The Spanish Treaty—Negotiations between the Duke of Lerma and Lord Digby—The Infanta described by Lord Digby—Her Great Beauty, Piety, and Sweetness—The Description of her by Toby Matthew—She is disposed to receive Charles’s Addresses—Gondomar—Attentions shown to him in England—Ely House allotted for his Reception—Jealousy of the Protestants at the Favour shown him—First Notion of Charles’s Journey to Spain suggested by Buckingham—His Arguments in Favour of it—Obstacles to the Prince’s Marriage with the Infanta—Buckingham’s Debts and Difficulties—Interview between Gondomar and the Duke of Lennox—Journey of Charles and Buckingham into Spain—They stop in Paris—Louis XIII.—Anne of Austria—Henrietta Maria—They proceed to Madrid—Reception there—Entrance in State into that City—Countess of Philip IV.—Festivities in Honour of the Prince—The King’s Letters to him 315 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER I. STATE OF ENGLAND ON THE ACCESSION OF JAMES I. COMPARED WITH THAT WHEN ELIZABETH BEGAN TO REIGN—THE GREAT REBELLION ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE MISRULE OF JAMES—ALLUSION OF LORD CLARENDON TO THIS SUBJECT—THE LUXURY OF A FAVOURITE ESSENTIAL TO JAMES SINCE THE AGE OF FOURTEEN—BIRTH AND ORIGIN OF GEORGE VILLIERS—HIS FAMILY LITTLE KNOWN TO FAME UNTIL HIS ELEVATION—THE SNEERS THROWN UPON IT BY SIR SYMONDS D’EWES; AND ITS CLAIMS TO HONOURABLE DESCENT CONSIDERED—SIR HENRY WOTTON’S TESTIMONY—THE FAMILY OF VILLIERS LONG KNOWN IN THE COUNTY OF LEICESTER—THE DIFFERENT SPELLINGS OF THE NAME—THE FORTUNES OF THE FAMILY IN FRANCE—REMARK OF LORD CLARENDON UPON THE CONDITION OF THE VILLIERS FAMILY IN ENGLAND—ALSO OF THE HISTORIAN SANDERSON—BROOKESBY, THE NATIVE PLACE OF GEORGE VILLIERS—HIS MOTHER, MARY BEAUMONT—HER MENIAL CONDITION IN THE FAMILY OF SIR GEORGE VILLIERS—HIS MARRIAGE—THE FAMILY BY A FORMER UNION—SIR WILLIAM VILLIERS—JOHN, VISCOUNT PURBECK—THE CHILDREN OF THE SECOND MARRIAGE: MARY, COUNTESS OF DENBIGH, CHRISTOPHER, GEORGE—LADY VILLIERS RETIRES TO GOADBY—HER EFFORTS FOR HER SON’S BENEFIT—HIS EDUCATION, DISPOSITION, AND ACQUIREMENTS—THE SLENDER MEANS OF HIS MOTHER—HER SECOND MARRIAGE, TO SIR THOMAS COMPTON—GEORGE VILLIERS SENT TO PARIS TO COMPLETE HIS EDUCATION—STATE OF THAT CAPITAL IN THE 17th CENTURY—VILLIERS RETURNS FROM PARIS, IMPROVED, AND REPAIRS TO HIS MOTHER’S HOUSE AT GOADBY. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ LIFE AND TIMES OF GEORGE VILLIERS. ---------- =CHAPTER I.=