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his bishops, was sentenced by the Consistory Court to be burnt, and suffered accordingly in Smithfield, on the 18th of March 1612. Next came Edward Wightman, an enthusiast or lunatic, who was burnt at Lichfield on the 11th of April, 1613; and other victims were in preparation, when the indignation of the public scared the merciless bigots from their prey.

 

Ben Jonson, Poet Laureate at the Court of James I.

 

CHAPTER II.

Marriage of the Princess Elizabeth—The Kings's Favourite. Carr—Imprisonment of Overbury —Marriage of Carr—Rise of George Villiers—Murder of Overbury—Conviction of the Earl and Countess of Somerset—Fall of Coke—Transactions with Holland—Restoration of Episcopacy in Scotland—The King's Visit to Scotland—The Five Articles—Affairs in Ireland—Religious Discontent there—Flight of Tyrone and Tyrconnel—Revolt of O'Dogherty—New Plantations—Persecutions for Religion in England—Power of Buckingham—Voyage of Sir Walter Raleigh to New Guiana—His Failure, and Execution—The Palsgrave made King of Bohemia—Exposure of Officers of the Crown—Impeachment and Disgrace of Bacon—The Palsgrave and Elizabeth driven from Bohemia—Impeachment of Floyd for rejoicing in it—Williams Lord Keeper—The Primate shoots a Gamekeeper—Struggles with Parliament—Punishment of Members—Proposed Spanish Match—Romantic Journey of Prince Charles and Buckingham to Spain—Match broke off—Threatened War with Spain—Parliamentary Prosecution of the Earl of Middlesex—Plot against Buckingham—Aid sent to the Palatine—Match with a French Princess—Death and Character of James.

The princess Elizabeth was the only surviving daughter of four; she was now about sixteen, and the death of her brother delayed for a short time her marriage with the elector palatine. This match had never been agreeable to queen Anne: she longed to see her daughter queen of Spain, and resigned that prospect with deep regret, to see her the mistress of a petty German state. She had stoutly opposed the match till her son Henry had shown his decided approbation of it, and only vented her chagrin in private, by occasionally calling Elizabeth "goodwife" and "Mrs. Palsgrave." After her son's death she showed more cordiality to the palsgrave. The court was ordered to go into mourning for twelve weeks; but at Christmas James commanded the mourning to be in satin, and on the 27th the young couple were affianced, the bride still in her mourning. The king was present, though he was brought in a chair, for he was too gouty to walk. The queen kept her chamber. On the 14th of February, St. Valentine's day, the marriage took place in Whitehall chapel. Both king and queen were present, the king in a splendid black suit, the queen in white satin. It was the first royal marriage celebrated according to the form of the book of common prayer, and the whole court was in a blaze of splendour. The king, queen, and prince appeared literally covered with the crown jewels; no one under a baron was permitted to it. Elizabeth wore a robe of silver tissue, with a coronet of gold on her head, and her hair flowing in rich luxuriance down her back as low as her knees. Her brother and the earl of