AUGUST 5th, 1500, the Earl of Gowry and one of his Brethren were flain in the Earl's Lodgings at Perth, being charged with a Conspiracy against the King in the fame Houle; which by Reafon of Intricacies in the Air, fome took Occafion to call in Doubt; However, there were univerfal Rejoicings for his Majefty's Deliverase; ana fome of Gowry's Attendants were afterwards hanged, but confeffed nothing of the Plot.

THE laft of March 1603, on Notice of Queen Elizabeth's Death, his Majefty was proclaimed at Edinburgb King of Scotland, England France and Ireland. On the 3d of April afterwards he made an Harangue in the great Church at Edinburgh, promifing his Endeavours to establish Religion, and to vifit his ancient Kingdom once in 3 Years for due Administration of Juftice; telling them, that he had fettled both Church and State so, that he never intended to alter them.

HE fet forward for England April 5th 1603, accompanied by many of the Nobility of both Nations, and being received with extraordinary Refpect and Joy every where on the Road, he arrived at London the 7th of May following, and thus became the firft Monarch of Great-Britain and Ireland.

'TIS fit to acquaint the Reader. That his Title to the Crown of England was by Margaret, Henry VII's eldeft Daughter; who being married to James IV. of Scotland, had by him King James V. who was fucceeded by his Daughter Mary, Mother to K. James VI. of Scotland, and I. of England, by Henry Lord Darnley, Son to Matthew E. of Lennox, by Margaret Douglas, Daughter to King James IV's Widow, the abovementioned Lady Margaret of England, by the Earl of Angus, her fecond Hufband. So that he was of the Royal Families of England and Scotland too, both by Father and

Mother.

ST. James's Day was appointed for his Coronation at Weftminster, but a grievous Peftilence happening in the mean Time, did very much diminish the Glory of the Solemnity.

SOME Weeks before his Coronation, a Plot was difcovered, to have seized him and PrinceHenry; for which Watfon and Clark two Priefts, the Lord Cobbam Lord Grey of Wiltfon, Sir Walter Rawleigh, with feveral others of Quality, were apprehended and indited.

IN

IN January, 1604. a Conference was appointed at Hampton-Court, about reforming fome Things, in the Church; which ended without any Alteration therein. There are different Relations of the Conference: That printed by Barle at London, fays, it concluded in the King's Vindication of the Church of England. That printed in Scotland, and faid to be fent thither by the King, infinuates, That the Bifhops did folicite his Majesty not to alter any Thing, left the Popish Recufants and Puritans fhould infult.

November 5 1604, was difcovered the Powder plot, carried on by the Papists, to have blown up his Majetty, with the Prince and Parliament, though in his Speech to both Houfes, March 19 that fame Year, he had spoken very fharply of the Puritans, and moderately of the Church of Rome; and in a Proclamation in Feb. before, against Priefts and Jefuites, he owned, that the then Pope had done him many private good Offices, which he fhould be ready to requite as a Temporal

Prince.

THE other moft remarkable Occurrence in his Reign, as to Church affairs, was his fettling of Bifhops in Scotland, by a Parliament at Perth An: 1606. which occafioned many Contests with the oppofite Party. The moft obfervable of what happen'd afterwards were, the Peace with Spain; the Infurrections in fome Counties about throwing down Inclotures; Two Royal Vifits from his Brother-in-Law Chriftiern IV. King of Denmark; the Death of Prince Henry, his eldest Son, and the People's Darling, Novemb: 6 1612. the Marriage of his Daughter the Lady Elizabeth, with Frederick V. Elect. Palatine, afterwards King of Bohemia, but outed of both by the Emp: Ferdinand: The Voyage of Prince Charles to marry the Infanta of Spain, but without effect, the Inftitution of Knights Baronets; and quitting for Money,the Cautionary Towns we had in Holland, viz. Brill, Flushing, &c. the Rife of his Two great Favourites, Sir. Robert Carr, afterwards Duke of Semmer fet, and Sir George Vellers, created Duke of Buckingham, who raifed and pulled down the learned Sir Francis Bacon, Vilcount of St. Albons, and Lord 'High Chancellor of England.

TO which may be added the Fall of Sir Walter Rawleigh who though he had lived 15 Years after Sentence of Condemnation, for the Confpiracy above-mentioned, and ferved the King at Sea in that Time; was at laft excuted upon that Sentence, by the Influence of Gundamore the Spanish Ambaffador, then very potent at Court. The King died at Theobalds, in the 23d of his Reign and 59th of his Age and was interred at Westminfter.

BY his Queen Ann Daughter of Frederick II. King of Denmark and Sifter to Cbriftern IV. he had Two Sons and Three Daughters, of all which, none furvived him, but Charles his Succeffor, and Elizabeth married to the Elector Palatine:

'TIS agreed by all that this Prince was of a Peaceable Temper, and in regard of his Carriage to the House of Auftria, fome blamed him, as being fo to Excels; but he coveted to answer his beloved Motto Beati pacifici. He is no less noted for his Learning, the Proteftant Nobility having had fpecial care of his Education, and appointed the famous Buchanan for his Tutor; his Bafilicon Doron, Commentary on the Revelation and Writings against Bellarmine, are fufficiently known. He was, without all Queftion, the learnedeft Prince of his Time, and perhaps, that ever fat upon the English Throne.

CHAR

CHARLES 1ft. King CIX.

CHARLES I. 3d, Son to James VI. of Scotland, 'and first of Great Britain, by Ann of Denmark, was born at Dumfermling in Scotland Nov. 19 1600. and at two Years of Age was created Duke of Albany.

IN 1603 his Father fucceeded Queen Elizabeth in the Crown of England, and this Prince, with the rest of the Royal Family. was brought thither; he was committed to the Tutorage of Mr. Thomas Murray, and advanced exceedingly in Learning: Whereupon his Brother Prince Henry, put Archbishop Abbot's fquare Cap on his Head in Jeft, and told him that if he followed his Book, he would make him on Day Archbishop of Canterbury, which he took in fo much Difdain that he trampled it under his Feet; but his Brother Prince Henry dying at Twelve Years old, he fucceeded him as Prince of Wales, and Duke of Cornwal; and perceiving that his Brother Prince Henry's Popularity was difpleafing to his Father, he kept himself more referv'd, and Care was taken to prevent the Care which his Scots Tutors might have on him, as to the Government and Ceremonies of the Church of England.

FEBRUARY 18, 1622, being accompanied by the Duke of Buckingham, Mr. Porter and Mr. Gottington, he took Shipping at Dover, and landing at Bulloign in France, rod poft from thence to Spain, to bring the Match which was propounded betwixt him and the Infanta, to fome Conclufion or other. He and his Attendants were in Difguife and went to fee the Court of France, where at a Mask he had a View of the Princess whom he afterwards married; and the French King having Notice of him a little after he was gone, ordered

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him to be ftopt but the Order did not overtake him. The Pretenses for this Match with Spain was amongst others the Reftitution of the Palatinate to his Brother-in-Law the Elector.

THIS Adventure was look'd upon to be fo dangerous, that none durit take upon them to acquaint his Majefty with it, but Archee a Scots-Man the King's Jefter, who coming boldly to his Majefty, told him, That he was come to change Caps with him; the King asking why? He anfwerca, because thou haft fent the Prince into Spain, from whence he is never like to return; but the King replying, What wilt thou fay when thou feeft him come back again? He antwered, Then I will take the Fools Cap off from thy Head, and put it upon the King of Spain's, which rendered his Majefty more apprehenfive than he had been at any Time before However, the Prince was at firft treated with all Royal Magnificence, and allowed the Precedency of the King of Spain himself.

GREAT Endeavours were used to make him change his Religion, but in vain. Pope Gregory XV. wrote to him, and the Duke of Buckingham on that Head, to which the Prince returned an Anfwer, giving him his ufual Title of Holiness, affuring him that both his Father and he were Zealous for promoting an Union amongst Christians; and that he would never defire fo Vehemently to be joined in a strict and indiffoluble Bond with any Mortal whofe Religion he hated; but would always abftain from what might teftifie his Hatred against the Roman Catholick Religion, and rather embrace all Occafions by which finifter Sufpicions might be taken away,adding that he little valued his Life it felf, fo that he might bring it about; that as we all confefs one Trinity and one Chrift, fo we might unanimously grow up into one Faith, and concluded that he esteemed the Pope's Letter a fingular Prefent: Dated at Madrid, June 20. 1623. this is the fubitance of that Letter, which that Prince's Enemies made use of against him afterwards.

BY his Procurement after this, the English Liturgy was tranflated into Spanish, that they might fee that it was not much abhorrent from the Forms then ufed in the Church of Rome, which gave great Satisfaction to the Spanish Court and Clergy. But though the Prince was outwardly treated with all Splendor, yet he was

under