Charles I. to the Duke of Buckingham.1

Steenie,

I writ to you by Ned Clarke that I thought I would have cause enufe 2 in short time to put away the monsieurs, either by attempting to steal away my wife, or by making plots with my own subjects. For the first, I cannot say certainly whether it was intended, but I am sure it is hindred; for the other, though I have good grounds to belife3 it, and am still hunting after it, yet seeing daily the maliciousness of the monsieurs, by making and fomenting discontentments in my wife, I could tarry no longer from advertising of you, that I mean to seek for no other grounds to cashier my monsieurs, having for this purpose sent you this other letter that you may, if you think good, advertise the queen-mother with my intention; for this being an action that may have a show of harshness, I thought it was fit to take this way, that she to whom I have had many obligations may not take it unkindly, and likewise I think I have done you no wrong in my letter, though in some place I may seem to chide you. pray you send me word with what speed you may, whether ye like this course or not, for I shall put nothing of this in execution while I hear from you; in the mean time, I shall think of the convenient means to do this business with

1 MS. Harl. 6988, art. 96.

4 Marie de Medicis. Extraordinary at Paris.

I

2 Enough (Scotch.)

3 To let it remain. Buckingham was at this time Ambassador

the best mind, but I am resolute: it must be done, and that shortly. So, longing to see thee, I rest

You know what patience I have had with the unkind usages of my wife, grounded upon a belief that it was not in her nature, but made by ill instruments, and overcome by your persuasions to me, that my kind usages would be able to rectify those misunderstandings. I hope my ground may be true, but I am sure you have erred in your opinion; for I find daily worse and worse effects of ill offices done between us, my kind usages having no power to mind anything. Now, necessity urges me to vent myself to you in this particular, for grief is eased being told to a friend; and because I have many obligations to my mother-in-law (knowing that these courses of my wife are so much against her knowledge, that they are contrary to her

1 The French household that attended on the Queen had already become distasteful to the king. He imagined that they influenced her opinions, actions, and even her affections. Hence arose his determination to be freed from their society; and these letters unfold the method by which he accomplished his purpose.

2 MS. Harl. 6988, art. 1.

advice) I would do nothing concerning her daughter that may taste of any harshness, without advertising her of the reasons and necessity of the thing; therefore I have chosen you for this purpose, because you, having been one of the chief causes that hath withheld me from these courses hitherto, you may well be one of my chief witnesses that I have been forced into these courses now. You must, therefore, advertise my mother-in-law, that I must remove all those instruments that are causes of unkindness between her daughter and me, few or none of the servants being free of this fault in one kind or other; therefore I would be glad that she might find a means to make themselves suitors to be gone; if this be not, I hope there can be no exceptions taken at me, to follow the example of Spain and Savoy in this particular.1 So, requiring a speedy answer of thee in this business, (for the longer it is delayed, the worse it will grow) I

rest

Your loving, faithful, constant friend,
CHARLES R.

Charles I. to the Duke of Buckingham."

Steenie,

I have hitherto deferred writing to you, both because I wanted subject, and that I thought that

1 The servants of a Spanish princess, who had misbehaved under similar circumstances, had been expelled from France some years before. See Howell's Letters, 15th March, 1626.

2 MS. Harl. 6988, art. 3. This letter was probably written in December, 1625, when Buckingham went to the Hague with the crown jewels, in the hope of raising £300,000 upon them.

you would be on your way towards me before my letters could reach you. Now I send this bearer to you, as well to answer your letter concerning the Turkish ambassador, as to entreat you not to stay upon uncertainty of winds, but come away as soon as all the army is shipped, which I hope will be before this can come to you. Your journey to my sister and France requires daily more haste than other; for though my uncle' of late has had good luck, yet he needs present encouragement, and Mansfelt, without instant help, dissolves to nothing. As for news, my wife begins to mend her manners ; I know not how long it will continue, for they say it is by advice; but the best of all is, they the monsieurs desire to return home; I will not say this is certain, for you know nothing that they say can be so. So, hoping to see you shortly, I rest

Your loving, faithful, constant friend,

CHARLES R.

Charles I. to the Earl of Bristol.2

January 21st, 1625-6.

We have read your letter addressed to us by Buckingham, and we cannot but wonder that you should through forgetfulness make such a request to us of favour as if you stood evenly capable of it; when you know what

1 King of Denmark.

2 Cabala Mysteries of State and Government, in letters, London, 1641, fol. p. 188. An application to Charles from Bristol of a manly and honest character produced this very severe letter. He was committed to the Tower in the following June. The subsequent proceedings against Bristol reflect no credit on his accusers.

your behaviour in Spain deserved of us, which you are to examine by the observations we made, and know you well remember how, at our first coming into Spain, taking upon you to be so wise as to foresee our intentions to change our religion, you were so far from dissuading us that you offered your service and secrecy to concur in it, and in many other open conferences, presssing to show how convenient it was for us to be a Roman Catholic, it being impossible, in your opinion, to do any great action otherwise; how much wrong, disadvantage, and disservice you did to the treaty, and to the right and interest of our dear brother, and sister, and their children; what disadvantage, inconvenience, and hazard you entangled us in by your artifices putting off and delaying our return home. The great estimation you made of that state, and the vile price you set this kingdom at, still maintaining that we, under colour of friendship to Spain, did what was in our power against them, which (you said) they knew very well. And, last of all, your approving of those conditions, that our nephew should be brought up in the emperor's court; to which Sir Walter Aston then said he durst not give his consent for fear of his head; you replying to him that, without some such great action, neither marriage nor peace could be had, &c.

January 21st, 1625.

VOL. II.

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