The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-07
CHARLES IFS COURT
THE MERRY MONARCH HAD a YER
FORMAL pALdCE, ATE

~o,e.,n.uen, D,,nrtu,pt or Ills CAN'T
The Civil DE partmert-Tho Three Troops
OF tho Guards nsd Their Ribbons.
The views that historians give OF byeone
princes are INCOMPLETE ma n rule. They leave
undonc much that they ought 10 have done.
even IL they don't do what they ought not to
have done. CARLYLE yanted n life of Gen. Wolfe
-" not n book about his Victories. but one that
will tell us the color of his brccches." The book
that will combine accounts OF victories and
breeches undoubtedly will be tho ideal history.
IL IL isn't too large.
Walter Besant, I'm his book on Westminster,
speaks Of the distorted pictures OF ROYALTY gIyon
by historians and remarks. in passing. that
''that part Of his tCharIes II'sl private life which
Is now paraded ~ IL IL was his public llfe was
conducted with some regard to public opinion"
In other words, to tho people at large Charles
was King, with all that being King meant 200
years ngo; he was the Merry Monarch only
whom business was over. lie mad a court famous
throughout Europe for II. magnincenc, and
statellness. Macaulay says that grave
persons who had zone to his court on
Sunday. Feb. I, 1885. to pay their
duty to their sovereign, and who Ind
expected that on such a day his court would
wear a decent aspect, were struck with aston
ishment and horror" This, like many Of Mac.
aulay's IA not fair. MacauIay was
q Puritan. There was nothing in the horrible
scene that he imag!nes that had not been COM
mon In England on Sunday afternoons for
scores Of years, except during the Common
wealth; but IL pleased tho historian, in his
hatred Of Charles, TO ~inventa horror, assume II
proved. and donounce the participants therein.
Thomas de Launo. Gentleman. in 1881 wrote
a book on the Kings court. which ends thus:
THE Form OF Government Is by the wisdom
OF many Ages so contrivcd and regulated that
II is almost Impossible to mend II. The Account
(Which is of so many Natnrcs, and il therefore
v.rv a,m,,,, mrs, mas. ,hro,yh ,r,,,h anas
'e'S u'un'''' u p"'' '"'o'kh many hanus'
and Is therefore very eIacp Is so wisely con-
trlyed and methodIzcd that without the Com
h,n,,Ion q, .y.rv on. -, Tho ,oIIovinn om.
o'""''o" Vi e'e1' ~ mo i''ow'"f o"-
Cloth. n Clerk Comptroller, n Clerk OF the
y,,chin ~, ,ho c,io.r, , = r.,, r,o.to,,..
N'''"''' VI mo "p.te'S H'oi''or p"r''eu'"'
Clerk. together with the conjunction Of n Pur-
~ sa,,"n, ,ho xIna ~. -, 80 NJ. n,s
u ~" ho"' :, ni'"., VI"
or Mopey, or anything else" Maybe Thomas do
Inun. G.n,leman. wa. eYag,er,,lno. hu,
Tsoms. V.n.ninr n,o~s.,,,ns af,.swas ."n
Th. conr, ~, ch.r,o. n IN, ,.r,. M, r.r,.
Inc courto OIL Chhries IL. was large ana regu-
lated to q very minute degree. Every person
connected with IL had his Mace and dutie, IL
was divided into threo paris ecciesia'tical. civil
and military.
In the eeclesiastioal department was tho Dean
OF inc ming chhpei' VINO WAS Dishop' uhuer
him were II sub-dean. thirty-slx gentlemen OF
m, chanel tvsivo cbIidr,n thru. o-,anis,.
.", 80, -. ...s.s' .n nS-S
and eight lower attendants: and then there
every month. IN, Lord U,vh Alnopcr with .
~ ,non.r go yaon.n a., ,ma n..a..
the Almonry: and a Clerk OF the Closet, who 70.
.olved tho KInu's doubts on spIrItual mat..r.
Ar,os.,h.r 4, ,oor ia n.,.on. ~ t.on chsr,..
Altogether u TOOK Ito persons 10 keep Charles
up to tho religious mark even as much as he was
kept to IL: Queen Victoria gets along with 90.
nri.es: il li8 theologs working a hours were
needed to raise Charles's rciigiosity to \. and 20
at v: how many tHeoiogs Working a hours
would have been needed to raise Charles's to D;
or how many TO reduee yietoria's to L This
The chief officer of the civil government of
the court OF Charles IL. was the Lord steward,
except those of the chapel. the chamber. and
the stable. lie received q salary OF Ei0O n
and had sixteen dishes daily, with wine and
beer. His badge was 4 white staf.
xe a., ,Ss Mr rsns %, OF t lhs % haSsc pt i nsIi So .Ss
comes stlirit. or constable. Under. these two
officers were the Treasurer OF, the. Household.
th" Comptroller, the Cotierer. the Master OF the
Household. two Clerks OF the Green Cloth. with
serreants and messenger.
The Clerks Of the Green Cloth were no:
counter jumpers:" they formed a part OF the
Court Of Green Cloth. which sat every day to
maintain the peace for twelve miles around.
The court took its name from the color OF the
cloth spread on the table about which the Nom
hers sat. The Chief Clerk was n high Official:
he received tho Kings guests. kept the accounts.
and looked after the rroytsions. and had clerks
and servants. Under his direction were n
knight Harbinger. three Gentlemen Harbingcrs.
and seven Woman Harbingerr, who provided
lodgings, for the Kings guests according TO their
several degrees.
The Knight Marshal was Judge in all cases
where n servant OF tho King was concerned,
and was alro IA judge of the Marshalsea court.
with six Provost Marshals in red coats 20 en-
force his DEGREES.
The servants IN ordinary were numerous. and
probably were not any too busy. They com
prised; Gentlemen. OF the Bedchamher, tho
number not given: the Groom OF the stole. the
mberlain, the Keeper OF the Privy
Purse. tho Treasurer of the Chamber. the
Master of the Robes. twelve Grooms OF tho
Bedchamber perhaps TO look after tho night
mares. six pages. four Gentlemen Cshcrs, forty
eight Gentlemen, aud six Grooms OF the Privy
Chamber. the Library Keeper, the Black Rod.
eight Gentlemen tshers OF the Presence Cham
Der. fourteen Grooms OF the Great
and then a swarm Of lesser lights. SIX gem
tlemen waters. four Cupbearers. four Carvcrs.
fnnr Sar.ara fntr EanulrAs ~ tl,n IlnH,. niyht