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
The King grew worse after these remedies, and great “droughts, raving,
fainting, and an intermitting pulse followed thereupon.” Twice was the
drink given him by the Duke’s own hand; and the third time refused. The
physicians, to comfort the King, told him that the relapse was from
cold, or from some other accidental cause. Upon which James answered,
“No, no, it was that I had from Buckingham.” “I confess,” adds Coke,
“that this was but a charge upon the Duke upon the Impeachment of the
Commons” (in the next reign), “yet it was next to positive proof, for
King Charles, rather than his charge should come to an issue, dissolved
one Parliament.”[157]
Footnote 157:
Ibid, 177.
It appears, however, that the plasters to which such dire consequences
were ascribed, and which seem to have been suggested by the Countess of
Buckingham, were prepared by an able and honest physician, Dr. John
Remington, of Dunmow, in Essex;[158] and that he had often applied
similar ones with success. One error was in supposing that a remedy
suited to one case had an empirical virtue; another, in using it,
without the knowledge of the physicians in attendance on the King. Their
professional pride was, of course, justly irritated by the discovery;
and one of them, Dr. Craig, having spoken “some plain words” on the
matter, was ordered out of the Court, the Duke himself complaining to
the King of what had been uttered.[159]
Footnote 158:
Fuller’s Church History, b. x. p., 113.
Footnote 159:
Nichols.--From Harleian MSS., 389.
His Majesty, however, grew worse and worse, so that Mr. Hayes, the Court
surgeon, was called out of bed to take off the plasters; a julep was
then prepared by Mr. Baker, the Duke of Buckingham’s servant, for His
Majesty to drink, and was administered by Buckingham himself.
These particulars were all given and sworn to by the physicians, two
years afterwards, before a select committee of Parliament, when the
Duke’s act was voted “transcendant presumption,” though most people
thought that it was done without any ill intention.[160]
Footnote 160:
Ibid.
Whilst the poor King lay expiring, a strange and scandalous scene,
according to Weldon, passed near his death-bed. Buckingham was coming
into the chamber, when one of the servants greeted him with these
words:--"Ah! my lord, you have undone all us poor servants, though you
are so well provided for you need not care:" upon which the Duke kicked
him. The man, enraged, caught hold of the foot which spurned him, and
the Duke fell to the ground. On arising, he ran to the King’s bedside,
and exclaimed, “Justice, for I am an abused man.” At which James is said
to have fixed his eyes mournfully upon him, "as one who would have said,
‘not wrongfully.’"[161]
Footnote 161:
Weldon, p. 39.
Such were the unwarrantable and malignant reports which strove to impute
to Buckingham the foulest treachery and the deepest ingratitude.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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