Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Maxwell, James (fl.1600-1640)
MAXWELL, JAMES (fl. 1600–1640), author, born in 1581, was the only son of William Maxwell of Little Airds, and grandson of William Maxwell of Kirkconnell, Kirkcudbrightshire, man-at-arms to James V of Scotland, and also in the service of his queen, Mary of Guise, and of his daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, from her childhood. He was great-great-grandson of Robert, second lord Maxwell, laird of Kirkconnell, from whose second son, Thomas, the Maxwell family of Kirkconnell descended. He was educated at Edinburgh University, where he graduated M.A. 29 July 1600 (Cat. of Edinb. Graduates, p. 18), and afterwards went abroad. While in France in 1600 Maxwell wrote in Latin 'Tyrannidi-graphia Ecclesiæ militantis secundum Danielis Prophetiam,' &c., dedicating it to Edinburgh University, whither he sent it, but it was lost on the way (cf. 'A Catalogue of the Author's Exercises and Essaies, &c.,' in Admirable and Notable Prophecies). Subsequently he lived for a time in London (The Golden Art, Ded.), but again returned to the continent. On 30 April 1631 he wrote from Brussels to Archbishop Laud, complaining of threats of assassination because he would not forsake protestantism. The emperor (Ferdinand II) had, he declared, commanded his presence at court, and offered him spiritual preferment, with the office of imperial antiquary and genealogist, and a pension of a thousand crowns after the death of Sebastian Tegnangel. He 'would rather live poor at home than gather riches abroad by change of religion or sinister employments,' and as he had matters of moment to impart to the king, he desired to return to England soon. In recompense for the many books written by him in defence of the church of England against the puritans, and towards finishing one on the king's genealogy, he solicited the gift of some lay prebend (Cal. State Papers, Dom. Ser. 1631-3, p. 25). The appeal was probably unavailing.
Maxwell dealt in his publications with religion, history, genealogy, and antiquarian research, as well as poetry. His style, which was curiously bombastic and nearly allied to that of Sir Thomas Urquhart [q. v.], earned from Laud the name of 'Mountebank Maxwell.' Among his most curious productions is a poem entitled 'Carolanna, That is to say, a Poeme in honovr of ovr King Charles — James, Qveene Anne, And Prince Charles: But principally in honour of the immortall memory of our late noble & good Queene of Albion and Vnion,' London, by Edw : Allde [1614], 4to (Brit. Mus.) Maxwell here writes under the pseudonym of James Anneson, a play upon the names of the king, queen, and their son. Another very rare work of his is 'The Laudable Life, and Deplorable Death, of our late peerlesse Prince Henry. Briefly represented. Together with some other Poemes, in honor both of our most gracious Soueraigne King James his auspicious entrie to this Crowne, and also of his most hopefull Children, Prince Charles and Princesse Elizabeths happy entrie into this world,' London, by E. Allde, for T. Pauier, 1612, 4to, entered at Stationers' Hall 28 Nov. (Brit. Mus.) The principal poem consists of forty-four six-line stanzas, and is succeeded by 'Peerelesse Prince Henries Epitaph in his owne foure Languages' (English, French, Latin, and Greek) (cf. Brydges, Restituta, iii. 477-80, and his British Bibl. iv. 30-6).
He also published: 1. 'The Golden Legend, or the Mirrour of Religious Men and Godly Matrones, concerning Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their Wives,' &c., London, 1611, 8vo. 2. 'The Golden Art, or The right way of Enriching. . . . Very profitable for all such persons in citie or countrie as doe desire to get, increase, conserue, and vse goods with a good conscience,' London, 1611, 4to (Brit. Mus.) 3. 'Queene Elizabeths Looking-glasse of Grace and Glory, wherein may be seen the fortune of the faithfull: that is to say, the wrastling, victory, and reward, or the combat, conquest, and Crowne of Gods children,' &c., London, by E. Allde, 1612, 12mo (Brit. Mus.) 4. 'Jamesanna, or a Pythagoricall play at Cardes, representing the Excellency and vtilitie of Vnion and Concord, with the incommodities of diuision and discorde, dedicated to the most hopefull Prince Charles,' 1612 (?) 5. 'A Speedy Passage to Heaven, or a perfect direction for every Christian to walk in the right path of true holinesse, containing an explanation of the tenne Commandments, the creede, and our Lords Prayer, with divers other godly prayers,' London, 1612, 8vo. 6. 'A Christian Almanacke, needefull and true for all countryes, persons and times, faithfully calculated by the course of holy Scripture,' London, 1612, 8vo. 7. 'Two Genealogical Tables or Pedigrees of the two most noble Princes Fredericke Prince Palatine, and the Lady Elizabeth his wife, shewing their Lineall discent equally, first from Robert the Emperour, and Prince Palatine, and Elizabeth the Empresse his Wife, in the 9 and 10 Degrees, and then from Edward the 3, the most victorious King of England, and Queene Philippa his Wife in the 11 Degree.' 8. 'A Monvment of Remembrance erected in Albion, in honour of the magnificent Departvre from Brittannie, and honorable receiuing in Germany, namely at Heidelberge, of the two most noble Princes Fredericke and Elizabeth. . . . Both of them being almost in one and the same degree of lineall descent from 25 Emperours of the East and West, of Romanes, Greekes, and Germans, and from 30 Kings of diuers countries,' London, 1613, 4to (Brit. Mus.) 9. 'Admirable and Notable Prophecies, vttered in former time by 24. famous Romain-Catholickes, concerning the Church of Romes defection, Tribulation, and reformation. Written first in Latine, & now published in the English tongue, both by James Maxwell, a Researcher of Antiquities,' London, by Ed : Allde, 1615, 4to (Brit. Mus.) 10. 'A New Eightfold Probation of the Chvrch of Englands Divine Constitvtion, prooved by many Pregnant arguments to be much more complete than any Geneuian in the world against the contrary assertion of the fifty-three petitioner-preachers of Scotland in their petition presented to the Kings most excellent Majesty,' London, 1617 (Brit. Mus.) 11. 'A Demonstrative Defence, or Tenfold Probation of the Doctrine of the Church of England tovching one of the most important points of our Creed, . . . which is of our Sauiours descending into hell after death to binde and subdue Sathan,' &c., London, 1617, 4to, usually bound up with No. 10 (Brit. Mus.) 12. 'Herodian of Alexandria, His History of Twenty Roman Cæsars and Emperors (of his Time), &c. Interpreted out of the Greeke Originall,' London, 1629, 4to (Brit. Mus.); another edit. 1635, 12mo (Brit. Mus.) 13. 'Emblema Animæ, or Morall Discourses reflecting upon Humanitie, by John Du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu, translated into English,' London, 1635 (Brit. Mus.)
Besides the above Maxwell prepared a catalogue, printed in more than one of his books, of twenty-two works 'not as yet published.' They include many religious treatises on controversial topics, some royal genealogies and panegyrics, a poem on the antiquity of the city of London, tracts on fortune-telling and astrology, 'A Centurie of most noble Questions in Philosophic,' &c., and 'James-anna, or the Patterne of a Perfect Cittie.' The list in 'Carolanna' of works consecrated 'to the immortal memorie of two most noble Brittannish Queenes' contains fifteen more pretentious and fanciful Latin titles of works 'partly written,' among which are: 'Monarchæmeros, Panalbion,' 'Sapientia Cæsarum, seu Manuale Magnatum,' 'Carolidon,' 'Albion-Ibera,' 'Tuba Austriaca,' 'Charilaus seu Philolaus,' 'Rota Fortunæ Aulicorum.'
A second James Maxwell was appointed by Charles I, on 1 Nov. 1629, gentleman-usher of the black rod and custodian of Windsor Little Park (Lords' Journals, vii. 7 b; Gardiner, Hist. of England, vii. 75, ix. 235, 289, 346; Tighe and Davis, Annals of Windsor, ii. 178-80; Cal. State Papers, 1638-9, p. 586). He held those offices until 1644. Laud remained in custody at this Maxwell's house for ten weeks (1640-1), and was escorted by Maxwell in his own coach to the Tower on 1 March 1641 (Troubles and Tryals, p. 174). The archbishop in his diary acknowledges Maxwell's kindness (ib.) On 3 June 1644 he was granted leave to go into Scotland 'about his affaires,' and his goods were ordered not to be seized for assessment upon his house near Charing Cross until his return (Lords' Journals, vi. 575 a).
A third James Maxwell was in attendance, as groom of the bedchamber, on Charles I at Holmby House in 1647 (Jesse, Mem. of Court of England during the Stuarts, ii. 117; Wood, Athenæ, iii. 1116, iv. 16). He advanced the king large sums of money, for which jewels were pledged him and afterwards sold (Cal. State Papers, Dom. Ser. 1629-31, pp. 11, 99, 173, 174), and he was granted land in Derbyshire (ib. 17 June 1631, p. 81) and mines in the Peak country, where he carried on the manufacture of iron by a new process. He was also granted a patent for the manufacture of pipe-clay (ib. 1638-9 p. 248, 1639 pp. 384, 513). His brother, Robert Maxwell, was serjeant-at-arms to the House of Commons. This James Maxwell married the widow of one Ryther of Kingston-upon-Thames, surveyor of the stables to James I, whose daughter, afterwards Jane Whorwood [q. v.], was a strong partisan of Charles I (see Wood, Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. xxviii; Cal. State Papers, Dom. Ser. 1638, p. 256).
It is very doubtful whether either of these Maxwells is to be identified with a fourth James Maxwell of Innerwick, son of John Maxwell of Kirkhouse by Jean Murray, sister of John, first earl of Annandale, who was in 1646 created a peer by the title of Earl of Dirletoun (Douglas, Peerage, ed. Wood, i. 418). The latter was, according to Douglas, a gentleman of the king's bedchamber under James I and Charles I; he enjoyed a pension for keeping a light upon the isle of May, and by his wife Elizabeth de Boussoyne was father of two daughters, of whom the younger, Lady Diana, married Charles Cecil, viscount Cranbourne, and was mother of James, third earl of Salisbury [q. v.]
[Fraser's Book of Carlaverock, i. 600-1; Nichols's Progresses of James I, ii. 507-8; Hist. MSS. Comm. 5th Rep. p. 650; Cal. State Papers, 1631-3 pp. 128, 265, 1638-9 p. 567; Lowndes's Bibl. Manual, iii. 1522; Halkett and Laing's Dict. of Anon, and Pseudon. Lit. i. 310; Bodl. Libr. Cat.; Hazlitt's Handbook to Pop. Lit. 1st ser. 1867, p. 384; Hazlitt's Bibl. Coll. Suppl. 3rd ser. pp. 66, 67; Hunter's Chorus Vatum, Add. MS. 24489, f. 249.]