The Sun.
London, England, 1825-12-21 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICE.

-The PROGRESSES, PROCESSIONS, and MAGNI-
• FIt!ENT FESTIVITIES, of KING JAMES the
:FIRST, his ROYAL CONSORT, FAMILY, and
ir:OUß'r, collected from Original Manuscripts, Scarce
Pamphlets, Corporation Records, Parochial Registers, &c.
&c., comprising the splendid Masques performed at Court;
the Triumphal Pageants of the City of London ; numerous
Original Letters; and Annotated Lists' of all the Knights
of the Bath, Baronets, and Knights Bachelors, who re-
ceived those Honours during the Reign of King James.—
illustrated with Notes, Historical, Topographical, Biogra-
phical, and Bibliographical. By Joux NIcHOLS, F.S.A.,
Lon d. Edinb. and Perth.
This curious and very entertainink work will
be published in eighteen Monthly Parts, of Which
seven have appeared. Its plan is similar to that
.of the Progresses of Queen, Elizabeth, by the
same Author, a work in high esteem for its his-
loricar information and elucidation of ancient
:manners. Accounts of the Royal Progresses
from place to place, with the entertainments
_given by Corporate Bodies, or at the mansions
of the Nobility and Gentry, form the basis of
the work. Interspersed are the -details of the
-Court amusements, the baptisms, marriages, and
other solenmities then celebrated, the reception
of Foreign Ambassadors &c. &c. A strict chro-
=nological arrangement is throughout preserved.
. TO tlie•lover of early literature a tempting op-
portuity is offered. The work abounds with re-
prints from tracts of the rarest description, the
earigiteals of which are trot separately obtained
isot.-- with much difficulty, and a collection of
which were impossible, even at the greatest ex-
pence. " Amongst them are more than thirty
Masques, the productions of Ben Jonson, Daniel,
'Chapman, Beaumont; Ste. many of them peiform-
ed by the Queen and the Nobility, and others
by the (4entleinen of the Inn of Court." As
many' of those rare productions, the " London
Pageants," as the Editor. has been able to obtain,
are included.
'l'o us,however, the correspondence of . the
Courtiers, no.small portion of which is before un-
published, is most attractive. The following ex-
tracts from a letter, written soon after the
King's Accession, was addressed by Sir Robert
-Cecil, afterwards the greet Earl of Salisbury, to
Sir Thos. Parry, then Ambassador in France.:—
" I doe further acquaint you, that since his Majesties pro. 1
-claming to this Crowne, there bath not so much as one only
opposition, in word or deed, ben made against him, such being
the concurrency of all sortes of peple, in
mind, to acknowledg his Majestiees undoubted right, and to
yeald him their most willing obedience. In so much as there
cannot he imagined - in the world a greater demonstration of
God's singular goodness towards .. . . . . .that wee are
now so strangely and unexpectedly, made the spectacle of hap-
piness and felicity, in enjoying so quietly and peaceably of
such a Prince, whome, with aolomon, we may just call a wise
and understanding Prince, and one by whose long experience,
hr Princely Government, and all Princely vertues wee may
.justly promise our sells all future happiness. His INlajeity is
now come on his journey hetherwards, as farr as Burghley
Howse, and on Tuesday next is expected at my house at
Theobalds, from thence he comes to Charter-house to my Lord
Thernas Howard's, and so to the Tower of London. His Corona-
lien is deferred tyll the 25 of July next, against wch tome, the
-Queen his wyf, and his two eldest children that are -fittest to
travell are lyke to be here present. To-morrow, being Thurs-
day, wee doe solemnise the Funeral at Westminster of her late
Majesty, of most happy memory ! and then the Nobility and
State prepareth to goe to meet the .King, and to conduct him
to London. One thing I had almost forgotten to tell you,
whereof happily you may hear that it is true that his Majesty,
as he was a hunting, got a fall off his horse ; but, God be
thanked, he bath no hartne at all by'it, and it is no more than
may befall any other great and extreame ryder, as he is, at
least once every moneth. I thought good to give you notice of
this, to prevent all bruit and rumours wch corn only encrease
as they goe, and are reported at the worst." Cotton MSS.
Caligula, E. X.—ln the same Volume (which is much da-
maged by fire) is a Letter from the King to Sir Thomas
Perry, dated " Topclyffe, April 15"; announcing the Queen's
death and his own succession to the Throne. This was accom-
.panied by a Letter in French to the King of France, notifying
!eis accession. He wrote again to Henry IV. and Sir Thomas
Parry, from Burleigh, on April 25.—Page 145.
• The following -Letter, front James to his
Queen, whilst, sire was still remaining in Scot-
)and, written entirely with his own hand, is cer-
tainly most curious. It is `to he premised that
the Royal Couple were not always on the best
..terms
:
" MY HATTITE ;
" Immediatelie before the ressaite of your lettir I was pur-
posed to have written unto you, and that without any greate oc-
cation, except for freeing myself at your handis from the im-
putation of seveareness ; but now youre lettir has geviii more
inaitter to wryte, although, I take smell delyte to meddle in so
unpleasant a proses. I wonder that nether your long know-
ledge of my nature nor my laite earniste purgation unto you
Gan cure you of that rooted erroure that any diving darre speak
or inform me in any wayes to your prejudice, or yctt that ye
.scan think thaire youre unfriendis that are true.servantis to me.
I can say no more, but proteste upon the peril of my salvation
and damnation, that nattier the Erie of illarr, nor any flesh
living, ever informed me that ye was upon any Papish or Spa-
nish course, or that ye hadde any other thouchtes, hut a wrong
:.conceived opinion that he had more interest in youre Sone, or
wolcie not deliver him unto you; nether does he farther charge
the Noblemen that was with you thaire, but that he was in.
formed that some of thaime thocht by force to have assisted you
in the taking my Sonne out of his handis ; but as for any other
Papiste or forrine practice, by God, he doeth no so much as
al/kedge it; thairefore he says he will never presume to accuse
them, since it may happen well to importe your offence.
•" And thairfore I say over agane leave these froward
womanlie apprehensions, for 1 thank God I carrie that lore and
respecte unto you, quhich, by the law of God and nature, I
ought to do to my wyfe and mother of my children, but not for
Wan ye are a King's dauchter, for quither ye waire a King's or
a cook's dauchter, ye must be all alike to me, being once my
wyfe. For the respect of your honorable birthe and decente I
married you ; but tine love and respecte now beare you is, be-
cause that ye are my Married wyfe, and so partaker of my ho-
noure as of my.other fortunes, I beseache you excuse my rude
plainness in this; for casting up of your birdie is a needless hil-
-1 pertinent argument to me. God is my witness I ever preferred
you to all my bairnes, much more then to any subjecte ; hut if
you will ever give place to the reports of everie flattering :rico-
pliant that will perswade you that when I account well of an
honest and wise servant for his true faithful service to me, that
iteseo compare, or prefere him to you, then will nattier ye or I
be ever at reste at peace. 1 have, according to my promise,
ceppied so much of that plote quhairof I wrote unto you in my
last, as did concern my Sonne and you, quhich herein is inclosed
that ye may see I wrote It not without cause, but I deny re it not
to have any Secretarys than youre self. As for your dool made
concerning it, it is utterlie impertinent at this time, for sic rea-
, sons, as the bearer will show unto you, quhom I have likewise
commandit to impairte dyvers other points unto you, which for
fear of wearieing your eyes with my rugged hande, I have
heirein omitted, praying God, my hairte, to preserve you and
all the bairnes, and sende me a blythe meeting with you, and
..a couple of thairne.
" Your awn, " JAMES R."
The Royal autograph is engraved by Mr.
it' ichols. •
The following curious particulars of the plague
in 1603, are from the Diary of Lady Anne
Clifford :
" From Windsor the. Court removed to Hampton Court,
where my Mother and 1 lay in one of the Round Towers,
roand about which weare tents, wher they died two or three a
day of ye Plague. , .Tlier 1 fell extreaniely sicke of a fever, so
. as ray Mother was in some doubt it might turne to the Plague;
but wth in two or three daies I grew reasonnable well, and was
sent away to my 06r.. Stndall's at Norburie, Mrs. Carington
going wth me; for Mrs. Taylor was newly put away from me,
hir husband dieing of the Plague shortly after. A litle aford
this tyme my Mother and I, my Aunt of Bath, and my Cozen
Fraunces, (her daughter), went to North-hall (my Mother
being extreame angrie wth me for rideinge before wth Mr.
Meuerell), wirer my Mother in hir anger cornaunded yt I
heuld lie in a chamber alone, wch I could not endure; but my