befeeching his majefty to redress these grievances; A.C. 1614. and, in particular, to hinder his Scottish subjects from making any future fettlements in England. James was fo incenfed at their rough manner of proceeding, that he diffolved the parliament before it had enacted one statute; and ordered fome of the members to be imprifoned, for having spoken too freely of him and his prerogative.

arrives in

Coke.

The parliament having proved fo unpropitious, King of the court could devife no other feasible fcheme for Denmark relieving the king in his neceffity, but that of a England. Benevolence, which was immediately put in exe-. cution. All the fheriffs of the kingdom were ordered by an act of council to levy a fum under this title, from the individuals of their different diftricts; and to fend up to court a lift of those who fhould either refufe to contribute, or beftow a prefent inadequate to their circumstances. Even this contrivance did not answer the king's expectation. It produced very little money, and a great deal of clamour. Yet the fupply, inconfiderable as it was, came very seasonably for the reception of the Danish monarch, who made a fecond vifit to his fifter, and was entertained for fifteen days with an uninterrupted fucceffion of feafting and diverfions. After his departure, an ambassador arrived from the czar of Mufcovy, to defire the king's mediation Annals of in a quarrel between him and the king of Sweden. The earl of Somerfet poffeffed the king's affec- James caption fo intirely, that the queen is faid to have be- tivated by come jealous of this favourite. Whether this was liers, whom the real caufe of her averfion, or fhe fufpected him he rerains at of having been concerned in the death of her eldest fon prince Henry, fhe certainly hated him with an uncommon degree of rancour, and refolved if poffible to effect his ruin. For this purpose the interested in her refentment Sir Ralph Winwood, who enjoyed the title of fecretary of state, though

all

James.

George Vil.

court.

A. C. 1614. all the functions of the office were performed by the express direction of Somerset. The king, in his winter progrefs, paffing through Cambridge, was entertained by the students with a comedy intitled Ignoramus, compofed with a view to ridicule the common law and lawyers of England; a subject extremely agreeable to James, who detested all laws which the people had any hand in A. C. 1615. framing. The earls of Pembroke, Bedford, and some other noblemen, who were enemies to Somerfet, either prefuming upon the king's levity of dif- pofition, or perceiving fome marks of abatement in his affection for that favourite, determined to display a new lure for his fancy; and for this purpofe pitched upon George Villiers, fecond fon of Sir Edward Villiers, a gentleman of Leicestershire. George was just turned of twenty, and poffeffed of all those exterior graces by which the weak mind of James was fo liable to be captivated. He had lately returned from France, with all the perfonal accomplishments which could be acquired in that country; and being gorgeously appareled for the purpofe, was placed at the comedy, in fuch a manner that he could not fail to attract the king's notice. James no fooner beheld this gaudy figure, than he exhibited marks of admiration; and retained him in the court as one of his cup-bearers.

The queen

recommends

Somerset was too jealous of his influence to look com upon this new comer with unconcern. By his ofmajefty's fice of chamberlain he exercised authority over all

favour.

the cup-bearers, and fubjected Villiers to continual mortifications. Nevertheless, that young competitor deprived him every day of a new fhare of the king's favour. The enemies of Somerset nurfed the king's growing inclination for Villiers with extravagant encomiums upon the beauty, virtue, and accomplishments of this minion. Somerfet was like a mistress in the wane of her charms:

the

the king was cloyed with poffeffion. He began A. C. 1615; to be difgufted with the change in this nobleman's appearance and difpofition. Since his marriage he was become melancholy, and feemed to feel the poignant stings of confcience: he neglected the ornaments of his perfon: his vivacity vanished: he no longer mingled in the fooleries that were daily practised in the king's anti-chamber; and he began to exhibit marks of avarice, than which nothing was more despicable in the eyes of his fovereign. James had declared, that he would have no favourite but fuch as fhould be recommended by the queen: that in cafe the fhould complain of him in the fequel, he might have it in his power to fay he had favoured him at her own express defire. Abbot archbishop of Canterbury befought her to recommend Villiers; and at firft fhe flatly refused to comply with his requeft, obferving, that fhould he be received on the footing of a favourite, the king would foon teach him to despise those who recommended him, that he might be the more attached to his majesty's own perfon: but, by dint of importunity, fhe was at length prevailed upon to use her influence with the king in his behalf. James, charmed with her requeft, immediately knighted Villiers, and appointed him one of the gentlemen of his chamber.

of Somerfet

declines.

The court was immediately divided between the The intereft two favourites. Though the king still affected to treat Somerset with marks of particular confideration, every body perceived a constraint in this complacency; and Villiers, by his affability, deprived his rival every day of fome confiderable adherent. Somerfet, perceiving his progrefs, thought it high time to fcreen himself from the machinations of his enemies; and throwing himself at the king's feet, fupplicated a general pardon, that his foes might not be able to take advantage of any error or offence NUMB. LXII.

E

he

A. C. 1615. he might have committed during his adminiftration, through frailty or ignorance. James, forth-with granted his requeft, and ordering an ample pardon to be expedited, figned it with his own hand. But the chancellor refufed to give it the fanction of the great feal: alledging that it was a pardon not only for all the treafons, felonies, and murders, which Somerset might have already committed, but also for all thofe of which he might be guilty in the fequel. Another pardon couched in proper terms might have been easily drawn up; but whether the queen oppofed it, or the earl of Somerset thought it impolitic to give the world any further reafon to believe he ftood in need of fuch an amnefty, no fuch pardon was ever obtained.

He rejects the advances of Villiers.

Upon the king's return to Royston from his fummer progrefs, the train was laid for the deftruction of this favourite. The apothecary's fervant who had compounded a poisonous clyfter for the unhappy Overbury, having retired to the Low-Countries, discovered this and other circumftances to Trumbull the king's envoy at Bruffels, who communicated this intelligence to Sir Ralph Winwood; and the king being made acquainted with the whole affair, commanded them both to keep it secret, until they should receive further orders. In all probability he would have let it reft in oblivion, had not Somerfet's indifcretion compelled him to take other measures. The peace of his court was now every day invaded by the quarrels and difputes of the two favourites and their dependents. He expreffed a defire that they fhould live together in friendship. He ordered Villiers to follicit Somerfet's protection. The young knight accordingly vifited the earl at his own houfe, where he told him he was come to defire that he might be admitted into the number of his humble fervants, protefting that he would ferve him with the utmost . fidelity,

1

fidelity, and depend upon him for his fortune and A. C. 1615. preferment. Somerset rejected all his advances,. telling him he had no fervice for him; and that he would break his neck, fhould he ever find an opportunity of fo doing.

to the

The king was extremely incenfed at this brutal Is commitreply, and from that moment deftined Somerfet ted prifoner to infamy and ruin. While he refided at Royston Tower. he fent a meffenger to lord chief justice Coke, with a letter, defiring him to, iffue warrants for apprehending the earl of Somerfet and his countefs, Sir Gervafe Elwaies lieutenant of the Tower, Mrs. Turner, Wefton, and Franklin, the accomplices in the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury. When the officer came to ferve the warrant upon the earl at Royston, he found him on the point of fetting out for London: the king hung about his neck, afking, in the most affectionate tone, when he fhould fee him again. Somerset being made acquainted with the purport of the warrant, exclaimed in a furious ftrain against the infolence of the officer who prefumed to arreft a peer of the realm in the king's prefence; but James being informed of the tranfaction, faid, with a fmile, "Nay, nay, you must go; for if Coke fhould fend for

મંદ

me, I must comply." Then he accompanied him to the ftair-cafe, embraced him at parting, begging he would return immediately, inafmuch as he could not live without his company. Yet he no fooner turned his back than he exclaimed, "Go, and the devil go with thee: I fhall never "fee thy face again." Somerfet and his countefs were committed to the Tower, and all the other accomplices to different prifons; and next day judge Coke repairing to Royfton, the king commanded him to examine the affair with the utmost impartiality, wishing that the curfe of God might fall upon him and his family fhould he fpare the

E 2

guilty;