A

from the firft to the laft, as I continued in perfect health; and all the time I was in Spaine I had fuch a ftomake to my meat, as in my yonger dayes I never had the like.

At Michaelmaffe after, to the comfort of all true English hearts, the Prince landed at 54 Portsmouth. After this, the match was broken off with Spaine, and a treaty in France for the King's youngest fifter. My Lord of 55 Holland was employed Ambaffadour

for

54 The Prince having departed from Madrid Sept. 9th, and fetting fail from St. Andero the 11th, landed in England Oct. 5th, 1623.

55

Henry Rich Earl of Holland. He was beheaded immediately after his royal Master, at the same time with the Duke of Hamilton, and the noble-spirited Lord Capel. The Earl of Clarendon, in characterifing Lord Holland, fays, "He was a well-bred man, and a fine "gentleman in good times, but too much de

"fired

for this fervice, and my Lord of 56 Carleil fent after him for affiftance. Many to's and fro's there were before it was concluded. Two yeares or more were spent in this affair, and when it was come to a full point of agreement on all parts, the King fell fick of a tertian ague at Theobalds, and to the greife of all true hearts died of that fickneffe the 27th day of March, in the twentyfecond yeare of his reigne.

And now beganne afresh, in my old yeares, new troubles: for whereas here

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"fired to enjoy eafe and plenty, when the King could have neither, and did think poverty the most infupportable evil that could "befall any man in this world."

Sir James Hay, mentioned in page 159. Might we not afk the critical Mr. Ofborne, could the Ambaffadour live too splendidly, or appear too magnificent, in a treaty of marriage for the King's only fon, and the immediate heir of the crown?

tofore

tofore all Princes, when they came to be Kinges, had an especiall care to preferre their old fervaunts, or at least to let them hold the places they had under them whileft they were Princes; it fell out otherwife with us. For myfelfe being his Chamberlaine, and the reft, (as the Master of the horse, Treafurer, Comptroller, and Secretary) were all discharged of our places; and those that ferved in thofe offices in the old King's time, continued in them ftill. But the King dealt very graciously with us, and for the loffe of our places, gave the most of us good rewards. To myselfe in particular, he gave (to mee and my heires for ever) five hundred pounds per annum in fee farme, which was a very bountifull guift, and a good fatisfaction for the loffe of my office; and efpecially be

caufe

cause I continued my place of gentleman of the bedchamber.

In May after, the King went to Dover to meete his new 57 Queene, and by the time he came back with her to Whitehall, the plague grew fo hott in London, as none that could tell how to gett out of it, would ftay there. The King and Queene removed to Hampton Court. The infection grew hotter and hotter. The Parliament was removed to Oxford. The plague grew hott there too, fo that what for that and other 5 difcontents, the Par

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7 Henrietta Maria, daughter of the great Henry IV. by Mary de Medici: a Princess who proved more pernicious to this kingdom, than the peftilence which raged at her arrival.

,8 The discontents were many, and fome of them juft. They were as hot and infectious as the plague itself.

liament

liament was diffolved. The King went in progreffe to Beauly. The Queene retourned to 9 Oatelands and 6° None-fuch, and I and my family to

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" Kenelworth, where we stayed the fummer. Towards Michaelmaffe the plague beganne to decrease. The King retourning from his progreffe, was met by the Queene at Salisbury, at which place I found his Majeftie, (leaving my wife and family at Kenelworth). I waited on him 'till he retourned Southward, and [alfo waited on him] at Windfor.

9 A royal feat in Surry: the jointure house of Queen Henrietta Maria; pulled down, and even the materials fold, foon after the cataftrophe of King Charles in 1649.

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Another royal feat in Surry: built by Henry VIII. in all the magnificence of that

time.

"In Warwickshire, where are now the remains of one of the fineft caftles in England.

Some