The life and times of George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, Volume 2 (of 3): From original and authentic sources — John Shaqi
The life and times of George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, Volume 2 (of 3): From original and authentic sourcesThomson, A. T., Mrs.
History
The life and times of George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, Volume 2 (of 3): From original and authentic sources
Thomson, A. T., Mrs.
Buckingham, George Villiers, Duke of, 1592-1628
Reports, indeed, came to console the anxious minds at home, stating that
the Prince and Duke were “royally treated,” but it was soon surmised
that Charles was becoming weary of his detention. June had arrived; the
Duke of Richmond, and six other noblemen, as commissioners, had already
gone to Southampton to prepare a reception, with pageants, for the
Prince; yet still Lord Rochford, who was expected to arrive with news of
the wedding-day being fixed, did not make his appearance.
The Duke of Richmond was accompanied to Southampton by Inigo Jones and
old Alleyn, the player, who were to employ their talents for the
occasion; but who could, as the great news-teller writer of that period,
Chamberlain, observes, “have done just as well without so many Privy
Counsellors;” “but we must,” he adds, “shew our obsequiousness in all
that concerns her” (the Infanta). At Gravesend, Lord Kelly, in the
King’s barge, went to meet the new Spanish ambassador, the Marquis
Inojosa, to whom cloths of estate, an honour never permitted to
ambassadors in Queen Elizabeth’s time, were conceded, and when the
haughty grandee landed at Dover, and was saluted with shot from the
castle, he vouchsafed a nod from his coach, but, Spaniard-like, gave not
one penny of money.[8]
Footnote 8:
State Papers, vol. cxlvii., No. 40.
In spite of all the journeyings to and from Spain, nothing was done,
whilst the Prince, whose firmness met with the highest commendations,
was written to by the Pope, and “nibbed at with orations by the English
seminaries in Spain, in order to effect his conversion.” The expenses at
home and abroad could now only be supported by extraordinary devices,
such as knighting a thousand gentlemen at a hundred pounds a-piece; ten
or twelve serjeants-at-law at five hundred pounds a-piece; but the fees
arising from the elevation of these luminaries were to be given to the
Lord Keeper or to Sir Francis Crane, to further his tapestry works at
Mortlake, or to pay off some scores owed him by Buckingham.[9]
Footnote 9:
State Papers, vol. cxlvii., No. 80.
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