The life and times of George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, Volume 1 (of 3): From original and authentic sourcesThomson, A. T., Mrs.
History
The life and times of George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, Volume 1 (of 3): From original and authentic sources
Thomson, A. T., Mrs.
Buckingham, George Villiers, Duke of, 1592-1628
“We have little certainty of the Prince’s journey since his going
hence,” writes Mr. Chamberlain, “but only that they landed at Boulogne
the Wednesday, and rode three posts that night. On Friday they came to
Paris, very weary, and, resting there on Saturday, went away early on
Sunday morning. Some gave out that during their abode there, they saw
the King[408] at supper, and the Queen[409] practising a ball, with
divers other ladies. Which, though it be somewhat confidentially
affirmed, yet I think it not probable, by reason it was their first
Saturday in Lent. We have had since many rumours that they were stayed,
but now they say a post should come yesternight, with news that they are
past Bayonne, and that my Lords Digby and Gondomar, with I know not how
many litters and coaches, were ready at the frontiers to receive them,
which sounds as unlikely as most of the rest. Sir Edward Herbert, our
ambassador, knew nothing of their being at Paris till the Lord of
Carlisle’s coming. All in a manner agree that either the French King had
notice of it before their arrival, or time enough to have detained him,
had he been so disposed. Divers of their servants and followers are gone
after them by land, and more preparing to go by sea.”
Footnote 408:
Louis XIII.
Footnote 409:
Anne of Austria.
It appeared afterwards that the passage to Boulogne was stormy,
nevertheless, the Prince and his followers landed there two hours after,
in the afternoon of the nineteenth of February. They reached Montreuil
on the same night, “like men of dispatch,” and Paris on the second day
afterwards.
Up to this time they escaped detection; although, three posts before
they entered Paris, they encountered some German gentlemen, whom they
had met at Newmarket, who suspected that the disguised and hurried
travellers were no less important personages than the Prince and the
Favourite; but these Germans were “outfaced by Sir Richard Graham, who
would needs persuade them that they were mistaken.”[410]
Footnote 410:
Reliquiæ Wottonianæ.
At Paris the travellers passed one day only; but that day was the
forerunner of signal events, and pregnant with important consequence,
both to Buckingham and to his royal charge.
Meantime, King James, in spite of his fears at home, was madly jealous
of any surmise respecting Spain, or the Catholic religion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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