aforesaid (knowing above all things delayes to bee most dangerous) within six houres after her Highnesse death, made Proclamation at the Court Gates in the open assemblie, signifying and assuring the people her Majesty was dead, and that the right of succession was wholly in JAMES the King of Scots, now justly intituled unto the Crowne of England. And the same made knowne unto all his loving subjects by this Proclamation, by the name of "James the First, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c." And about eleven of the clocke the same forenoone, at the West side of the High Crosse in Cheape-side, where were assembled the most parte of the English Princes, Peeres, divers principall Prelates, and extraordinary and unexpected numbers of gallant Knights, and grave Gentlemen of note well mounted, besides the huge number of common persons; all which, with great reverence, gave attention unto the Proclamation, being most distinctly and audibly read by Mr. Secretary Cecill, at the end thereof with one consent cryed alowd, "God save King James," being not a little glad to see their long feared danger so cleerely prevented. After that, the Lords went unto Maister Sheriffe Pemberton's house, and there their wisedomes consulting what was further to be done in so waghtie businesse, sent three Heraulds and a Trumpetter to proclaime the same within the Tower, at the hearing whereof as well Prysoners as others rejoyced, namely, the Earle of Southampton, in whom all signes of great gladnesse appeared; great care and diligence was used to give notice of this happie and peaceable proceeding unto Justices of Counties, Rulers of Townes and Cities, forthwith to doe the like; yet, notwithstanding the swift expedition of this publication, there were divers Gentlemen had formed secret intelligence, and in divers places 1 proclaimed the King's right without warrant, but not without welcome."

'At MORPETH, ALNWICK, and BERWICK, the Proclamation was made by the authority of Sir Robert Carey. See hereafter pp. 32-34; and the " Progresses of Queen Elizabeth," vol. III. p. 607.

• “The infinite pains taken by Henry VIII. to prevent the accession of the House of Stewart to the English throne, were now defeated, and the fatal consequences of such an event, predicted by his flattering politicians, were proved to be false. The King of Scotland was unquestionably the lawful heir of the Crown of England, and his succeeding to it became the very means of restoring this country to its native strength, and of rendering Great Britain the arbiter of Europe. Still, however, as there were some prejudices against the accession of a Foreigner, and as the crown had not always descended in a regular succession; the Council did not immediately upon the notice of Elizabeth's death proclaim him King, but spent several hours in deliberating together, and in feeling each other's pulses on this most important subject. Hence it happened that the intelligence concerning the Queen's decease was made known throughout the country, and carried to James himself, before that concerning the proclamation of her successor. In these circumstances the High Sheriff of Hampshire took a

The Proclamation being somewhat remarkable, and proving that adulation is too often paid to a high, though untried character, it is here inserted at length: "Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God to call to his mercy, out of this transitory life, our Sovereign Lady the high and mighty Princess Elizabeth, late Queen of England, France, and Ireland, by whose death and dissolution the Imperial Realms aforesaid are come absolutely, wholly, and solely to the high and mighty Prince James the Sixth, King of Scotland; who is lineally and lawfully descended from Margaret, daughter of the high and renowned Prince Henry the Seventh, King of England, France, and Ireland, his great-grandfather; the said Lady Margaret being lawfully begotten of the body of Elizabeth, daughter of King Edward the Fourth, by whose happy conjunction both the Houses of York and Lancaster were united, to the unspeakable joy of the whole kingdom; Margaret being also eldest sister to Henry the Eighth, of famous memory, King of England as aforesaid.

"We, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, being here assembled, united, and assisted with those of her last Majesty's Privy Council, and with great numbers of other principal Gentlemen of quality, with the Lord Mayor, Alderbold and decided part, which proved his attachment to the House of Stewart. Instead of waiting for the orders of the Council in London, the result of whose deliberations could not, with any certainty, be known; the instant he heard that Elizabeth was no more, he hurried over to WINCHESTER, from his seat in its neighbourhood, and there proclaimed James I. King of England. This was Sir Benjamin Tichborne, of a family more ancient in this county than the conquest, who had been knighted by Elizabeth in 1601, in her Progress to Basing. It may seem extraordinary that Elizabeth should lavish her favours on known Catholic Recusants ;-as the Mayor of Winchester, Sir Henry Tichborne, Lord Montague, the Earl of Southampton, &c. were; yet so the case stood. She knew how to retain the laws in favour of those who pleased her. This loyal and spirited conduct of the High Sheriff appeared so meritorious in the eyes of the new Sovereign, who was remarkably liberal in his favours at his first entrance into England, that he made a grant to him and his heirs for ever, in fee farm, of the royal Castle in this city, with a yearly pension of £.100 during his own life and the life of his eldest son, Sir Richard Tichborne, whom he also knighted." Milner's Winchester, I. 389. "Notwithstanding the speedy and public notice given of the Queen's death, together with the proclamation of the immediate and lawful successors to the English Crown and Kingdom," says the Continuator of Stow's Annals, "yet the news of it reached not the City of YORK, only 150 miles distant, until Sunday March the 27th. Neither," adds my Author, "did the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of York give full credit to the report then; though they had received it from the Lord Burleigh, then Lord President of the Council in the North, and Lord Lieutenant of Yorkshire. Robert Water, Lord Mayor of York, with the Aldermen his brethren, had prepared themselves to have made Proclamation in their chief market-place of the death of the Queen, and the present right of King James to the

men, and Citizens of London, and with multitudes of other good subjects and commons of this land, thirsting after nothing so much as to make it known to all persons, who it is that by law, by lineal succession, and undoubted right, is now become the only Sovereign Lord and King of these Imperial Crowns and to the intent that, by virtue of his power, wisdom, and godly courage, all things may be provided for and executed, which may prevent or resist, either foreign attempts or popular disorders, tending to the breach of the present peace, or to the prejudice of his Majesty's quiet: We do now, hereby, with one full assent and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim, that the high and mighty James the Sixth, King of Scotland, is now, by the death of our late Sovereign, Queen of England, of famous memory, become our only lawful, lineal, and rightful liege Lord, James the First, King of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith; to whom, as to our only just Prince, adorned (besides his undoubted right) with all the rarest gifts of mind and body, to the infinite comfort of all his people and subjects, who shall live under him, we acknowledge all faith and constant obedience, with all hearty and humble affections, both during our natural lives for ourselves, and in behalf of our posterity: hereby protesting and declaring to all Succession that Sunday morning. Yet such was their doubt of the truth of the report that they stopped proceedings till they had sent the Recorder, with Thomas Herbert and Robert Askwith, Aldermen, to the Lord President, to know what certainty his Lordship had of it. The Lord President answered them, that he had no other intelligence, but only from a secret friend at Court whom he believed.' But, whilst they were thus in the house of the Lord President, a Gentleman of his own arrived with a packet of letters from the Nobility and Privy Counsellors, declaring the Queen's death, and the Proclamation of the King by them and the Lord Mayor of London. Then instantly the Lord Mayor of York and his brethren having received the Proclamation in print, proclaimed the King of Scots their true and lawful King; that is to say, James, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender, &c. in all the public places of the City with all duty, love, integrity, and joyful acclamations." Drake's History of York, p. 130.

"The news of these events did not reach KINGSTON-UPON-HULL till Sunday the 27th, on which day, about six in the morning, Lord Clinton, with about ten Gentlemen of his retinue, were the first who brought the important intelligence to the town. As soon as his Lordship landed from Barton, he immediately waited on the Mayor, and requested his leave to proclaim James the Sixth, King of Scotland, by the name of James the First, King of England; but the request being suddenly made, and made too without any official warrant from the Nobles of the Realm, as his Lordship himself acknowledged, or of any of her late Majesty's Privy Council, the Mayor (Joseph Field, Esq.) was at a loss on what to resolve. However, he immediately called a Council consisting of the Recorder and Aldermen, who met in the Council-house in the Church of the Holy Trinity. After mature deliberation and a long debate, they informed his Lordship that, supposing the Queen was dead, yet having no

persons whatsoever, that, in this just and lawful act of ours, we are resolved, by the favour of God's holy assistance, and in the zeal of our conscience (warranted by certain knowledge of his undoubted right, as has been said before), to maintain and uphold his Majesty's person and estate, as our only undoubted Sovereign Lord and King, with the sacrifice of our lives, lands, goods, friends, and adherents, against all the force and practice that shall go about, by word or deed, to interrupt, contradict, or impugn his just claims, his entry into this kingdom at his good pleasure, or disobey such royal directions as shall come from him, to all which we are resolved to stand to the last drop of our blood.

"Therefore we will and command, in the name of our Sovereign Lord James the First, King of all the aforesaid kingdoms, all Lieutenants, Deputy Lieutenants, Sheriffs, Justices, Mayors, Bailiffs, Constables, Headboroughs, and all other Officers and Ministers whomsoever, that they be aiding and assisting from time to time, in all things that are or shall be necessary for the preventing, resisting, and suppressing of such disorderly assemblies, or other unlawful acts or attempts, either in word or deed, as shall be against the public peace of this Realm; or any way prejudicial to the right, honour, state, or person of our only undoubted and dread Lord and Sovereign that now is, James the First, King of the aforesaid orders from above relative to her successor, they durst not grant his Lordship the liberty to proclaim any Prince as King of England, unless they had sufficient authority for such a proceeding; at the same time they told his Lordship, that they would immediately dispatch an express to the Lord President of the North, at York, to know what certainty his Lordship had of the Queen's decease, and what further it would be proper to do in consequence of that event. Just as the messenger reached York, a Gentlemen arrived at the house of the Lord President, with a packet of letters from the Nobility and Privy Councillors, declaring the Queen's death, and the Proclamation of the King of Scots by them and the Lord Mayor of London. Accordingly the messenger returned the same evening with the following letter from the Lord President:"

"York, March 27, 1603. After my very hearty commendations, the Queen's Majesty being dead, I have this day caused the King of Scots to be proclamed King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, according to the directions sent unto me from the Lords of this realm: and I have caused several copies of the Proclamation to be sent, as well to your town of Hull, as to others within this county, with particular instructions what course to take therein, and have sent the same to you by Mr. Hildyard, who was here this day with me, and have joined him in commission with you and others in this matter; and you shall do well, as you have great cause to express the joy and comfort that you are to receive herein, by making of bonfires, and such like other demonstrations of joy, as hath been already done in London upon this Proclamation. I give you thanks for your letters by this bearer, and greatly commend your good discretion therein; that you did forbear to enter into such a business upon any great private man's commandment; having no commission or sufficient authority from the Lords above, or from the President or Council here. I require you

kingdoms, as they will avoid the peril of his Majesty's heavy indignation, and their own utter ruin and confusion; beseeching God to bless his Majesty and his Royal posterity, with long and happy years to reign over us. GOD SAVE KING Signed by about Thirty Bishops, Dukes, Earls, and Lords.

JAMES."

The following form of Proclamation was used at SOUTHAMPTON: "Whereas, upon the 24th day of this present moneth, it pleased the Almightie God to call out of this mortal lyfe, our late Sovereign and most noble Queen Elizabeth, of happie memorie, and wee doubt not to everlasting blessednesse in heaven; whereuppon the noble persons and others that were of her most honourable Privie Councell, and that were at her departure in her Court at Richmond, eftsoones, repaired to the Citie of London, and there, on Thursday last past, uppon deliberate consideration howe necessarye it was, not only to make knowen to the world the death of the said most Christian and Godly Queen, but also to declare howe James the nowe King of Scotland, beeyng royally and in the right line from both Houses of York and Lancaster, descended from the Ladie Margarett, the eldest daughter of the famous King Henry the Seventh, and Sister to the last famous and noble King Henry the Eighth, and therfore the said King James of Scotland, beyng by the law of God, of Nature, and of this Realme of England,

as Mayor, and the rest of your brethren, to continue your good care of your town; and to see that your Port, and other places of strength be securely kept, and your town kept in good quiet. So I leave you to God's good and safe protection. Your loving Friend, THOMAS BURLEY."

"On the day following Christopher Hildyard, John Hotham, Launcelot Alford, Esqrs. and several others who were joined in commission with the Mayor, Recorder, and Aldermen, came to the town; and a little before noon they walked in procession with much pomp, accompanied with trumpets, and various other instruments of music, to the market-place, and there proclaimed James the King of Scots their true and lawful King, with all duty, love, and loyalty, and amidst the most joyful acclamations of all the spectators, who rent the air with their loud and reiterated shouts of, LONG LIVE KING JAMES! As soon as the Proclamation was ended, the King's health was drank, liquor given to the populace, and the whole day spent in ringing of bells, bonfires, and such other demonstrations of joy as are usual on similar occasions." Tickell's History of Kingston-upon-Hull.

"On Saturday March 26, was proclaimed, in open market at LEICESTER, by the Mayor and his brethren, the death of the Queen's Majesty and the King of Scots proclaimed. Mem. That at the request of Mr. Mayor, Henry Hastings, Esq. son and heir apparent of Sir Edward Hastings, Knt. did read the Proclamation to the publisher thereof, both in the open market at Gainsborough Chamber, at the High Cross, in the presence of Mr. Mayor and divers of his brethren, and many Gentlemen of the county of Leicester. Another Proclamation, sent by the Lords, from London, was published on Saturday, April 2, by the Mayor, Lord Hastings, the High Sheriff, &c. and was read by the Lord Hastings." Nichols's History of Leicestershire, vol. I. p. 417.