Arthur Wilson (1595-1652) was a gentleman-in-waiting to Robert Devereux, third Earl of Essex, during James's reign, and was afterwards in the service of Robert Rich, second Earl of Essex. The _History_ was written towards the end of his life, and published the year after his death. He was the author also of an autobiography, _Observations of God's Providence in the Tract of my Life_ (first printed in Francis Peck's _Desiderata Curiosa_, 1735, Lib. XII, pp. 6-34), and of three plays, _The Swisser_ (performed at Blackfriars, 1633, first printed in 1904, ed. Albert Feuillerat, from the MS. in the British Museum), _The Corporall_ (performed, 1633, but not extant), and _The Inconstant Lady_ (first printed in 1814, ed. Philip Bliss, from the MS. in the Bodleian Library). The three plays were entered in the Registers of the Stationers' Company, September 4, 1646, and September 9, 1653. But nothing he wrote appears to have been published during his life. Page 2, l. 24. _Peace begot Plenty_. An adaptation of the wellknown saying which Puttenham in his _Arte of English Poesie_ (ed. Arber, p. 217) attributes to Jean de Meung. Puttenham gives it thus: Peace makes plentie, plentie makes pride, Pride breeds quarrell, and quarrell brings warre: Warre brings spoile, and spoile pouertie, Pouertie pacience, and pacience peace: So peace brings warre, and warre brings peace. It is found also in Italian and Latin. Allusions to it are frequent in the seventeenth century. Compare the beginning of Swift's _Battle of the Books_, and see the correspondence in _The Times Literary Supplement_, February 17-March 30, 1916. 2. The Court and Character of King James. Written and taken by Sir A.W. being an eye, and eare witnesse. Qui nescit dissimulare, nescit regnare. Published by Authority. London, MDCL. 'The Character of King James' forms a section by itself at the conclusion of the volume, pp. 177-89. The volume was reprinted in the following year, when there were added to it 'The Court of King Charles' and 'Observations (instead of a Character) upon this King, from his Childe-hood'. Both editions are carelessly printed. The second, which corrects some of the errors of the first but introduces others, has been used for the present text. Weldon was clerk of the kitchen to James I and afterwards clerk of the Green Cloth. He was knighted in 1617, and accompanied James to Scotland in that year, but was dismissed from his place at court for his satire on the Scots. He took the side of the parliament in the Civil War. The dedication to Lady Elizabeth Sidley (first printed in the second edition) states that the work 'treads too near the heeles of truth, and these Times, to appear in publick'. According to Anthony à Wood she had suppressed the manuscript, which was stolen from her. Weldon had died before it was printed. The answer to it called _Aulicus Coquinariæ_ describes it as 'Pretended to be penned by Sir A.W. and published since his death, 1650'.