The approaching coronation fortunately absorbed all the queen's attention, and forced her to forget this wrangle with her new subjects.

St. James's day was appointed for the coronation, but fears of pestilence, and the discovery of the revolutionary plot of Cobham and Raleigh, threatened to diminish its splendours. The court had left Windsor Castle, and were abiding at Hampton Court, when several persons died of the plague, in the tents pitched for the accommodation of some of the queen's servants, at the gates of the palace. The king issued, in consequence, several sanitary proclamations, and, as much for fear of plots as the plague, required the nobility to retrench their retinues to the smallest possible numbers, and the attendance of all those who had not positive claims and offices was declined. When their majesties removed to St. James's Palace, about the 23rd of July, the king made knights of the Bath for the occasion, instead of holding court for that purpose at the Tower. He forbade the usual fair to be held adjacent to the palace, called, in ancient time, "St. James's Fair,” lest the pestilence should be increased by it.

These precautions were not without cause, for the plague, which had been dallying with London, at various times, in unhealthy seasons, during the last years of Elizabeth's reign, now concentrated its powers, and began to rage in London, during the coronation-week, with a violence only equalled by the pestilence, called the "black death," in the 14th century. The king's coronation, although a ceremony more than usually requisite in his case, had been delayed from time to time; and, when it did take place, the ancient procession from the Tower, through the city, to Westminster, was, for, the first time, dispensed with, on account of the infected state of the metropolis, to the infinite disappointment of the populace, who were extremely desirous of beholding their new king, his queen, (still a young and pretty woman,) and their children. The lamenta tions of London for this disappointment, and its cause, were not inelegantly rendered by Henry Petowe, in his poem on the coronation, called "England's Cæsar."1

See the reprint of this scarce tract, in Nicholls' excellent work, the Progresses of King James.

"Thousands of treasure had her bounty wasted,
In honour of her king to welcome him;
But woe is she! that honour is not tasted,
For royal James on silver Thames doth swim.
The water hath that glory-for he glides

Upon those pearly streams unto his crown,
Looking with pity on her, as he rides,

Saying, Alas! she should have this renown!'
So well he knew that woeful London loved him,
That her distress unto compassion moved him.”

No queen-consort had been crowned since the days of Anne Boleyn; yet, no king and queen had been crowned together, since Henry VIII. and Katharine of Arragon; yet the dreadful state of the pestilence, restrained public curiosity so much, that the august ceremony of the double coronation, was almost performed in private. The royal party went by water the short distance between Whitehall stairs, and privy stairs of Westminster Palace, on the morning of the procession; their only processions were, therefore, the short distance between the abbey and the hall. A describer of the scene,' mentions, "that queen Anne went to the coronation with her seemly hair down-hanging on her princely shoulders, and on her head a crownet of gold. She so mildly saluted her new subjects, that the women, weeping, cried out with one voice, God bless the royal queen! Welcome to England, long to live and continue!"

This coronation took place on St. James's day. A promise was made, that after the pestilence had abated, the king, the queen, and prince Henry, should visit the city, and share in the high festival, the civic authorities were to prepare for them; and this took place with great splendour in the succeeding spring. Thus the original procession of the English sovereign through the metropolis from the Tower, which had been observed, from a very early period, as a species of recognition by the citizens, was, for the first time, infringed through the accident of the plague. At this coronation, queen Anne gave great scandal to her new subjects, by refusing to receive the sacrament, according to the rites of the church of England. This refusal caused

1 Gilbert Dugdale. See Nicholls' Progresses, vol. i. p. 414. It does not appear the king and queen dined at Guildhall on this occasion; but Charles I. and his queen did so.

2 Birch's State Papers, vol. ii. P. 504.

her majesty to be grievously suspected of an "affection to popery.' The religious pliability of the queen, had been already too considerably tested; she had been required, in Scotland, to forsake the lutheran faith, in which she had been educated, for the calvinistic; now, she was required to communicate with the church of England. If she thought three changes of creed too much even for three crowns, her moral principles were the more respectable. It ought to be added, that the prelates of the church of England, were satisfied with her religious principles. "We have not the daughter of a Pharaoh, of an idolatrous king, nor fear we strange women to steal away king James's heart from God, but a queen as of a royal, so of a religious stock, professing the gospel of Christ with him-a mirror of true modesty, a queen of bounty, beloved by the people." This panegyric is from the pen of the bishop of Winchester.'

A more rational suspicion was raised by the report of her having received a present of pictures, and other trinkets, from the pope, through sir Anthony Standon; yet, such ought not to have stamped her a catholic, because, though the pope was the head of the Roman church, he was, at the same time, the patron of virtu, his metropolis being the centre of the fine arts, of which Anne of Ďenmark, was an ardent patroness.

But, while the religious jealousies of the English people were thus excited in regard to their Lutheran queen, they imposed upon their king the same coronation oath, which Elizabeth had taken at her catholic inauguration. He swore to preserve religion in the same state, as did Edward the Confessor! The privy-council and senate had every fair opportunity of arranging this oath, similarly to that of Edward VI., before they admitted the king into England, if they had chosen so to do. How they expected their sovereign to make his oath and his practice consistent, is an inexplicable riddle? Blood had been shed profusely, and more

Preface to the works of king James, 1616.
2 Birch's State Papers.

In Mr. Arthur Taylor's Glories of Regality, most ample proof is brought that such was the coronation oath, from the era of William the Conqueror till the revolution, with the exception of Edward VI., whose oath was more consistent with the protestant church. Sandford, the antiquarian, asserts the same fact.

was to flow in persecution, in order to produce conformity with the established church; and yet, such was the oath imposed on the Stuart sovereigns, and the only man who kept it was dethroned! Appalling as the wickedness of the 16th and 17th centuries may be, the inconsistencies of legislature therein, is still more astounding to the examiners of its documentary history.

ANNE OF DENMARK,

QUEEN-CONSORT OF JAMES THE FIRST, KING OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

CHAPTER III.

The appointments of a queen-consort obsolete in England-Queen's council, attorney, solicitor, &c. appointed-Sketches of her ladies in waiting— Maids of honour-Her secretary-Her manners to the people-Kindness to sir Walter Raleigh-Dull sojourn at Winchester-Incidents of her city visit, and abode at the Tower-Queen sends to Dunfermline, for prince Charles (Charles I.)-Her magnificent masques-The queen's accouchement of her third daughter (Mary)-First royal protestant baptism in England-Ceremony of the queen's churching-Gunpowder Plot-Queen and lord Herbert-Birth and death of the queen's seventh child (Sophia) -Arrival of the queen's brother (Christiern IV.)—Queen calumniated, as sharing the orgies of the two kings-Her weak health, and close confinement-Farewell to her brother-Vexatious embroilment with lady Nottingham-Takes possession of Theobalds-Her portrait-Her sylvan sports-Kills the king's best dog-Death of the queen's youngest childEarl of Salisbury's praises of the queen-Their quarrels, &c.—Queen's encouragement of poetry and the fine arts-Queen's magnificent revels at the installation of the prince of Wales-His influence-Her hatred of Carr and Overbury-Attends a ship-launch, with her son-Her despair at his decline and death-Witnesses the marriage of her daughter-Goes to Bath, for recovery of her health-Return-Unexpected visit of her brother, king Christiern-Queen patronises George Villiers (duke of Buckingham)-Autograph letter to him-Queen's exaggerated taste in dress-Portrait, (see vignette)—Patronises the Deptford boarding-school -Befriends sir Francis Bacon in the king's absence-Dialogue with him— Long decline-Intercedes for Raleigh-Lingering death-bed at Hampton Court-Jealousy of her foreign attendants-Interview with the queen and the archbishop of Canterbury-Satisfactory confession of faith-Delays making her will-Dialogue with her son Charles, prince of WalesDeath-Funeral-Epitaphs-Missing treasure-The king remains a

widower.

UPWARDS of half a century had elapsed since a queenconsort had existed in England, and her privileges and