professions) until we wait upon you. The cause why we have been so long unwriting to you, since Cottingham's coming, is, that we would try all possible means (before we would send you word) to see if we could move them to send the Infanta before winter. They, for form's sake, called the divines, and they stick to their old resolution; but we find by circumstances, that conscience is not the true but seeming cause of the Infanta's stay. To conclude, we have wrought what we can, but since we cannot have her with us that we desired, our next comfort is, that we hope shortly to kiss your majesty's hands. Sir, we have been informed by my Lord of Bristol, that by the French ambassador's means, the Spanish ambassador has seen all the letters that we have written to you, and that you are betrayed in your bed-chamber. So craving your blessing, we rest servant, Your majesty's most humble and obedient son and CHARLES. Sir, I have been the willinger to let your son play the secretary at this time of little need, that you may thereby see the extraordinary care he hath of me, for which I will not intreat you not to love him the worse, nor him that threatens you, that when he once gets hold of your bedpost again, never to quit it. Your majesty's most humble slave and dog, STEENIE. Marquis of Inoyosa will be very busy by bribes to prevent any one that may lean that way, the which your lordship will be pleased to take into your consideration." Madam, James I. to the Infanta of Spain.1 The celebrity of your virtues has not only attracted, in the capacity of a lover, my very dear son to come from afar to see you, but has inspired me also with an ardent desire of having the happiness of your presence, and of enjoying the pleasure of embracing such a princess in the quality of a daughter,—an unequalled comfort to Your very affectionate father, August 30, 1623. J. R. Prince Charles and the Duke to James 1.2 Dear dad and gossip, Madrid, 30th of August, 1623. This day we take our leaves; to-morrow we begin our journey; we leave our businesses thus. The pope being sick (as they say here), hath not yet given power for the delivery of the dispensation, upon the capitulations agreed upon, wherefore they not being able (though many divines say the contrary) to contract me your baby, until that power come from Rome, and they not having used us with those realities, as to encourage us to rely longer upon uncertainties, I your baby have thought fit to leave my promise to the king in my Lord of Bristol's hands, to deliver it when that 1 Collection of Spanish historical documents, Rawlinson MSS. From the French. 2 MS. Harl. 6987, art. 76. power comes from Rome. As for the business of the Palatinate1 (now that we have pressed them to it), we have discovered these two impediments; first they say, they have no hope to accommodate it, without the marriage of your grandchild with the emperor's daughter; but though we know you will like the proposition of the marriage, yet we know not how either you, or your son-in-law or daughter, will like it with this condition, that your grandchild be bred up in the emperor's court. The second is, that though they are content to restore him all his lands, and his son to both lands and honour, yet they will not engage themselves to restore himself to honours, but have it left to their mediation and courtesy ; and how the first point will be obtained of the father, when they will discontent him in the latter, we leave you to judge. For the jointure and temporal articles, we will be able (when we shall be so happy as to kiss your majesty's hands) to give you a perfect account; in the mean time we crave your blessing, and end Your majesty's humble and obedient son and servant, CHARLES. Your majesty's most humble slave and dog, 1 "I would have you give thanks for the entertainment of our son, and to do what you may to make an insolvable union of companions in love and vanity, we have expected the total restitution of the Palatinate and of the electorship; so therefore, so soon as you procure the king's resolution herein, and let him understand of the blank paper, we should wish to set down our conditions for the Palatinate."-Letter of James 1. to the Earl of Bristol, Harleian MSS. Prince Charles to the Earl of Bristol.1 Bristol, you know that I told you, I feared when I came away, the Infanta might go to a monastery, after I was contracted by virtue of a dispensation granted from Rome; and so the marriage might be broken; and the king my father and all the world might condemn me, and account me a rash-headed fool not to have prevented it. And, therefore, do not dispose of my proxy, until you hear more from me, for such a monastery may pill 2 me of my wife. So not doubting but you will observe particularly this, I leave you. CHARLES. James I. to the Duke of Buckingham.3 Sweet hearty, when I made little Dick write my excuse to thee yesterday for not writing myself, I was very sick of a great flux that morning, but now, thank God, I am well, in spite of thee, and having changed my purpose in resolving to stay here at Oaking till Monday, so earnest I am to kill more of Zouch's great stags, I summon thee to come here to-morrow, and let Kate and 1 MS. Harl. 2232, art. 10. This letter is without date, but it must have been written in November, 1623, on the 26th of which month, Bristol received his prohibition to deliver the proxy, as well as orders to return to England, and a message from James to Philip that the marriage should be contracted when the latter should pledge himself to commence liabilities in favour of the Palatinate. The pretext of the Infanta's retreat to a monastery after her espousals is generally attributed to the invention of the Duke of Buckingham. 2 To rob or plunder. 3 Harl. MS. No. 6011, p. 34. same collection, No. 6987, f. 105. Compared with another copy in the Sue' go to Windsor, and meet me on Monday afternoon at Harrison's Heath hard with their bows. My Lord Percy is come out of France with better news than before; our standing to it has made them more reasonable; they are contented now with a letter and no mention of the holy Evangils in it: thy letter did great good. How soon my son comes from Guildford I will send thee the paper. I send thee an excellent Barbary melon; in good faith, I had no melons since thy parting till yesternight. God bless thee and thine, JAMES R. Prince Charles to the Duke of Buckingham, after the Earl of Bristol's return.2 Steenie, First I must thank you for the token you sent me; then that you implored so good a secretary to answer my letter. Now I must crave your pardon to trouble you a little, and it is this; Bristol stands upon his justification, and will by no means accept of my councils; the king does hate to have him come to his trial, and I am affeard if you be not with us to help to charge him, and to set the king right, he may escape 1 The Duchess of Buckingham and the Countess of Denbigh. 2 MS. Harl. 6987, art. 113. Immediately on his return, the Earl of Bristol was ordered to repair to his country-seat, and consider himself a prisoner. The feeling against him displayed in this letter is by no means creditable to Charles. 3 Afraid. This form of the word is now a provincial vulgarism. Sic voluit usus! The language of our meanest peasant is authorized by the correspondence of Charles I. |