whether eurie equall space did equall the number of these, I cannot justly say, therefore I forbeare to set it downe. When we were come to Theobalds, wee vnderstood his Majestie to be within the compasse of three quarters of a mile of the house, at which tidings wee devided our selues into three parts, each one taking a place of speciall note, to see what memorable accidents might happen within his compasse, one standing at the vpper end of the walke, the second at the vpper end of the first court, the third at the second court dore; and wee had made choice of a Gentleman of good sort to stand in the court that leads into the Hall, to take notice what was done or said by his Highnesse to the Nobilitie of our land, or saide or done by them to his Majestie, and to let vs vnderstand of it, all which accidents as they hapned in their seueral places, you shall heare in as few words as may be. Thus then for his Majesties comming vp the walke, ther came before his Majestie some of the Nobilitie, some Barons, Knights, Esquires, Gentlemen, and others, amongst whom was the Shriefes of Essex, and the most of his men, the trumpets sounding next before his Highnesse, sometimes one, sometimes another; his Majestie riding not continually betwixt the same two, but sometimes one, sometimes another, as seemed best to his Highnesse, the whole Nobilitie of our land and Scotland round about him, obseruing no place of superioritie, all bare-headed, all whom alighted from their horses, at their entrance into the first court, saue onely his Majestie alone, who rid along still, foure Noblemen laying their hands vpon his steed, two before and two behind, in this manner hee came till he was come to the court dore, where myselfe stoode, where he alighted from his horse, from which he had not gone ten princely paces, but there was deliuered him a petition by a yong Gentleman; his Majestie returning him this gracious answere, that he should bee heard and have justice. At the entrance into that court stood many Noblemen, amongst whom was Sir Robert Cecil, who there meeting his Majestie conducted him into his house, all which was practised with as great applause of the people as could be, hartie prayer, and throwing up of hats. His Majestie had not staied aboue an houre in his chamber, but hearing the multitude throng so fast into the vppermost court to see his Highnesse, as his Grace was informed, hee showed himselfe openly, out of his chamber window, by the space of halfe an houre together, after which time hee went into the laberinthlike garden to walke, where hee recreated himselfe in the Meander's compact of bayes, rosemarie, and the like overshadowing his walke, to defend him from the heate of the sunne, till supper time, at which was suche plentie of prouision for all sorts of men in their due place, as strucke mee with admiration; and first, to begin with the ragged regiments, and such as were debarred the priueledge of any court, these were so sufficientlie rewarded with beefe, veale, mutton, bread, and beere, that they sung holiday euery day and kept a continual feast; as for poore, maimed and distressed soulders which repaired thether for maintenance, the wine, money, and meat, which they had in verie bounteous sort, hath beene a sufficient spur to cause them to blaze it abroad since their coming to London, whose thankfulnesse is not altogether vnknowne to myselfe, whom some of them hearing that I was about to publish this small remembrance, made meanes to mee to giue mee true information of such Princelie exhibitions they daily receiued during the time of his Majestie's abode at Theobalds. But let vs looke a litle back into the Mirrour of Majestie, our Soueraigne's owne selfe, who, in his princely wisdome, considering the multitude of people assembled together, had that prouident care ouer vs his louing subiects, foreseeing that victualls would be deere, both for horse and man, had it been permitted to have bene disposed of according to the insatiable desire of the Towne inhabitants, ratified a deposition to that effect, taken before the Clark of the Market, for such and such victualls, meale, bread, butter, egges, cheese, beefe, mutton, ueale, and the like, with lodging and manie more such necessarie matters, that they should not be out of measure deare, beyond ordinary course and custome, within the Verge of his Majestie's Court, so long as it continued at Theobalds. What his Princely intention was in this towards the publick good of all his faithfull subiects, then and there assembled together, meerely drawne with the bonds of loue and bounden dutie, may easily be gathered by the publication of the same, by his Majesties priuiledge: but how effectually it was obserued by all estates of people, within the Verge of his Majestie's Court at the sayd tyme, I referre it to the censure of them that are assured of the certaintie of it. Upon Wednesday morne, being the fourth of May, his Majestie rid uery early in the morning into Enfeeld Chace, accompanied with many of the Nobilitie; his returne was shorter then was expected by a great deale, by reason the morning seemed to promise a shower, but did not performe it. I could haue wished that either it had neuer loured at all, so we should haue enioyed the presence of his Majestie the longer, at that present, or else that the middle region would haue giuen vs iust cause to haue rayld against it, by vrging his Highness' retourne into the house before his full recreation; he rid the most part of the way from the Chace betwene two honourable personages of our land, the Earle of Northumberland vpon his Majestie's right hand, the Earle of Nothingham vpon his left hand. Now one word concerning his Majesties proceeding towards London vpon Satterday, being the seuenth of May, and so wil end. For the number of people that went forth of the Cittie of London to see his Majestie that day, doubtless they were contained in a number, but without all doubt not to be numbred. I heard many grey heads speake it, that in all the meetings they haue seene or heard of, they never heard or saw the tenth man was there to be seene that day, betwixt Enfeeld and London, euerie place in this space so clogd with companie, that his Highnesse could not passe without pausing, oft times willingly enforced, though more willing to haue proceeded, if conueniently he could without great perill to his beloved people. After our retourne to our houses, in our recreating prattle, a Gentilman then soiourning in my house, one Master Th. Pa. a man vpon my own knowledge of sufficient wealth, yet he would haue bene content to haue exchanged his state, so he might but haue had actually euerie reassonable creature was ther that day, a bee, and a hiue to put them in. Another (more reasonable than he) would aske no more liuing, then for euerie one a pin, which, according with an arithmeticall proporcion, by the iudgement of two or three martiall men, who had seene great compaines together, as neere as they could guesse, by their seeming show, would haue amounted to an hundred and fiftie pound, receauing but of euery one a pin. His Majestie comming to Stamford Hill, ther was an Oration made vnto his Highnesse, the effect wherof I could not truly learn; and heare it I could not, by reason of the crowd, for euen there, being three miles from London, the people were so throng, that a carman let his cart for eight groats to eight persons, whose aboad was not in it aboue one quarter of an houre. From Stamford Hill' to London was made a traine with a tame deare, with such twinings and doubles, that the hounds could not take it faster than his Majestie proceeded; yet still, by the industrie of the huntsman, and the subtilitie of him that made the traine in a full-mouthed crie all the way, neuer farther distant than one close from the highway, whereby his Highnesse rid, and for the most part directly against his Majestie, whom, together with the whole companie, had the lee winde from the hounds, to the end they might the better perceue and iudge of the vniformitie in the cries.-After his Majestie was come from Kingsland, there begun a division amongst the people which way his Highnesse 1 "The name of King," says Howes, "was very strange, being full 50 years since there was a King in England. The King as much admired at the infinite numbers of people that continually met him in his journey; albeit the former numbers were no wayes comparable unto those he met near London." would take when he came at Islington, but in fine he came the higher way 1, by the West end of the Church; which streete hath euer since been, and I gesse ever wilbe, called King's-street, by the inhabitants of the same. When his Highnes had passed Islington, and another place called New-rents, and entred into a close called Wood's-close, by a way that was cut of purpose through the banck, for hisMajestie's more convenient passage into the Charter-house-garden, the people that were there assembled, I compare to nothing more conveniently then to imagine euery grasse to have been metamorphosed into a man, in a moment, the multitude was so marvellous, amongste whome were the Children of the Hospital 3 singing, orderly placed for his Majestie's comming along through them, but all displaced by reason of the rudenesse of such a multitude. After his Majestie was come amongst the presse of the people, the shouts and clamours were so great, that one could scarce heare another speake, and though there were no hope to finde what was lost, especially by the loser; notwithstanding in token of excessive ioy, inwardly conceaued in the hart, many threw up their hats. Now at last he is entred into the Garden, from which time till his going to the Tower, mine eies were never blest with his encounter 4. Now he is amongst vs, God long preserve him ouer vs, whose presence makes old men sing, Satis se vixisse se viso! A Salutatorie Poem to the Majestie of King JAMES. Unfit to blazon Kings befitting praise. pray, Yet nerethelesse I'm forc'd perforce to write, The old name of " the higher way," or "Upper-street," is still in use; but“ King-street" is only retained in the name of an old Tavern, " The King's Head."-At the time King James passed through Islington, what is now the "Pied Bull Inn" was the mansion of Sir Walter Raleigh. At the distance of 220 years, it is not easy to ascertain the precise situation of these "New Rents."-Islington did not then join Clerkenwell; and the street now called "Wood's Close" was then a field, on or near which many hundred houses have since been built. Blue-coat Boys from Christ's Hospital. The expence of his Majesty and Train, in his journey from Scotland, appears, from an authenticated statement, to have been £.10,752. The Funeral Charges of Queen Elizabeth were £.17,498. This blest eue of the blest Annunciation Possest our soules, longing so long for thee. She blest the Author of her good, th' Incarnate Word, At tidings of your Proclamation wee, In hands, in hats, in harts did all agree; The World hath our applause, Heavens have our hartie praying, Your selfe hands, hats, and harts from you nere straying. The fruit which came by th' Angel's Avè t'all Is easily gathered by ould Adam's fall, The World, the Flesh, the Deuell, each one our foe, By Avè had their final overthrow. The fruit we hope to reape by "God saue th' King!" Gabriell, why staist? Angel, why art thou slacke? And bid "God save King James's Majestie!" Old Homer writes, a silly Dogge could say 'The King was proclaimed on Lady-day, the 25th of March. This mixture of sacred and profane, is highly censurable; but it was the fashion of the age in which this "Salutation" was written, and the flattery was not offensive to the pedantic Monarch. |