"SWEETE:- Sweet father, I learn to decline substantives and adjectives, give me your blessing; I thank you for my best man.

"Your loving son,

"To my father the king."

"YORK.

In his eleventh year, Charles was made a Knight of the Garter. At the death of his brother, in 1612, he succeeded to the Dukedom of Cornwall, and in 1616 was created Prince of Wales. His progress in learning, and especially in theological knowledge, afforded great pleasure to his father, King James. Charles," said the king to his chaplains, "shall manage a point in controversy with the best studied divine of you all." Still, however, the prince neither despised, nor lost sight of, the amusements and elegancies of life. He was perfect, says Perinchief, "in vaulting, riding the great horse, running at the ring, shooting in crossbows,' muskets, and sometimes great pieces

The crossbow was made use for the purposes of sport to a much later period than is generally supposed. About this time Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury, when on a visit at Bramshall, the seat of Edward, Lord Zouch, had the misfortune to kill a keeper with this instrument, instead of striking the deer at which he had aimed. It is a curious fact that, by this mischance, it was rendered very doubtful whether the common law of England did not necessarily suspend the archbishop from all ecclesiastical function, and render the see vacant. The question was referred to sundry bishops (rather interested judges) and others, among whom there arose a great diversity of opinion. The decision appears to have been principally influenced by the question, —

of ordnance." This account of his accomplishments is borne out by the testimony of other writers. He is mentioned by Sir Symonds D'Ewes as a successful tilter; and at a tournament which took place in 1619, his prowess and activity are specially mentioned.

The Comte de Brienne, also, mentions an occasion of Charles breaking some lances with laudable dexterity; and, again, we find Howell writing from Madrid, that the prince had been fortunate enough to be successful at the ring, before the eyes of his mistress, the infanta. His love for the fine arts was early displayed, and the correctness of his taste has never been disputed.

The match between Charles and Mary, second daughter of Philip the Third of Spain, was first set on foot in 1617, and was protracted, with various hopes of success, till 1622. The accomplishment of this matrimonial project was the darling object of King James. The immense fortune which it was expected would accompany the hand of the whether a bishop or archbishop could lawfully hunt in his own or any other park? This difficulty was cleared away by Sir Edward Coke, who produced a law by which it was enacted that, at the demise of a bishop, the king had the disposal of his hounds; from whence it was inferred that the bishop could lawfully make use of the animals in his lifetime. — Heylin, Life of Laud. The method at this time, in sporting, was for the keeper to wound the deer with his crossbow, when two or three well-disciplined dogs were let loose, and pursued him till he fell. — Life of Lord Keeper Guildford. On the 28th July, 1620, Francis Norris, Earl of Berkshire, put an end to his existence with a crossbow.

princess; the king's ambition to unite his son with a daughter of one of the great powers of France or Spain; and especially the restitution of the palatinate to his son-in-law, which he hoped would follow a marriage with the infanta, rendered the scheme, however obnoxious to his subjects, irresistibly tempting to himself.

A delay of five years, if it was displeasing to an old king, was no less so to a young and romantic prince; and Charles, fond of adventure, and enamoured with charms which he had never seen, was induced to enter eagerly into that chivalrous project of visiting the Spanish capital, which even in the annals of knight errantry has hardly been outmatched.

The journey of Charles to Madrid is believed to have been originally suggested by Buckingham. This fact, indeed, is not only asserted by more than one contemporary writer, but Buckingham himself imparted to his confidant, Gerbier, that he was the author of the project. The wily favourite, jealous lest the Earl of Bristol, the king's ambassador to Spain, should obtain all the credit of conducting the match, and, moreover, anxious to establish a lasting claim on the prince's gratitude, and to associate himself with his most private feelings, made use of every argument in his power in order to engage the prince in his designs. He was not without supporters. Gondomar, the Spanish ambassador, endeavoured

to soften all difficulties, and Bristol himself wrote from Madrid that the personal accomplishments of Charles would be sure to carry the day.

Everything having been duly concerted between the prince and Buckingham, the next step was to obtain the consent of the king. This, however, was no easy matter; for though a very wild enterprise might appear extremely smooth to two chivalrous young men, the monarch, who was anxious for his heir, and answerable to his subjects for his safety, was likely to think very differently on such a subject. An opportunity, however, was selected when the king was in an excellent humour, when Charles, throwing himself on his knees before his father, earnestly entreated him to give his consent to the expedition. Buckingham was the only bystander, and anxiously awaited the reply. James, after listening with great calmness to his son's proposition, turned imploringly toward Buckingham, as if desirous to ascertain his opinion. duke, on his part, naturally made use of every persuasion in his power, and eventually enforced his arguments with so much vigour and ingenuity that, added to the warmth of the prince's entreaties, the king at length reluctantly consented to the undertaking and, moreover, promised to keep it a secret from the world.

The

James, however, was no sooner alone than he began to reflect more seriously on the wild folly of the scheme. The many dangers which might

befall his son, and the responsibility which would accrue to himself, presented themselves so forcibly to his mind that, when the adventurers came to him at the last moment for their despatches, he told them with tears in his eyes how deeply he had repented of his former consent, adding that, if they renewed the subject, it would go far toward breaking his heart. Buckingham retorted with insolence that, after having broken a promise so solemnly pledged, nobody hereafter would believe a word he said. He told the old king, moreover, that he must already have been guilty of an untruth, for, unquestionably, he had communicated their project to some rascal, whose pitiful arguments had induced him to retract his promise; adding, that he had little doubt but that he should by some means discover who his counsellor had been, and that such an interference would neither be forgotten nor forgiven by the prince.

The haughty violence of Buckingham, and the renewed entreaties of Charles, had once more the desired effect. The weak monarch again yielded, the day was named for their departure, their two attendants were fixed upon, and Sir Francis Cottington,' who was selected to accom

'Created Lord Cottington of Hanworth, 10th July, 1631, by Charles I. In 1617 he had accompanied the English ambassador to Spain, and in 1649 was again sent there as ambassador by Charles II. He died at Valladolid in 1653, when the Barony of Cottington became extinct. Arthur Wilson says that "he always looked like a merchant, and had the least mien of a gentleman."