quietness and had often been an Umpire in the difference of Neighbouring Princes who were in as continued Combustions about him whilest himself was never plunged in any War till now lately in one with Spain for the Restitution of the Palatinate Prince Charles upon the death of his Father is immediately declared his lawfull Heir and undoubted Successor whereof by his several Ambassadors he immediately acquaints all the neighbouring Princes But to the King of France he sends over the Earls of Carlisle and Holland not only to acquaint him with his Fathers death but to treat of an Alliance with the Princess Henrietta Maria which Negotiation was concluded in fewer months then Spain had spent years in her Treaty And soon after Letters of Procuration or Proxie were sent to the Duke of Chevereux of the House of Guise for espousing his Mistress and making her his Consort the Ceremony of which was celebrated on Sunday the First of May according to our stile but the Eleventh according to theirs in the Church of Nostre-dame at Paris with a great deal of pomp and magnificence she being given to the Duke of Chevereux in behalf of the King of England by her two Brothers the King and Mounsieur About a fortnight after the Duke of Buckingham put in Commission with the English Ambassadours there is with a train of the best quality to accompany him sent to attend the Queen and to bring her over to her Spouse in England whilest in the mean time King James's Funeral on the 14 of May was magnificently solemnized at Westminster King Charles himself contrary to the old custome attending the Obsequies On the second of June the now Queen of England set forward from Paris and at the Town of Amiens staid fourteen days by reason of the Queen her Mothers sickness and indisposition who would willingly have accompanyed her to the Sea side but at length was forced to leave her here and so with her Brother the Mounsieur she set forward towards Bulloigne a longer passage by sea to England then that of Calais but the infection there forced them to accept of this Here the Queen received the Duke of Buckinghams Mother with a Train of very many Ladies of quality from England whom Mounsieur so much honoured as to condescend to give her a visit at her Lodging for no other reason but her being Mother to the King of Englands chief Favourite and the Dutchess of Chevereux that great Princess both of Match and Blood was forced to give her the precedency The King had commanded a good part of his Navy Royal one and twenty Ships to attend the Queen on which she imbarques but in her passage findes the same rough and tempestuous weather which Mary Queen of Scots found when she was wafted over from Calais This some interpreted as an ill omen and have since taken it as a token of the succeeding tempests of her life Yet on Trinity Sunday the 13 23 of June she arrives at Dover about seven a Clock at night his Majesty the next Morning coming from Canterbury to meet her with joy received her at the top of the Stairs whilest she on her knee endeavouring to kiss his hand he seeming as it were surprized takes her up in his arms and salutes her with reiterated kisses And so conducting her into an inner Chamber after his congratulation of her safe arrival and expression of the sad fears of her danger at Sea finding her somewhat surprized and to let fall some tears to see her self now in the hands of a stranger whom she had never before seen he tells her That she was fallen into the effects of Gods Divine Providence to forsake her Kindred and cleave to her Spouse professing that he would be no longer Master of himself then he was a servant to her The Ceremony here was accomplished and the Duke of Chevereux having rendred her up to his Majesties bosom here and to his bed the same night at Canterbury they the next day set forward towards Gravesend the whole way being laned with millions of people who made the very air thunder with renumerated Ecchoes of God save their Majesties they were likewise accompanyed with a most gallant Train of the English Gentry who came from all parts of the Kingdom to wait upon their Majesties at so great a Solemnity At Gravesend on the Thursday after their Majesties entred into the Barge of State and accompanyed with an infinite number of other Barges and Boats went by water to Somerset-house whilest the Ships all the way being placed in ranks on both sides the River did volly out wellcomes to these two Princes The Third after their arrival at London their Majesties appeared in State to the Nobility both having seated themselves upon their royal Thrones And soon after the Marriage was publiquely proclaimed with excessive joy to all And from thence their Majesties by reason of the great infection then in and about London removed to Hampton-Court Where and in all other places they for many years lived in the greatest content and enjoyment of conjugal love that possibly could be The King most singularly indulgent of his Royal Consort and she correspondent with him not only in personal affection but also in bringing him forth a Progeny of Royal Princes and Princesses The best for Alliance and Stock that ever the Earth had being immediately descended from the blood Royal of England and France allied to the Emperour Kings of Spain and Denmark and all the most potent Princes of the Western World So that if ever any these might most properly be said to be sprung de semine Divûm of the seed of the Gods Yet there happened an accident on the first of July in the year 1626. which not only created a difference betwixt Lewis the thirteenth King of France and his Majesty of England but might likewise have caused a breach between him and his dearly beloved Queen and Consort had not her incomparable prudence taught her how to submit to her Husbands pleasure The King had several times been informed of misdemeanours committed by some of the Queens Domestiques towards her person and his Majesty and therefore on the first of July having the same day sent a Message commanding all the Queens Servants to be there in readiness he came to Somerset-house attended by the Duke of Buckingham the Earls of Holland and Carlisle and other principal Officers and tells them Gentlemen and Ladies I Am driven to that extremity as I am personally come to acquaint you that I very earnestly desire
now drawing neer her time and it being generally believed that the Earl of Essex with his Forces had some aim at Oxford as the Seat Royal of the King the residence of his Court and Council and the Sanctuary of a considerable part of the Nobility Gentry and Clergy it was thought fit that the Queen should remove to Exceter lately taken in by Prince Maurice as a place more free from the power of the Enemies and not far from the Sea by which she might take shipping for France as occasion served Yet was it not fear that perswaded her magnanimous spirit to depart from Oxford though the Parliament at Westminster had proclaimed her Traytor and belched forth many scandalous falsities against her but over-perswaded by those who had a greater care of her safety then her self she went And on the sixteenth of April she began her journey towards Exceter conducted by the King Prince Duke of York and most of the chief Nobility and Gentry as far as Abingdon where she took her last leave of the King though neither of them without doubt had the least presage that that parting kisse should be the last that ever they were like to give each other Being parted from the King she was Convoyed on her journey by a sufficient strength of Horse purposely appointed for her security and at her arrival at Exceter was received by that City with all possible magnificence where soon after she was safely delivered of her fourth Daughter who was christned Henrietta The weakness and sicknesses incident to Childe-bearing being passed over the young Princess was committed to the charge of the Lady Dalkeith Daughter to Sir Edward Villiers one of the half-brothers of the Duke of Buckingham and Wife to the Lord Dalkeith eldest Son to the Lord Morton which having done she took Shipping at Pendennis Castle on the fifteenth of July 1644. and so passed into France there to negogotiate according to instructions received from his Majesty for some supplyes of Money Arms and Ammunition for the advance of his service in which if she could not prevail yet however to continue in the Court of the King of France till his his Majesties Affairs here might be brought into such a capacity that she might return again both with honour and safety In the mean time the Kings affairs in England went on with a great deal of seeming prosperity for not long after the Queens departure he gained a signal Victory over Sir William Waller at Cropedy-bridge and then marching after Essex who was with the other part of the Parliaments Army gone into the West to reduce those Counties to their obedience he followed him so close at the heels that at last he brought him into that straight that himself with Sir Philip Stapleton and some others escaped away in a Cock-boat leaving the whole Army to his Majesties mercy The Horse taking the occasion of a dark night made their way through and escaped but the foot came to Capitulation and had liberty to march away but their Arms Artillery Baggage Ammuntion were left to his Majesties dispose Severall other successes the King had by taking in of Garrisons c. and several Messages notwithstanding his success he sent to the Parliament for peace and accommodation but could not be hearkened unto But a hard destiny attended this pious King for whilest he solicites the Parliament with continual Messages of Peace they make all possible preparations for War and the next year viz. 1645. on the 14 of June at Nazeby gave the King his fatal and final overthrow making themselves masters of his Camp Carriages and Cannon amongst the rest of his Majesties Cabinet of private Letters which had passed between him and the Queen which to their own disgrace they published in Print A barbarity which very Heathens would be ashamed to be guilty of The King saved himself by flight from this battell and gathered together as many of his scattered Troops as he could but was never after able to make head against the conquerors but still losing one place after another was at last reduced to have Oxford only for his shelter where finding himself not safe without a Field Army on the 27 of April 1646. he in disguise leaves the City and throws himself upon the Scots Army at Newark who having taken that Town carryed him to Newcastle where they kept him in restraint The Queen after her departure from England had long time and with great industry laboured to bring a design to effect which was the procuring of the Duke of Lorrain who being at leisure with a rambling Army and Money in his Purse was in a capacity to assist any body who stood in need of him The Queen of England therefore treated with him for his assistance Many Debates there were which way his Forces which were then neer Collein should pass to the water-side through France or Holland and where they should land in England Westward or Northward but all came to nothing though there were hopes of his aid till the very time that the Kings ruine was consummate by his trusting himself with the Scots who had before been so basely treacherous to him And now the Parliament make their Victories over the King and his friends absolute Oxford is yielded up to the Parliaments Generall Fairfax and in it the Great Seal Privy Seal and Signet as likewise the Duke of York and the Princess Henrietta who were both sent to Westminster but both shortly after escaped the last conveyed by the Lady Dalkeith into France and the first by Capt. Bampfield in Womans apparel into Holland the Prince having before escaped thither from the Scillies The next design of the Parliaments was to get the King into their hands which Money was likely enough to effect three hundred thousand pounds does the feat and so his Majesty is delivered up into the hands of the English Parliaments Commissioners and with a strong party of Horse hurried from Newcastle to Holmby and so about from Prison to Prison betwixt Army and Parliament till at length the Independent Army having selected a choice Juncto of their own Gang and by force thrust those who accorded not with their murderous designs out of dores instruct these to vote That a High Court of Justice should be erected to try the King as a Rebell and a Traitor A design so horribly traiterous as not to be parallel'd in all preceding ages The Queen at Paris hearing of their wieked determinations writes to the King and with much diligence gets her Letter conveyed to him by one Wheeler servant to Major Boswell Wherein she expresses The deep sence and sorrow which she had of the Kings miserable condition in which the bonds of nature and affection enforce her to bear more then an equal share wishing with all her heart if it pleased God that she might die for him without whom she cannot nor will not live
yet in the mean time will use her utmost power and interest by all ways imaginable to help him She likewise sends another Letter to the French Ambassadour resident to be delivered to the L. Gen. which she directs To her Trusty well-beloved Tho. Lord Fairfax Generall of the Parliaments Forces Therein imploring his aid and assistance to come over to the King her Husband to see him before he should be proceeded against by any Tryall or Charge and to have a Passe for her secure coming and returning This Letter was by the L. Gen. Fairfax sent to the House of Commons but they not so much as deigning to take it into consideration laid it aside And on they proceed in their intended traiterous design against the King her Husband condemning him by their pretended High Court of Justice to be murdered by severing his head from his body before his own Palace-gate of White-hall which accordingly they executed on that black day for ever to be rased out of the Kalender Tuesday the 30 of Jan. to the astonishment of the whole World and grief of all good men But with what unexpressible grief and sorrow to his Royal Consort must be left to imagination no pen being able to express that black cloud of distractions which so sad an accident must necessarily involve her in certainly had she been of the same Religion that those noble Roman Women were who scorned to survive their Husbands her magnanimous spirit had certainly followed their example But since her Religion though it could not restrain her sorrow for her murdered King and Husband restrained her from following him in death she is resolved to spend the rest of her time in Religion and therefore retired her self to the Monastery of Challons where she ceased not daily to lament both his and her own hard Fortune his in coming to so untimely an end by the treachery of his Subjects and her own in surviving him Till at length overcome by the importunities of the King and Qu. Mother of France she came to keep Court though with the most obscurity that could be in Pallace Royal a Pallace built by Cardinal Richelieu at Paris yet never interposing in any matters of Estate except what might be for the Promoting of the interest of her Son King Charles the Second who not only lost his Father but was deprived of his Kingdoms by his Fathers Murderers till it pleased God of late to restore him which sure does in a great measure comfort this disconsolate Princesse though Worlds cannot repair the loss of such a Husband A Prince he was of an incomparable piety and so rare a pattern of Conjugal love that he commanded the Princess Elizabeth the day before his death to tell her mother That his thoughts had never strayed from her and that his love had been the same to the last Nor were her Vertues less resplendant which should I undertake to Characterize I should wrong what King Charles himself hath done I therefore only conclude with this Wish May England ever be happy in such Princes but may never Princes of England be so unhappy in their Governments as the Malice and Rebellion of some men made Them to be FINIS The Queen born Prince Charls his Voyage to Spain His return K. James his Letter to the K. of France Letters sent to the Princess Henrietta Maria King James his Death Prince Charles succeeds Letters of Proxie to the Duke of Chevereux Buckingham and others sent to fetch the Queen K. James his Funerall The Qu. sets forward The Queen puts to sea Arrives at Dover The King and Queen set forward to Londen The Marriage proclaimed Occasion of discontent between the King and Queen The Qu. Servants dismissed Bishop of Menes Madam St. George offer a defence of themselves The Qu. extreamly disturbed at the sending away of her servants The Kings endeavour to pacifie her The French misdemeanours King of France resents the sending away of his Sisters servants Ambassadours sent to demand their restitution But in vain War with France unsuccessefull The Queen brought to bed before her time Prince Charles born The Prince baptized Princess Mary born And Duke of York The Queen raises a Benevolence amongst the Catholiques The Catholiques free supplyes The Collectors of her Majesties Benevolence questioned The Qu. message to the House of Commons The Qu. Mother arrives in England Her death Duke of Glocester born The Marriage of the Princess Mary with the Prince of Orange The Qu. accused of High treason The Queen goes for Holland The Parliaments endeavour to clear themselves The Qu. answer to their excuse The breach betwixt the King and Parliament The Parliament raise Arms The King likewise arms The Queen comes to England The Qu. Letter to the King about her escape at Burlington The Qu. goes to York Advances to Newark Her Majesties Forces Card Richelieu his death His birth extract Character Mazarine succeeds him Lewis 13. dies The Qu. and King meet at Edge hill Ambassadour from France The Qu. at Oxford Sir William Waller routed The Qu. intends to journey to the West Queen proclaimed traitor Sets forward towards the West Delivered of a daughter Queen passes into France Waller and Essex routed Nazeby fight the Kings ruine The King disguised leaves Oxford The Qu. desires to procure Lorrain to assist the King Oxford taken The Scots sell the King The Qu. Letter to the King And to the Lord Fairfax The King beheaded The Qu. goes into a Monastery at Challons
THE HISTORY OF THE Thrice Illustrious Princess HENRIETTA MARIA de BOURBON QUEEN OF England LONDON Printed by E. C. for Philip Chetwind 1660. TO THE Paragon of Vertue and Beauty her Grace The Dutchesse of AUBEMARLE c. May it please your Grace IN imitation of the Inscription of the golden Apple that Paris had to distribute among the Goddesses which was Let it be given to the fairest as a gift which only the greatest beauty was worthy of I humbly present to your Grace this small Mirror of Feminine yet Heroick Vertues as a glasse wherein none but the most vertuous are capable to dresse themselves A pattern not to be imitated by the Vulgar Your Grace may herein see briefly yet fully displayed the frailty and inconstancy of humane greatness and the heighth of goodness A Princesse of the greatest Extract the greatest Alliance the greatest Vertue that this Western World hath for many years boasted of reduced to the utmost of those miseries wherewith an adverse Fortune could afflict her yet in all of them bearing her self up with an unbyassed soul 'T is easie Madam whilest our Fortunes are constant to us to be constant to our Vertues That Pilot must certainly be very unskilled who with a fair and prosperous gale shall steer an indirect course Afflictions are the greatest tryal of a Noble Spirit and patience in them the chief of Vertues Yet was it not the greatest of this Queens unhappinesses that she was unhappy but that some men by malicious Scandals strove to make her guilty of somewhat they thought deserving so great Afflictions as if to be miserable must likewise include being wicked But were happiness Madam alwayes appropriate to goodness or did Vertue continually carry it's reward along with it we might have just reason to suspect and believe that some horrid wickednesses lately perpetrated amongst us were rather Pieties in the highest degree But her goodness and patience have overcome all scandals and as she hath lived the Mirror of the latter to all the World so she may be a pattern of the other to succeeding generations In the mean time that the Rising Sun of your GRACES Vertues and Honours may still soar higher but never know a declension is the earnest prayer of Your GRACES Most Humble And Most devoted Servant IOHN DAUNCY TO THE READER THIS late Age hath had so infinite Examples of Vices made Vertues and Vertues Vices that a clear display of actions in their true and genuine colours will hardly finde credit So long hath scandal had the predominancy over mens minds that the continual reiterating of them hath grounded in them as it were a serious opinion of their truth whilest they were Zealous to believe what was represented rather then what really and truly was This Illustrious and thrice Noble Princess hath not had the least share in this ill humour of the times whilest the basely imployed industry and disingenuity of some men hath endeavoured to represent her under a black Cloud of guilt who never knew how to wear other then a pure white and Angel-like Vest of Innocency Yet so powerfull were those scandals which were thrust upon this serene Queen that none durst adventure to convince them of falsity by demonstrating that the purity of all her actions were above the reproach of the blackest tongue for fear of running himself on Scilla or Charybdis of hazarding himself on the Rock of an Arbitrary Power or plunging himself in the gulf of a discredit so firmly had scandal rooted an ill opinion of her Majesty in the mindes of most people I need not now fear to fall upon the Rock and doubting not but that I shall escape that other inconvenience I have endeavoured to represent her as she is that is barely by her actions by which if I cannot perswade men to a belief of her goodness yet let them at least believe that character which was given her by him who of all men must needs know her best her Royal Husband Reader 't is the greatest uncharity in the world to give credit to that evil which malicious tongues would perswade us to be in any person and never inquire into those goodnesses wherewith they are really endowed For most certain it is Qui causam statuerit parte in audita altera Aequum licet quod statuerit haud aequum est Who judges ere he hear another tell His cause may judge right but shall nere judge well And that makes me the more confident that this small piece will finde a clearer reception whilest like the Welcome Sun it clears light out of darknesse and makes that appear truly fair as it is which was before spitefully beclouded THE HISTORY OF Henrietta Maria QUEEN of ENGLAND THat Philosopher certainly was either Foolish or Frantick who determined or at least started it as a question that there could be no Heroick vertue in Women no Age in the world having been deficient of some of that sex compleatly furnished both with Magnanimity and all other Vertues which might adorn the most Noble spirits some illustrious women having in all times left their precedents to the world of Valour Wisdome Chastity Courage and Magnanimity All Histories even the Holy Writ it self bearing witness of the Vertues of some of that sex whose Fames have endured and are to this present age recorded with honour and admiration Nor hath our age it self been wanting in examples of that nature but more particularly in that Phoenix of our times whose life I intend to treat of Henrietta Maria de Bourbon a Princess as of incomparable Vertues and endowments so of a mighty Birth and Alliance having been Daughter Sister Wife Aunt and Mother to Kings Daughter to the thrice Illustrious and renowned Prince Henry the Great King of France and Sister to his Son Lewis the Thirteenth Wife to Charles the First King of Great Britain and Ireland Aunt to Lewis the Fourteenth now King of France And Mother to our present most Gracious Soveraign Lord King Charls the Second To so many Kings hath she been so nearly allied But before we proceed to our story of her it will not be impertinent to touch something of her Fathers Vertues though not alwayes being often inherent to Posterity A Prince he was in whom nothing of worth was wanting a pattern of all that Heroick Nobleness which could accomplish either a Man or a King Not known to be subject to any Vice except that which overcame the strongest holyest and wisest of men too great a love to Women His wonderfull acts both in time of Peace and War had deservedly gained him the Title of GREAT By the first he enriched France with a greater proportion of Silk and Wooll by augmenting and encouraging a Foraign Traffique then ever before she was Master of besides adorning her with many famous Structures and accommodating her by cutting Navigable Sluces from River to River by the last he cured her distempers and by his Valour quieted those Civil Wars which