HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

1623.

The pro

ney.

CHAPTER XLIII.

THE JOURNEY TO MADRID

ALMOST a year had passed since Gondomar received from the lips of the Prince of Wales the assurance of his intention to visit Spain. To Baby Charles, as his father approJanuary. priately named him, the impolicy of the step which jected jour- he was about to take appeared not to be worth a moment's consideration. Of the intrigues which would gather round him, of the strange expectations to which his mere presence at Madrid would give rise, he had simply no conception whatever. What he saw before him was a gay ride across a continent, a lovers' meeting, a brilliant adventure, with the spice of peril which made the enterprise all the more attractive to his irresolute mind, incapable, as it was, of weighing calmly the advantages and the dangers likely to ensue. If he had not himself approved of the plan, doubt would Bucking- have been impossible in the presence of that brilliant creature, so self-confident and so insinuating, to whom his father in his weakness had entrusted the companionship of his tender years. A worse guide for such a youth it was impossible to select. Charles, ready now, as in future life, to resent opposition which presented itself in the name of popular rights, or of a higher wisdom than his own, had no objection to raise against the boisterous familiarity of his friend. For

Charles and

ham.

Steenie, as he was called from some real or imaginary resemblance to a picture of St. Stephen in the King's possession, never asked him to trouble himself with the painful operation of thinking, whilst he took care to represent his own foregone conclusions with all outward forms of respect. He had early discovered how easy it was to make a tool of Charles. The inertness of the father, which had so often refused to comply with his sudden freaks, had no place in the son. Had Charles been on the throne in James's place, there can be little doubt that England would have been engaged in a war with the Emperor in 1620, in a war with the Netherlands in 1621, and in a war with Spain in 1622.

At what time the King was first acquainted with the plan is uncertain; but, on the whole, it is most probable that before the end of the year his consent had been won to the The journey proposed to project, though in a different shape from that which James. it afterwards assumed. If Buckingham was to go as Admiral of the Fleet to fetch the Infanta home in May, there would be comparatively few objections to his taking the Prince on shipboard with him. By that time the dispensation would have arrived, and the conditions of the marriage would be irrevocably settled. It could not, therefore, be said that there was any likelihood of Charles being treated as a hostage for the enforcement of new and exorbitant conditions.1

1 "And I have it de bonâ manu, and under the rose, that the Prince himself goes in person." Chamberlain to Carleton, Jan. 4, S. P. Dom. cxxvii. 5. This puts out of the question Clarendon's story of the journey being suggested at once just before the Prince started. It must be remembered that our only knowledge of the scene which follows is derived from him. He undoubtedly obtained his information from Cottington, and that part of his narrative which relates to things which passed before Cottington's own eyes may be at once accepted. But the remainder of his story, though doubtless generally true, is liable to error whenever it touches upon those circumstances of general history with which Clarendon had not made himself familiar. Clarendon, for instance, incorrectly asserts that the Marquis and the Prince had been at variance up to this time, that the journey to Spain was the beginning of James's dissatisfaction with Buckingham, and that Frederick had already incurred the ban of the Empire in an Imperial diet,' all of which statements are manifestly incorrect. I suspect that the first conversation took place about New Year's Day, and related only to

1623

February. They ask leave to go at once.

THE JOURNEY PROPOSED.

3

This was not, however, what Charles and Buckingham wanted. To arrive after all difficulties were at an end was far too commonplace an arrangement to suit their fiery imaginations. One day in February, after binding the King to secrecy, they told him that they wished for his leave to go at once. It would be a long time before the fleet could be ready. A pass to travel through France would not be granted without delay. Why should they not travel incognito? It would surely not be difficult, by hard riding, to reach the Spanish frontier before they were missed at Whitehall.

Never in the whole course of his life did James find it easy "No" to those with whom he was on terms of familiar

to say

James con

sents.

intercourse, and of late years his fatal habit of irresolution had increased. His body was racked with terrible attacks of gout, and his mind was deadened by a sense of failure, which did not exercise the less influence upon his temper because he was unwilling to confess its existence. If he had been asked to do anything himself, he would undoubtedly have resisted any pressure that could be brought to bear upon him. As it was, he gave way without difficulty, and accorded the required permission.

the King.

Before the morrow came, the mistake which he had committed rose before James's mind. As soon as the spell of Hesitation of the young men's presence was removed, he was able to think of the dangers into which his beloved son was about to run, and of the extreme probability that the Spanish ministers would raise their demands as soon as they had such a hostage in their hands. Accordingly, when the Prince returned with the Marquis the next morning to make arrangements for the journey, James adjured him to think of

going with the fleet, and that there was an interval of some weeks before the question of the journey by land was mooted. Bristol was informed of Buckingham's intention to come to Spain to the Infanta's marriage.

I do not insert the whole of the arguments used by James as given by Clarendon, as I have a suspicion that they were embellished by knowledge acquired after the event; I have adopted so much as would probably have Occurred to James under the circumstances.

the danger into which he was running. If any evil befell the Prince, he added, turning to Buckingham as he spoke, it was at his door that the blame would be laid, and his ruin would be unavoidable. Then, bursting into tears, he begged them not to press him to a thing so mischievous in every way, the execution of which was sure to break his heart.

Charles and

Buckingham.

Neither Charles nor Buckingham took the trouble to argue the question. With Buckingham, at least, it was a fundamental Language of article of faith that opposition and difficulty must give way before him. The Prince contented himself with reminding his father of the promise which he had given the day before, and with assuring him that if he were forbidden to go to Spain, he would never marry at all. The insolent favourite took higher ground, and told the King that if he broke his promises in this way, nobody would ever believe him again. He must have consulted some one, in spite of his engagement to secrecy. If the rascal who had suggested such pitiful reasons could be discovered, he was sure the Prince would never forgive him.

The poor King was completely cowed. He swore that he had never communicated the secret to anyone, and allowed Cottington's the young men to discuss the details of the journey, opinion. as if there had been no question of stopping it. Cottington and Porter were soon mentioned as proper persons to accompany the Prince. Upon this the King sent for Cottington, in the hope that he would prove more successful than himself in combating the idea.

As Cottington entered the room, Buckingham turned to Charles. "This man," he whispered in his ear, "will be against the journey." "No," answered the Prince, "he dares not." "Cottington," said the King, after engaging him to silence, "here are Baby Charles and Steenie, who have a great mind to go by post into Spain, to fetch home the Infanta, and will have but two more in their company, and have chosen you for one. What think you of the journey?" In his amazement, Cottington, cool as he generally was, could scarcely speak. It was only upon the question being repeated that he answered, in a trembling voice, that he could not think well of it. In his