that harvest of exquifite felicity which the his wild excurfions into the re ions of literary wanderer promises himself from fancy. The Public having been for fome Time paft amused with JUBILEES in Honour of our favourite Poet SHAKESPEARE, any Thing alluding to a like Solemnity may not be unfavourably received; we here therefore give an Account of the most magnificent one that perhaps ever exifted. TIM IMUR BEK, known commonly by the name of Tamerlane, refolving, before he made his intended expedition to China, to marry his grand-children, ordered a grand jubilee or feaft to be made, in the plain of Khani Gheul, (that is, a mine of Flowers,) whither he went to lodge on the 17th of October, in the year 1404. The Governors of provinces, Generals, and great Lords of his empire, affembled in this place, and pitched their tents in order. People from all parts of Afia repaired to behold this folemn rejoicing; where all forts of diverfions were exhibited, and the richest curiofities fold in magnificent fhops. There was built an amphitheatre, covered with brocade and Perlian carpets, furnished with feats for the mufic, and places for the buffoons and jetters to fhew their fkill. There was another amphitheatre for all forts of tradefmen, and a hundred of a different manner filled with thofe who fold fruit, each of whom had a kind of garden of pistachios, pomegranates, almonds, pears, and apples. The butchers dreffed up fkins of animals in very ludicrous figures. Women imitated fpeaking goats with horns of gold, and ran after one another. Some were dreffed like fairies and angels, with wings; whilft others affumed the appearance of elephants and Sheep. The skinners alfo appeared in mafquerades, like leopards, lions, tygers, foxes, with whofe fkins they were covered. The upholders inade a camel of wood, reeds, cords, and painted linen, which walked about as if a live; and the man within it, drawing a curtain, difcovered the workman in his own piece. The manufacturers of cotton made birds of cotton, and a high tower of the fame material, with the help of reeds, which every body imagined to be built with brick and mortar. It was covered with brocades and embroidered work, carried itself about, and on its top was placed a tork. The faddlers Thewed their skill in two litters, open at top, carried on a camel, with a beautiful woman in each, who diverted the fpectators by actions with their hands and feet. The matmakers gave a proof of their dexterity, by two lines of writing, in Kufick, and other Large characters worked with reeds. Thus every one contributed to celebrate the marriage of the young Princes. The aftrologers having chofen a happy moment,' the firit Officer of the houshold drew the curtain of the Imperial gate. The Kadi's, Sharifs, and Doctors of the empire met the Emperor; and, having agreed on the articles of marriage, the great Doctor read them to the Affembly. The Grand Kadi received the mutual confent of the parties, which he registered; and then, according to the Hanafiyan rites, joined the Princes and Princeffes together in marriage, on whom every one fprinkled gold and precious ftones. The Emperor being feated on his throne, the banquet was ferved up to the brides, and other Ladies of the Court, by the moft beautiful young women of his Saray, who had on crowns compofed of flowers. The Princes of the blood, great Lords of the Court, and foreign Ambaffadors, were feated under a canopy, fupported by twelve columns, and diftant about a horfe's courfe from the nuptial-hall. Here were ranged earthen urns, with ftrings of precious ftones about them, filled with gold, and filver pilafters, on the tops of which were cups of gold, agate, and cryftal, adorned with pearls and jewels: All which veffels were prefented on falvers of gold and filver to thofe who drank; the liquors being kammez, (inade of mare's milk) oxymel, hippocras, brandy, wines, and the like. It is reported, that the wood of feveral large forefts was cut down to dress the victuals for this banquet. There were tables furnished in different places throughout the whole plain, and flaggons of wine fet near them, with numberlefs baskets of fruit. Befides thefe preparations for the Court, there were jars full of liquors, ranged all through the plain for the people's drinking; and, that their joy might be complete, they were allowed to purfue whatever pleafures they thought fit, without any restraint, by proclamation, in thefe terms: This is the time of feafting, pleasure, and rejoicing. Let no perfon reprimand, or complain of an. other: Let not the rich infult the poor; nor the ftrong the weak: Let no one afk another, Why have you done this?' The elephants, with thrones on their beaks, were drawn out on this occafion. when the H 2 the feaft was over, a vast quantity of curious moveable goods was, according to custom, laid upon mules and camels for the newmarried Princes; among which were all forts of rich habits, crowns, and belts, fet With precious ftones. The mules had coverings of fattin, embroidered with gold; and their little bells, as well as thofe of the camels, were of gold. This pompous equipage paffed before the admiring people. The bridegrooms, with their brides, were cloathed nine times in different habits, fet off with crowns and belts. Each time they changed their drefs, they paid their refpects, as ufual, to the Emperor; while the ground was covered with the gold, pearls, and precious stones, which were fprinkled on them, and became the perquifite of their domeftics. At night, illuminations were made, with Janthorns, torches, and lamps; and the new-married Princes entered the nuptialchamber. Next day, Timur honoured them with a vifit at their refpective apartments, accompanied by the Empreffes and great Lords of the Court. Nor were the rejoicings conmed to Khani Gheul; for there was not one place in the whole empire, where the found of drums and trumpets was not heard. This jubilee lafted two months; after which the Affembly was diffolved, and the licence which had been granted during the feaft recalled: So that, for the future, no perfon was allowed to drink wine, or commit any thing unlawful. After this, Timur made a memorable fpeech to this effect: The LIFE of Archbishop LAUD BESIDES the parochial vifitations, the Archbishop vifited alfo_the_cathedrals, and procured new ftatutes for them, or reformed and improved their old ones. He infifted, likewife, on visiting the Univerfitics as Metropolitan; which, after fome conteft, was adjudged to him as his right: But, the troubles coming on, he did not vifit them. In order to preferve, and collect together, all the records in the Tower that concern the clergy, he was at the charge of having them all fairly tranfcribed in a large book of vellum; and, it being brought to him fimifhed, June 1o, 1637, he depolited it in his library at Lambeth, for the fervice of pofterity. For fome years he had fet his heart upon get ting the English liturgy introduced into the church of Scotland; and fome of the Scottish Bishops had, under his direction and encouragement, prepared both that book and a collection of canons for public fervice. The canons were published in 1635, and the li My heart hath hitherto been fet apost inlarging the limits of my vaft empire; but now I take up a refolution to ufe all my care in procuring quiet and fecurity to my fub, jects, and to render my kingdoms flourish ing. It is my will, that private perfons addrefs their petitions and complaints immedi ately to myfelf; that they give me their advice, for the good of the Muffulmans, the glory of the faith, and the extirpation of the wicked difturbers of the public quict. I am unwilling, at the day of judgment, that my poor oppreffed fubjects fhould cry out vengeance against me. I am not defirous that any of my brave foldiers, who have so often expofed their lives in my fervice, fhould com plain against either me, or fortune; for their afflictions touch me more than they do themfelves. Let none of my fubjects fear to come before me with their complaints; for my defign is that the world should become a paradife under my reign; knowing, that, when a Prince is juft and merciful, his kingdom is crowned with bleffings and honours. In fine, I defire to lay up a treafure of jultice, that my foul may be happy after my death." Timur then retired to his clofet; where he thanked God for his favours, in raifing him, from a petty Prince, to be the mot mighty Monarch in the world: In giving him fo many victories and conquests, maintaining him in fovereign authority, and make ing him his chofen fervant." finished from Page 17 of our last. turgy came not in ufe till July 23, 1637On that day it was first read in St. Giles's church in Edinburgh; when it occafioned a moft violent tumult among the perverse and ignorant multitude, fpirited up by the Nobility, who were lofers by the reftitution of epifcopacy, and by the Ministers who loft their claffical government. In King James the Firit's minority, the lands of all the cathedral churches and religious houfes, which had been fettled on the Crown by act of Parliament, were shared amongst the Lords and great Men of that kingdom, by the connivance of the Earl of Murray, and fome of the Regents, to make them fure unto that fide; and they, being thus poffeffed of the fame lands, with the regalities and tythes belonging to thofe ecclefiaftical corporations, lorded it with pride and infolence enough in their feveral territories. Upon the restoration of epifcopacy, the poffeffors of the aforefaid revenues began to fear they should be taken from from them for the maintenance of the Bishops; and the more as the Bishops pretended highly to the tythes and impropriations; and firft a revocation, and then a commission for taking the surrendries of them at the King's pleasure, had been newly fet on foot. Befides, fome of the Bishops were put into places of the greatest profit, and of the higheft truft and authority.-This, efpecially among the Nobles and perfons of the highest confequence, appears to have been the true reafon of the ftrong oppofition made to the restoration of epifcopacy in Scotland; and the cause of the many evils brought by the Scots upon this kingdom. Our Archbishop, having been the great promoter of that affair, was reviled for it in the most abufive manner; and both he and the book were charged with downright Pope+ ry. The extremely fevere profecution, carried on, about the fame time, in the Starchamber, chiefly through his inftigation, againft Prynne, Baftwick, and, Burton, did him alfo infinite prejudice, and expofed him to numberless libels and reflections, though he endeavoured to vindicate his conduct, in a fpeech delivered at their cenfure, June 14, 1637; and which was published by the King's command. Another rigorous profecution, carried on, with his concurrence in the Star-chamber, was against Bishop Williams, who was condemned July 11, this year, in a fine, of 10,000 pounds, and to be imprisoned in the Tower during the King's pleasure; and fufpended, the 24th of the fame month, from all his ecclefiaftical functions. Upon another information, he was sentenced February 14, 1638-9, to pay the King 5000 1. more, and the Archbishop 3000 l. and Lambert Ofbaldefton, Mafter of Westminster school, styled his confederate, was fined 5000l. to the King, the fame fum to the Archbishop; deprived, of all preferments; condemned to imprifonment during the King's pleasure; to stand in the pillory, and have his ears nailed thereto. Bishop Williams, happening to displease the Duke of Buckingham, was not only turned out of his place of Lord-keeper, but grew, by the Favourite's means, intirely out of favour with the King; fo that he was, if poffible, devoted to deftruction. The first ftep to it was a profecution begun against him in 1627, for revealing the King's fecrets, contrary to his oath as Privy-counsellor,' upen the information of Sir John Lamb, and Dr. Sibthorp, for words (poken at his own table in their prefence. The Bishop, putting a demurrer and a strong plea against the bill, fropped or delayed proceedings for about ten years. Whereupon the Attorney-general, fearing a defect of teftimony, let fall this first bill, and prefented a fecond against him for tampering with the King's witneffes; and upon this fecond information it was, that he was fo feverely treated. The fecond fentence was grounded only upon three letters found in a box in the Bishop's house at Bugden, and written to him by Mr. Ofbal defton in 1633; wherein mention was made of the great leviathan, the little urchin, the little meddling hocus pocus." By which two laft names it was infifted upon, that Mr. Ofbaldefton meant Archbishop Laud, though he protested to the contrary, and declared that he meant Dr. Spicer. This laft fentence therefore was, if possible, much harder than the other. In order to prevent the printing and pubJishing what our Archbishop thought improper books, he procured a decree to be paffed in the Star-chamber, July 11, 1637, to regulate the trade of printing; whereby it was injoined, that the mafter printers fhould be reduced to a certain number: and that none of them fhould print any books till they were licensed either by the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Bishop of London, or by fome of their Chaplains; or by the Chancellors or Vice-chancellors of the two Universities. He fell into the Queen's difpleasure, Oct. 22, this year, by speaking with his ufual warmth to the King, at the Council-table, concerning the increase of Papifts, their frequent refort to Somerset-houfe, and the unfufferable misdemeanors of fome of them, in perverting his Majefty's fubjects to Popery January 31, 1638-9, he wrote a circular letter to his Suffragan Bishops, wherein he exhorted them and their clergy to contribute liberally towards the railing of the army which, the King was aflembling, in order to bring the rebellious Scots to obedience For this he was called an incendiary; but he declares, on the contrary, that he laboured for peace fo long, till he received a great check; and that, in the Council, his counfels alone prevailed for peace and forbearance. In 1639. he employed one Mr. Petley to tranflate the Liturgy into Greek; and at his recommendation it was, that Dr. Jofeph Hall, Bifhop of Exeter, composed his learned treatife of Dpifcopacy by divine right afferted. On the sth of December the fame year, he was one of three Privy-counfellors that advised the King to call a Parliament in cafe of the Scottish rebellion; at which time a resolution was taken to affift the King in extraordinary ways, if the Parliament fhould prove peevin and refuse fupplies. A new Parliament, being fummoned, met April 13, 1640; and the Convocation the day following. But, the Commons launching out into extravagant complaints against the Archbishop, and infifting upon having grievances redrefled before they granted any fupply, the Parliament was unhappily diffolved May the 5th. The Convocation, however, continued fitting, which the Archbishop was not fatisfied with, till he was determined by the opinion of the Lord Keeper Finch and feveral eminent lawyers, and by a precedent in the year 1586. The reafon of their continuance was, that, having agreed to give the King fix subsidies, payable in fix years, and amounting in the whole to 126,000l. and the act not being made up at the diffolution of the Parliament, his Majefty, unwilling to lofe fo confiderable a fum, granted them a new commiffion under the broad feal, according to the Stat. 25 Hen. VIII. c. 19, by virtue of which they fat till the 29th of May. In this convocation feventeen canons were made; but both the canons and the fitting of the Convocation were imputed afterwards to the Archbishop as a moft enormous crime, and on him alfo many laid the blame and odium of the Parliament's diffolution: So that zealous John Lilburne, W. Prynne's fervant, caused a paper to be pofted, May 9, upon the Old Exchange, animating the apprentices to fack his houfe at Lambeth, the Monday following. On that day, above 500 of them affembled in a riotous and tumultuary manner, but the Archbishop, having had previous notice, fecured the houfe as well as he could, and retired to his chamber at Whitehall, where he remained fome days. One of the ringleaders was hanged, drawn, and quartered, the 21ft of the fame month, being condemned for treafon upon the Statute 25 Edw. III. becaufe fo great a number was affembled in a warlike manner, with a drum, and with unlawful intents. In August following, a libel was found in Covent-garden; animating the apprentices and foldiers to fall upon him in the King's abfence, that is, during his fecond expedition into Scotland. The Parliament that met Nov. 3, 1640, not being better difpofed in his favour, but for the moft part bent upon his ruin; feveral angry fpeeches were made against him in the Houfe of Commons, one particularly, Dec. 18, by Harbottle Grimstone, Efq; in which are these virulent expreffions : We are now fallen upon the great man, the Archbishop of Canterbury; look upon him as he is in highness, and he is the ftye of all peftilential filth that hath infected the ftate and government of this commonwealth: Look upon him in his dependencies, and he 1 is the man, the only man that hath raised and advanced all thofe that, together with himself, have been the authors and caulers of all our ruins, miferies, and calamities we now groan under. Who is it but he only that hath brought the Earl of Strafford to all his great places and employments; a fit fpirit and inftrument to act and execute all his wicked and bloody defigns in thefe kingdoms? Who is but he only that brought in Secretary Windebank into this place of fervice, of truft, the very broker and pandar to the whore of Babylon? Who is it, Mr. Speaker, but he only that hath advanced all our Popish Bishops? I fhall name but fome of them, Bishop Manwaring, the Bifhop of Bath and Wells, the Bishop of Oxford, and Bishop Wren, the least of all these birds, but one of the most unclean ones.--Who is it, Mr. Speaker, but this great Archbishop of Canterbury, that hath fitten at the helm to fteer and manage all the projects that have been fet on foot in this kingdom thefe ten years laft paft? And, rather than he would ftand out, he hath most unworthily trucked and chaffered in the meaneft of them; as, for inftance, that of tobacco, wherein thoufands of people have been ftripped and turned out of their trades, for which they have ferved as apprentices: We all know he was the compounder and contractor with them for the licences, putting them to pay fines and a fee-farm rent to use their trade.Mr. Speaker, we all know what he hath been charged withal here in this House, crimes of a dangerous confequence, and of a tranfcendent nature, no less than the fubverfion of the government of this kingdom, and the alteration of the Proteftant religion: And this is not upon bare information only, but much of it is come before us already upon clear and manifeft proofs, and there is fcarce any grievance or complaint come be fore us in this place, wherein we do not find him inter-mentioned, and as it were twisted into it; like a bufy angry wafp, his fting s in the tail of every thing.-Mr. Speaker, he hath been the great and common enemy of all goodness and good men, and it is not fafe that fuch a viper fhould be near his Majefty's perfon, to diftil his poifon into his facred ears; nor is it fafe for the commonwealth that he fit in fo eminent a place of government, being thus accufed; we know what he did in the Earl of Strafford's cafe: This man is the corrupt fountain that hath infected all the ftreams, and, till the fountain be purged, we can never expect or hope to have clear channels, &c.Thefe are the rhetorical flourishes in this invective. The whole of it is aggravated and ungenteel fome fame false; and the reft unworthy to come from the mouth of Mr. Grimftone, a Genileman, or a Chriftian. But, fuch was the ill humour of those violent times, when no candor, and very little juftice could be expected. endeavour to ruin his reputation. For that purpose, numberlefs libels and ballads against him fwasmed in the cities of London and Westminster, without controul; and even were put into the hands of the Members of both Houses of Parliament, without the leaft No wonder that the Archbishop's ruin reftraint or disapprobation. Ludicrous and fhould be fought and refolved upon, when abufive pictures were also made of him; he had fo many and powerful enemies: whereby he was reprefented in a cage, fastenNamely, almoft the whole body of the Puri-ed to a poft by a chain at his fhoulder; og tans; too many of the English Nobility and others; and the bulk of the Scotch nation. The Puritans, who reputed and called him the fole author of the innovations; of the troubles and over-rigorous profecutions against the moft noily, obftinate, and busy of them: The Nobility, who were disobliged by his warm and incautious manner, and by his grafping at the odious office of Prime Minifter; odious, because on him all faults and miscarriages are generally laid : And the Scots, driven to a pitch of fury and madness, by the reftoring of epifcopal government, and the introduction amongst them of the English fervice-book. There fore, he was not only examined Dec. 4, in the Earl of Strafford's cafe; but, Dec. 16, when the Commons began to debate about the late Convocation and canons, he was represented as the author of them; and a Committee put upon him to inquire into all his actions, and to prepare a charge against him. The fame morning, in the House of Lords, he was named as an incendiary, in an accufation put in by the Scottish Commiffioners. Two days after, Dec. 18, Denzil Holles, Efq; fecond fon to the Earl of Clare, carried up to the Lords, in the name of the Commons, the impeachment against him of high treafon; defiring he might be forthwith fequeftered from Parliament, and committed; and the Commons would, within a convenient time, refort to them with particular accufations and articles. Soon after, the Scottifh Commiffioners prefented alfo to the Upper House the charge against him, tending to prove him an incendiary; whereupon he was immediately committed to the cuftody of Mr. James Maxwell, Gentleman Uther of the Black Rod. After he had continued ten weeks in his cuftody, Sir Henry Vane, jun. brought up, Feb. 26, from the Commons to the Lords, fourteen articles against him, which they defired time to prove in particuJar, and that he might in the mean while be kept fafe. Accordingly Mr. Maxwell conveyed him in his coach to the Tower, March 1, 1640-1, amidit the infults and reproaches of the mob. His enemies, of which the number was great, began then to give full vent to their pallions and prejudices, and to in a cage with a Jefuit, and the King's fool ftanding by and laughing at them; and fuch low ribaldry. In March and April 1641, the House of Commons ordered him, jointly with all those that had paffed fentence in the Star-chamber against Burton, Bastwick, and Prynne, to make fatisfaction and reparation to them for the damages they had fuftained by their fentence and imprisonment, and he was fined 20,000 pounds for his acting in the late Convocation. On the 21st of December foregoing, the Archbishop had also been condemned to pay 500 pounds to Sir Robert Howard for falfe imprisonment. This cafe, as related by the Archbishop, was thus: Sir John Villiers, eldeft brother to George, the great Duke of Buckingham, having taken to his fecond wife Elifabeth, daughter of Sir William Slingby, in Yorkshire, Knt. fhe bafely forfook his bed, and made herself a proftitute to Sir Robert Howard, fifth fon of Thomas Earl of Suffolk; by whom the had a child, under the name of Mrs. Wright. These things coming to be known, the was brought into the High-commission; and, being there found guilty of adultery, Nov. 19, 1627, was fentenced to do penance; but, to avoid that, he withdrew. Afterwards, when the storm was over, Sir Robert conveyed her to his house in Shropshire, where the lived avowedly with him fome years, anti had by him feveral children. At last, they grew to that open boldness, that he brought her up to London, and lodged her in Weftminfter. This was fo near the Court, and in fo open view, that the King and the Lords took notice of it, as a thing full of impudence, that they fhould fo publickly venture to outface the juftice of the realm in fo foul a bufinefs. And, one day, as the Archbifhop came to wait upon the King, his Majefty told him of it, and added, that it was a great reproach to the church and nation; and that he neglected his duty, in case he did not take order for it. The Archbishop answered she was the wife of a Peer of the realm; and that, without his leave, he could not attack her; but that, now he knew his Majefty's pleafure, he would do kis best to have her taken and brought to penance, ac cording |