was commanded to leave the place. This order he showed no inclination to obey: accordingly the captain of the guard proceeded to pull him out; on which he burst forth as follows: "This day shall be a witness against the King, in the great day of the Lord," and then denouncing a woe to the inhabitants of Edinburgh, he went down, and the Bishop of St. Andrews performed the duty.*

James was, to a certain degree, indebted for these insults to the discussion of familiar subjects, and the personal allusions which he himself encouraged in the pulpit. This taste continued to the last period of his life; nor was he ever known to be displeased as long as the preacher hit his courtiers somewhat harder than himself. Even when seated on the English throne, a conscientious, or perhaps discontented, clergyman would occasionally proceed to such lengths as to keep the courtiers in continual alarm, lest anything disagreeable to the King, or injurious to their own interests, should transpire. On these occasions they distracted his Majesty's attention by the best means in their power. A jest well introduced, or a facetious remark, seldom failed in such an emergency. Among those who were best acquainted with James's character, and who thus pandered to his amusement, was Neile, Bishop of Lincoln, and afterwards Arch

* Spotswood, p. 354; Sanderson, p. 120.

VOL. I.

bishop of York.* This prelate was constantly at James's side, and whenever anything was uttered, especially from the pulpit, which he was unwilling should meet the royal ear, diverted the King's attention by some merry tale." Arthur Wilson was himself present at a sermon which was preached before James at Greenwich, when the following remarkable scene took place. The preacher, one of the royal chaplains, selected for his text, Matt. iv. 8. "And the devil took Jesus to the top of a mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, saying, 'all these will I give,'" &c. He first proceeded to demonstrate the power of the devil at that period; he then brought his kingdom down to the present time, expressing his belief that, as the devil was in possession of such large dominions, there could be no doubt but that he had his viceroys, councillors of state, treasurers, secretaries, &c. This gave him an opportunity of attributing the

* Richard Neile, the son of a tallow-chandler, was born in King Street, Westminster. He rose, by a rapid gradation of preferment, to be master of the Savoy, Dean of Westminster, and, successively, Bishop of Rochester, Litchfield and Coventry, Lincoln, Durham, Winchester, and Archbishop of York. Both Prynne and Wilson accuse him of Arminianism, but his orthodoxy is defended by Laud. "He died," says Anthony Wood, " as full of years as he was of honours, an affectionate subject to his Prince, an indulgent father to his clergy, a bountiful patron to his chaplains, and a true friend to all who relied upon him." He was buried in Westminster Abbey. Fasti Oxoniensis, vol. i. p. 159.

several vices, of which James's advisers were accused, to the ministers of his Satanic majesty, and portraying their characters accordingly. At last he came to the devil's treasurer, when he fixed his eyes on the Earl of Cranfield, a man notorious for his exactions, and lord treasurer at the time, and pointing at him with his hand, exclaimed in an emphatic manner, "That man," (repeating the words,) "that man, who makes himself rich and his master poor, is a fit treasurer for the devil." Cranfield all this time sat with his hat over his eyes, ashamed to look up; while James, who was placed above him, sat smiling, like a mischievous school-boy, at his minister's discomfiture.

A treaty of marriage between James and Anne, daughter of Frederick, King of Denmark, had been set on foot as early as the year 1585, though not fully concluded till 1587. The death of the Danish king in this latter year still further delayed the completion of the marriage. When the match with Denmark was first proposed to James, he is said to have displayed the grossest ignorance as to the history and respectability of that country, and to have objected to the alliance on the ground of the unworthiness of that kingdom to furnish him with a consort.* Everything, however, was at length settled. The

*Melvil, p. 164. It is possible that James's objections might have arisen from the crown of Denmark being elective.

marriage ceremony had been performed in Denmark, by proxy, in August 1589, and James was anxiously expecting the arrival of his bride, when he received the news that she had been driven on the coast of Norway, and had determined to defer her voyage till the spring. It is amusing to discover a solemn historian of the period gravely attributing these delays to the machinations of witches. One Agnes Simson, "a matron of a grave and settled behaviour," actually confessed, that, at the instigation of the Earl of Bothwell, she had applied to her familiar spirit, (whom she was in the habit of invoking by the words holla, Master,) to take away the King's life. The demon, she said, informed her, that on this occasion his powers had failed him; giving her his reasons in French, a language of which she was ignorant, though she was able to repeat the actual words of the spirit-il est homme de Dieu; a compliment to James which he, no doubt, fully appreciated.

*

Notwithstanding the powers of witchcraft, and the terrors of the sea, of which latter James stood greatly in awe, he was so eager to behold his future consort as to determine on proceeding in person to Norway for the purpose of conducting her home;† the only act of gallantry on his part

* Sanderson, p. 159.

+The interest which he took in the approaching ceremony is discoverable by a letter which he addressed to Lord Burghley,

Pre

which history has been able to record. viously, however, to leaving Scotland, he thought proper to indite, for the satisfaction of his subjects, and as an apology for his own morals and matrimonial projects, one of the most singular manifestos which has been ever published by royal authority. This document was written entirely in the King's own hand, and deposited

and which is still preserved among the Lansdown MSS. In this epistle he particularly recommends to his lordship's favour some merchants whom he has sent to London, to purchase dresses for the interesting occasion.

RIGHT TRUSTY AND WELl-beloved,

We greet you heartily well. Having directed the bearers, Robert Jowsie and Thomas Fenlis, merchants of Edinburgh, toward London for buying and provision of certain abulzementis and other ornaments requisite for decoration of our marriage, we have taken occasion to recommend them to your great courtesy, heartily requesting and desiring you to interpose your good will and mind to their expedition and furtherance in that concern, so that they be in no wise interrupted nor hindered in the performance and execution thereof, but may receive quick and hasty despatch; as ye will report our right special and hearty thanks and do us acceptable pleasure. Thus we commit you to God's good protection. From the Canonry of Ros the 19th day of July, 1589.