The plain Englishman's historian, or, A compendious chronicle of England from its first being inhabited to this present year 1679 but more especially containing the chief remarques of all our Kings and Queens since the conquest, their lives and reigns, policies, wars, laws, successes, and troubles : with the most notable accidents, as dearths, tempests, monstrous births, and other prodigies that happened in each of their times respectively / by H.C.

CHAP. XXV. King James.

JAmes the Sixth King of Scotland of that Name, being descended from Margaret the eldest daughter of King Henry the Se∣venth, had after Queen Elizabeths death an undoubted Right to the Crown of England, and was accordingly proclaimed the very last day of the year 1602. and in May fol∣lowing arrived in London, but was not crowned till a pretty while afterwards.

In the third year of his Reign was the horrid Gunpowder Treason, a Plot laid by Henry Garnet a Jesuit, Robert Catesby, Thomas Piercy, Thomas Winter, Guido Fawks, and other desperate Papists, to blow up both Houses of Parliament, King, Prince, Lords, and Commons, all together; to this pur∣pose having taken an oath of Secrecy, and

hired an House adjoyning, they began to un∣dermine, but at last heard of a Cellar right under the Parliament House, to be let; which they hire and stow their Powder in, covered over to prevent suspicion with Billets and Faggots, the day appointed for the Parlia∣ments meeting, and consequently this Exe∣cution was the Fifth of November; but 10 days before, a stranger delivers a Letter to the Lord Mounteagles Man to give to his Lord, the words whereof were these.

My Lord,

OƲt of the love I bear to some of your friends, I have a care of your preservation; therefore I would wish you as you tender your life to forbear your attendance at this Parlia∣ment; for God and Man have concurred to pu∣nish the wickedness of this time. And think not slight of this Advertisement, but retire your self into your Country, where you may expect the event in safety. For though there be no ap∣pearance of any stir, yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament, and yet shall not see who hurts them. This counsel is not to be contemned, and can do you no harm, for the dan∣ger is past so soon as you have burnt this Letter; and I hope God will give you grace to make good use of it, to whose holy protection I commend you.

Indeed God did give my Lord grace to make the best use of it, which was to shew it to the King and Council; but being in a counterfeit imperfect hand, without Name or Date, they knew not what to make of it, till His Majesty by that word terrible blow, &c. and the danger will be over as soon as you have burnt this Letter, did most sagaciously conjecture it might be mischief by blowing up with Gunpowder, and ordered privy search to be made, where the very night be∣fore the Parliament was to meet, coming in∣to the said Cellar, and removing the Billets, they found first one, and then the rest, in all 36 Barrels of Powder, and took Fawks standing suspiciously in the Entry, and in his pocket a piece of Touch-wood, a Tinder∣box, a Match, &c. The rest were gone down into the Country, on pretence of a Hunting Match to raise Rebellion, and seize the Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth, which last then lying in Warwick-shire, they intended to proclaim Queen, and rule all things at their pleasure.

But now after some resistance, wherein Catesby and Piercy fighting back to back, were both killed with one Musquet-shot, and some others slain. The rest were ta∣ken,

hang'd, drawn, and quartered; and the day ordered to be celebrated to all Genera∣tions.

Next year Christianus King of Denmark Queen Anns Brother came into England, and after a moneths magnificent Entertain∣ment returned.

In the year 1610. Prince Henry aged 17 years was created Prince of Wales with great solemnity, but 2 years after falling sick of a malignant Fever he died on the sixth of November 1612. who being a Prince of extraordinary hopes, and infinitely beloved of the people, his death caused a general sad∣ness, and eclipsed the joys of the Marriage between the Lady Elizabeth and Prince Fre∣derick Count Palatine of the Rhine, which just at that time was solemnized.

About this time Hugh Middleton, Citizen and Goldsmith of London, with vast cost and labour brought the New River water to that City: and to add to the beauty of the Town near the same time Meorfields, which was nothing but dirty heaps and noi∣som common shores, was made sweet and clean, and distinguished into Walks, and set with Trees, and Smithfield first of all pa∣ved.

1617. Sir Walter Rawleigh condemned for Treason upon King James first coming in, after 15 years imprisonment in the Tower, where he wrote the History of the World, got leave to go to Guyana, affirm∣ing he knew of a Gold Mine there, but pro∣ving not succesful therein, Gondomor the Spa∣nish Ambassador made such Complaints, that upon his former judgment he was beheaded in the Palace-Yard at Westminster; a man both for a Souldier, a Seaman, and a Scho∣lar, scarce to be match'd in this later age.

1619. Queen Ann died, and about a year after, the Count Palatine having thus mar∣ried the Daughter of the King of Great Britain, was thought fit to be King of Bohe∣mia, and elected by the States, but was no sooner crowned, but the Emperour with great Forces fell upon him, which occasion∣ed much trouble afterwards to that. Illustri∣ous Family.

A Match is proposed for Prince Charles with the Infanta of Spain, who to speed it on undertakes a journey thither in person, travelling privately through France, where by chance he had a sight of that incompara∣ble Lady that was afterwards his Queen; for no good being to be done in Spain, wea∣ried with delays, he returns and enters in∣to

a Treaty with France, during which King James died of an Ague at Theobalds, March 27. 1625, having reigned 22 years, and in the 59th. of his age. A Prince justly styled the Peace-maker, and for his Learning, Wis∣dom, and the Plenty of his Reign celebra∣ted as our English Solomon.

In the first year of his Reign happened a great Plague, of which in one year 30244 persons died in London.

In his second year one Ann Waters enti∣ced by a Lover of hers, consented to have her Husband strangled, and buried under the Dunghil in the Cow-house. The man be∣ing missing and she pretending to wonder what was become of him, a Neighbour hap∣pened to dream that the said Waters was strangled and buried in such a place, who declaring his dream, a search is made, the body found, the Wife examined, and con∣fessing was burnt.

Anno 1609. A Fire began in a Mault∣house in Saint Edmondsbury, and consumed 160 Houses, towards rebuilding whereof the King gave 500 loads of Timber.

Anno 1618. In November was the great Comet seen, after which followed the Wars in Germany.

On Friday October 24. 1623. At the Po∣pish Conventicle in Black Friars by the fall of the Floor, the Priest, and almost 100 of his Auditors were killed.

Anno 1606. The King first granted a Pa∣tent to London for a Plantation in Virginia, and another to Bristoll, Exeter, and Plimouth, for a Plantation in New England, which then began to be peopled with English.