History of King Charles the First of EnglandAbbott, Jacob
History
History of King Charles the First of England
Abbott, Jacob
Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649; Great Britain -- History -- Charles I, 1625-1649; Great Britain -- Kings and rulers -- Biography
There was a negotiation going on for a long time for a marriage between
one of the king's sons, first Henry, and afterward Charles, and a
princess of Spain. At one time the king lost some of the papers, and
was storming about the palace in a great rage because he could not
find them. At last he chanced to meet a certain Scotchman, a servant
of his, named Gib, and, like a vexed and impatient child, who lays the
charge of a lost plaything upon any body who happens to be at hand to
receive it, he put the responsibility of the loss of the papers upon
Gib. "I remember," said he, "I gave them to you to take care of. What
have you done with them?" The faithful servant fell upon his knees,
and protested that he had not received them. The king was only made
the more angry by this contradiction, and kicked the Scotchman as he
kneeled upon the floor. The man rose and left the apartment, saying,
"I have always been faithful to your majesty, and have not deserved
such treatment as this. I can not remain in your service under such a
degradation. I shall never see you again." He left the palace, and went
away.
[Sidenote: The king's frankness.]
A short time after this, the person to whose custody the king had
really committed the papers came in, and, on learning that they were
wanted, produced them. The king was ashamed of his conduct. He sent
for his Scotch servant again, and was not easy until he was found
and brought into his presence. He then kneeled before him and asked
his forgiveness, and said he should not rise till he had forgiven
him. Gib was disposed to evade the request, and urged the king to
rise; but James would not do so until he had said he forgave him, in
so many words. The whole case shows how little of dignity and noble
bearing there really was in the manners and conduct of the king in
his daily life, though we are almost ready to overlook the ridiculous
childishness and folly of his fault, on account of the truly noble
frankness and honesty with which he acknowledged it.
[Sidenote: Glitter of royalty.]
Thus, though every thing in which royalty appeared before the public
was conducted with great pomp and parade, this external magnificence
was then, and always has been, an outside show, without any thing
corresponding to it within. The great mass of the people of England
saw only the outside. They gazed with admiration at the spectacle of
magnificence and splendor which royalty always presented to their eyes,
whenever they beheld it from the distant and humble points of view
which their position afforded them. Prince Charles, on the other hand,
was behind the curtain. His childhood and youth were exposed fully to
all the real influences of these scenes.
[Sidenote: 1622.]
[Sidenote: The appearance.]
[Sidenote: The reality.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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