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
Still, both the Prince and Buckingham sent encouraging accounts of the
progress of the treaty, and even inspired the poor King with a hope that
they should bring the Infanta over to England at Michaelmas. This was
almost the last letter in which such expectations were held out: it was
dated on the fifteenth of July. On that very day, the Archbishop Laud
stated in his diary of a violent and destructive tempest, which many,
says Camden, “took occasion to interpret as an ill-omen, but God
forbid.” It was a “very fair day,” the Archbishop records, "till towards
five at night; then great extremity of thunder and lightning, and much
hurt done; the lanthorn at St. James’s House blasted, the vane heading
the Prince’s arms beaten to pieces."
The Prince was then in Spain. It was Tuesday, and St. James’s day
(N.S.)[18]
Footnote 18:
Nichols, vol. iii., p. 227.
It appears, however, from Mr. Chamberlain’s letters,[19] that although
“Spanish tidings” were kept “very close,” the Prince had even then
written to the Duke of Richmond to procure him the King’s permission to
return home, as he was anxious to leave Spain.[20] About the same time a
letter from Endymion Porter, dated July twelfth, to his wife Olive,
intimated that the Prince was to be contracted in three weeks, but the
Infanta, than whom, he added, there never was a better creature, was to
follow in the following March.[21]
Footnote 19:
Dated July 12.
Footnote 20:
State Papers, vol. cxlviii., No. 12.
Footnote 21:
Ibid, No. 125.
Meantime the articles of agreement for the marriage were read publicly
by Secretary Calvert at Court, when the King of Spain swore to observe
them. The Infanta was to have an Archbishop and twenty-four priests in
her suite, and a chapel for her Spanish household, but no English were
to attend it. She was to be allowed the training of her children only
until they were ten years old. The Prince and Infanta were to sign the
contract of marriage on St. James’s day; that day which Laud had noted
in his Diary as one of storms and destruction.[22] At the same time that
a Romanist Archbishop and twenty-four priests were to be admitted into
the very heart of the Court, three Jesuits were imprisoned at Dover for
bringing over pictures and books; a subject of the British crown was
prosecuted in the Ecclesiastical court for not standing up at the creed,
or kneeling down at the Lord’s Prayer, in church; and a poor woman,
passing over from Calais, was brought up before the Commissioners of
Passage for having beads, which, she said, were bought to make
bracelets, and Popish books in her possession,[23] which, she asserted,
were for the use of the Spanish ambassador.
Footnote 22:
Ibid, vol. clix., No. 80.
Footnote 23:
State Papers, vol. xlix., Nos. 20 and 22.
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