ACCESSION OF CHARLES I 139 of Amboyna gathered round his name, until it reached Dry den's version of a murderous plot by Van Speult against Towerson in revenge for his killing Van Speult 's son in a duel. In 1625 the legend was still a long way from this climax. But the last weeks of King James's life had been harassed by popular demon- strations. In February, 1625, the Dutch living in Lon- don complained to the lords of the Council that on the coming Shrove Tuesday they would be in danger from the fury of the people. Besides the pamphlets spread broadcast, a play was to be publicly acted setting forth the sufferings of the English; and a great picture had been painted, " lively, largely, and artificially/ ' of their tortures and execution. The reins were falling from the old king's hands, and the Council gently ad- monished the Company not to exhibit this picture— at least till Shrove Tuesday be passed. Next month, March, 1625, Charles succeeded to the throne. The main business of our ambassador at The Hague, Sir Dudley Carleton (afterwards Viscount Dor- chester), was to strengthen the alliance of Holland with England against Spain, and he groaned audibly over the new labours and awkward questions to which the Amboyna imbroglio gave rise. Charles, keenly resent- ful of his personal treatment when in quest of a wife at Madrid, was eager to send a fleet to the Spanish coast, and promised large subsidies to the Protestant league in the North. The Amboyna difficulty had to be got out of the way, and in September, 1625, Charles agreed to make no reprisals on the Dutch ships for
