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AS in a Kingdome, be∣cause Civil Governours proposing Temporal and Ec∣clesiastical Governours Eter∣nal Rewards and Punishments are not sufficient to secure Peace; therefore a Military force is alwayes in readiness: so in the Kings Court, besides Civil and Ecclesiastical Offi∣cers, it is thought necessary al∣wayes to have in readiness Mi∣litary Officers and Souldiers, to preserve the Kings Person; whereupon depends the Peace
and Safety of all his Subjects.
Belonging peculiarly to the Kings Court (besides above 4000 Foot, and above 500 Horse, who are alwayes in Pay and readiness to assist upon any occasion) there are Guards of Horse and Foot.
The Horse Guard, which the French call Garde du Corps, the Germans Lieb Guardy, we corruptly. Life Gard, that is, the Gard of the Kings Body, hath consisted of 500 Horsemen, all or most Gentlemen and old Of∣ficers, commanded by the Captain of the Guard, now James Duke of Monmouth, whose Pay is 30 s. a day, and each Horseman 4 s. a day. These Horse have been divided into Three Parts, whereof 200 under the immediate Com∣mand
of the Captain of the Guard, 150 under Monsieur le Marquis de Blancfort, and 150 under Sir Philip Howard, whose Pay to each is 20 s. a day.
Under the Captain of the Guard are four Lieutenants, Sir Thomas Sandis, Sir Gilbert Gerard, Major General Eger∣ton, and Sir George Hambleton, the Cornet is Mr. Stanly, Bro∣ther to the Earl of Derby; also four Brigadeers.
The Office of the Captain of the Life Guard is at all times of War or Peace to wait upon the Kings Person (as oft as he rides abroad) with a considera∣ble number of Horsemen well armed and prepared against all dangers whatsoever.
At home within the Kings House it is thought fit that the Kings Person should have a Guard both above and below Stairs.
In the Presence Chamber therefore wait the Gentlemen Pensioners carrying Pole-axes, there are 50 who are usually Knights or Gentlemen of good Quality and Families; their Office is to attend the Kings Person to and from his Chappel only as far as the Privy Cham∣ber; also in all other Solemni∣ties: their yearly Fee is 100 l. to each. Over these there is a Captain, usually some Noble∣man, at present the Lord Bellas∣sis, whose Fee is 200 l. yearly; a Lieutenant Sir John Bennet, his Fee 66 l. 13 s. 4 d. a Standard-Bearer, Fee 100 l. a
Pay-masters Fee 50 l. and a Clerk of the Check.
Again in the first Room a∣bove Stairs, called the Guard-Chamber, attend the Yeomen of the Guard, whereof there are 250 men of the best quality under Gentry, and of larger Stature, wearing Red Coats, after an Antient Mode, bearing Halberds at home and Half-Pikes in Progress, and alwayes wearing a large Sword.
Their Pay is daily 2 s. 6 d.
Their Captain the Lord, Grandison.
The Kings Palace Royal (ratione Regiae Dignitatis) is ex∣empted from all Jurisdiction of any Court Civil or Ecclesiasti∣cal, but only to the Lord Steward, and in his absence to
the Treasurer and Comptroller of the Kings Houshold, with the Steward of the Marshalsey, who may by vertue of their Of∣fice, without Commission hear and determine all Treasons, Felonies, Breaches of the Peace, committed within the Kings Court or Palace.
The Kings Court or House where the King resideth, is ac∣counted a place so sacred, that if any man presume to strike a∣nother within the Palace where the Kings Royal Person resi∣deth, and by such stroke only draw blood, his right hand shall be stricken off, and he committed to perpetual prison and fined. By the Antient Laws of England only striking in the Kings Court was punisht with death and loss of goods.
To make the deeper impres∣sion and terrour into mens minds for striking in the Kings Court, it hath been or∣dered that the Punishment for striking should be executed with great Solemnity and Ceremony, in brief thus:
The Sergeant of the Kings Woodyard brings to the place of execution a square Block, a Beetle, Staple, and Cords to fasten the hand thereto, the Yeoman of the Scullery pro∣vides a great fire of Coals by the Block, wherein the Searing Irons brought by the Chief Farrier, are to be ready for the Chief Surgeon to use. Vinegar and Cold Water brought by the Groom of the Saucery; the Chief Officers also of the Cel∣lar and Pantry are to be ready,
one with a Cup of Red Wine, and the other with a Manchet, to offer the Criminal after the Hand cut off and the Stump seared. The Sergeant of the Ewry is to bring linnen to wind about and wrap the Arm. The Yeoman of the Poultry a Cock to lay to it, the Yeoman of the Chandry seared Clothes, the Master Cook a sharp Dresser Knife, which at the place of Execution is to be held upright by the Sergeant of the Larder, till Execution be performed by an Officer appointed thereto, &c.
In the Kings Court not on∣ly striking is forbidden but also all occasions of Striking, and therefore the Law saith, Nullas Citationes aut summonitiones li∣cet facere infra Palatium Regis
apud Westm, vel alibi ubi Rex residet.
The Court of the King of England for Magnificence, for Order, for Number and Qua∣lity of Officers, for rich Furni∣ture, for Entertainment and Ci∣vility to Strangers, for plenti∣ful Tables, might compare with the best Court of Christendom, and far excel the most Courts abroad; of one whereof, see the Description made by an in∣genious Person beyond Sea, writing to a Friend of his at Court there, Annon in Inferno es Amice, qui es in Aula ubi Daemonum habitatio est, qui il∣lic suis artibus (humanâ licet ef∣figie) regnant, atque ubi Scele∣rum Schola est, & Animarum jactura ingens, ac quicquid us∣piam est perfidiae ac doli, quic∣quid
crudelitatis ac inclementiae, quicquid effraenatae superbiae & rapacis avaritiae, quicquid ob∣scaenae libidinis ac faedissimae im∣pudicitiae, quicquid nefandae impietatis & morum pessimorum, totum illic acervatur cumulatis∣simè, ubi stupra, raptus, in∣cestus adulteria ubi inebriari jurare pejerare Atheismum profi∣teri palam principum & nobili∣um ludi sunt, ubi fastus & tu∣mor, ira Liver faedaque cupido cum sociis suis imperare videtur, ubi criminum omnium procellae, virtutumque omnium inerrabile naufragium, &c.
But the Court of England on the contrary hath been (and is hoped ever will be) accoun∣ted (as King James adviseth in his Basilicon Doron) a Pattern of Godliness and all Honesty and
Vertue, and the properest School of Prowess and Heroick Demeanour, and the fittest Place of Education for the No∣bility and Centry.
The Court of England hath for a long time been a Pattern of Hospitality to the Nobility and Gentry of England. All Noblemen or Gentlemen, Sub∣jects or Strangers that came ac∣cidently to Court, were freely entertained at the plentiful Ta∣bles of His Majesties Officers. Divers Services or Messes of Meat were every day provided Extraordinary for the Kings ho∣nour. Two hundred and forty Gallons a day were at the But∣try Barr allowed for the Poor, besides all the broken Meat, Bread, &c. gathered into Bas∣kets and given to the Poor at
the Court Gates by 2 Grooms and 2 Yeomen of the Almon∣ry, who have Salaries of His Majesty for that Service.
Moreover the Court is an eminent Pattern of Charity and Humility to all that shall see the performance of that Antient Custom by the King and the Queen on the Thursday before Easter, called Maundy Thursday, wherein the King in a solemn manner doth wash the Feet, cloth and feed as many poor Old Men as His Majesty is years old, bestowing on every one Cloth for a Gown, Linnen for a Shirt, Shooes, and Stock∣ings, a Joul of Salmon, a Pol of Ling, 30 Red and 30 White Herrings, all in clean Wooden Dishes, 4 Six Penny Loaves of
Bread, and a Purse with a 20 s. Piece of Gold.
The Magnificence and abun∣dant plenty of the Kings Ta∣bles hath caused amazement in all Forreigners, when they have been informed that yearly was spent of gross Meat 1500 Ox∣en, 7000 Sheep, 1200 Veals, 300 Porkers, 400 Sturks or young Biefes, 6800 Lambs 300 Flitches of Bacon, and 26 Boares. Also 140 Dozen of Geese, 250 Dozen of Capons, 470 Dozen of Hens, 750 Do∣zen of Pullets, 1470 Dozen of Chicken. For Bread 36400 Bushels of Wheat, and for Drink 600 Tun of Wine and 1700 Tun of Beer. Moreo∣ver of Butter 46640 Pounds, together with Fish and Fowl, Venison, Fruit, Spice, pro∣portionable.
This prodigious plenty caused Forreigners to put a higher value upon the King, and caused the Natives who were there freely welcome, to encrease their affection to the King, it being found as ne∣cessary for the King of Eng∣land this way to endear the English, who ever delighted in Feasting; as for the Italian Princes by Sights and Shews to endear their subjects, who as much delight therein.