FRANCES HOWARD,

COUNTESS OF SOMERSET.

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Revolting Character of this Woman. The Earl of Suffolk,

her Father her Beauty - her Marriage to the Earl of Essex.

Character of the Earl. The Countess's love for, and clan-

destine Meetings with, Somerset her Expedients to procure

a Divorce - her Agents, Mrs. Turner and Dr. Forman, the

Astrologer. Death of Forman. Trial and Execution of

Mrs. Turner. Sir Jervis Elways. Trial for Divorce be-

tween the Earl and Countess of Essex. Arguments for and

against the Divorce by King James and the Archbishop of

Canterbury. Retirement of Essex to Chartley.- Marriage of

the divorced Countess to Essex her Trial for the Murder

of Overbury - her Appearance in Court her Sentence.

Estrangement between her and her Husband - her Death.

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Page 282

HENRY HOWARD,

EARL OF

NORTHAMPTON.

Birth of Henry Howard - his Relations-his Advancement

at Court. Prediction of an Italian Astrologer: its Fulfilment.

Character of the Earl-his Share in Overbury's Murder.

his Letters to Sir Jervis Elways. Anomalies of his Nature-

his Literary Works- his Religion. - Detection of his secret

Correspondence with Cardinal Bellarmine - his Death

Bequest to the King.

his

303

MARY, COUNTESS OF PEMBROKE.

Relations of this Lady-her Character — her Literary Works

her Death.

314

ception at the Court of Elizabeth-his Marriage - his Conduct

at the Council Chamber of James.- The King's practical Joke,

and Pembroke's Retaliation. Quarrel between Pembroke and

Sir George Wharton. - Wood's Description of Pembroke.

Remarkable Circumstances attending his Decease.

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Page 317

PHILIP HERBERT,

EARL OF PEMBROKE AND MONTGOMERY.

The Earl's Character. King James's Partiality for him

his Progress at Court - his Appearance at the Court of Eliza-

bethhis Marriage to Lady Susan Vere. - The Wedding Ban-

quet and Mask. - Montgomery's Insolence and Cowardice —

he is Horse-whipped by Ramsey. — The Earl's Vanity as a

Patron of Literature-his second Wife-his political Apos-

tacy. - Burlesque of his Speech to the University of Oxford -

his Study of Physiognomy - his Death.

328

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JAMES HAY,

EARL OF CARLISLE.

Introduction of this Personage to King James- his rapid

Rise in the Monarch's Favour his Elevation to the Peerage.

Family Traditions.-The Earl's Magnificence. -Splendour

of his Mission to Paris- his costly Progress to Germany-

Dinner provided for him by the Prince of Orange- his unsuc-

cessful Missions—his Extravagance in Costume Prodigality

of his Feasts. Ante-suppers. - Banquet given by the Earl in

honour of the French Ambassador. - First and Second Mar-

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riage of the Earl his ruling Passion in Death his Cha-

racter.

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340

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FRANCIS LORD BACON,

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EARL OF ST. ALBANS.

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Bacon's Birth his Boyhood - his Oratory- his Friends. -

Hobbes of Malmsbury. Variety of Bacon's Knowledge - his

superb Manner of Living- his Venality. — Dishonesty of his

Servants- his Humiliation before his Peers - his Retort to

Gondomar. Remark of Charles Prince of Wales. Bacon's

Ingratitude to the Earl of Essex-False Aspersions cast on

his Name his comparative Poverty. Anecdotes - Bacon's

personal Appearance. Anecdotes. - Celebration of Bacon's

Sixtieth Birth-day- Ben Jonson's Verses on the Occasion.

- Bacon's Death. Howell's Remarks on the Event. Page 353

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EDWARD LORD HERBERT,

OF CHERBURY.

Autobiography of this Nobleman - he is sent Ambassador

to Paris created Lord Herbert-his Marriage- his first Ap-

pearance
before Queen Elizabeth-he is invested with the Order

of the Bath. Spirit of Knight errantry in the days of James:

Anecdotes. Quarrel between Lord Herbert and the Consta-

ble de Luisnes. Herbert's personal Appearance - his Poetry

- Contradictions in his Character. Extraordinary Instance of

Vanity and Inconsistency- his last Illness and serene Death-

Horace Walpole's Estimate of his Character.

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368

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ARCHEE, THE COURT FOOL.

Use and Importance in former Days of the Office of Royal

Fool. Character of Archibald Armstrong, King James's Jes-

ter his witty Sayings-his Success at Madrid-his Feud with

Archbishop Laud his Dismissal from Court - his Retirement

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MEMOIRS

CONCERNING

THE REIGN OF THE STUARTS.

JAMES I.

CHAPTER I.

Reign of James the First.-Unwarlike Character of that Monarch. Untimely Ends of his Ancestors. Advancement in

Parliamentary Liberty.-Room in which James the First was
born. Misfortunes of Mary Stuart.-Reception by Queen
Elizabeth of the News of James's Birth.-Baptism of James.
-Queen Mary's Imprudence. Coronation of the Royal
Infant.-James and his Tutor, Buchanan.

THE reign of James the First is eminently deficient in matters of stirring and general interest. A timid Prince, a people not discontented, a long peace abroad, and a tolerably submissive Parliament at home, supply but meagre materials to theð inn historian. It is not, therefore, too much to expect, that, in the private history of the individual, in the manners of the time, and the intrigues of the Court, some slight compensation may be found for the absence of more important events.

VOL. I.

B