THE MAGNIFICENT ENTERTAINMENT GIVEN TO KING JAMES, AND QUEENE ANNE HIS WIFE, AND Upon the Day of his Majestie's Triumphant Passage (from the Tower) through his Honorable Citie (and Chamber) of London, being the 15th of March, 1603-4; as well by the English as by the Strangers. With the Speeches and Songes delivered in the severall Pageants'. Imprinted at London by T. C.3 for Tho. Man the yonger, 1604, 4to. For a copy of this rare Tract, at the sale of the following celebrated Libraries, high prices were paid.-Townley Collection .5. 15s. 6d.―James Bindley, Esq. £.6. 10s.-Isaac Reed, Esq. £.7. 7s. -A copy of it, in Mr. Garrick's Library, bound up with other Tracts, was sold for £.53.—In the same volume was Savile's Account of the Entertainment of the King at Theobalds, copied in the present Volume, p. 135.-Gilbert Dugdale's "Time Triumphant," a copy of which shall be given a few pages further on; and another scarce Tract by Dekker, "A strange Horse Race, the Catchpots, Masque, &c. 1613," formed a part of another Volume of Mr. Garrick's Tracts, which was sold for 40 guineas. • Dekker is supposed to have acquired reputation as a Poet in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, whose decease and funeral he commemorates in his "Wonderful Year 1603," 4to. "The Gull's Hornebook," a curious publication of his, was re-printed, with notes by Dr. Nott, of Bristol, at that place, in 1815; but his Plays are little valued. The time of his death has not been ascertained.-Ben Jonson (his Rival) published " Part of the Entertainment through the Citie of London, given to James I," 1604, 4to; which will here be re-printed immediately after Dekker's Tract. Mr. Moule, "Bibliotheca Heraldica," p. 61, gives the title of this Tract from a second Edition of it in the same year; adding, after the word Pageants-" and those Speeches that before were published in Latin, now newly set forth in English. Imprinted at London, by E. Allde, for T. Man the yonger, 1604," 4to, (70 pages).—A copy of the First Edition is in the British Museum, and it is re-printed in the third volume of Somers's Tracts. TO THE READER. Reader, you must understand that a regard being had that his Majestie should not be wearied with teadious Speeches, a great part of those which are in this booke set downe were left unspoken; so that thou doest here receive them as they should have been delivered, not as they were. T. DEKKER. A Device (projected downe, but till now not publisht) that should have served at his Majestie's first Accesse to the Citie. The sorrow and amazement that like an earthquake began to shake the distempered body of this Iland (by reason of our late Soveraign's departure) being wisely and miraculously prevented, and the feared wounds of a civill sword (as Alexander's fury was with musicke) being stopt from bursting forth, by the sound of trompets that proclaimed King James: All men's eyes were presently turned to the North, standing even stone stil in their circles, like the points of so many geometricall needles, through a fixed and adamantine desire to behold this fortyfive years' wonder, now brought forth by tyme; their tongues neglecting all language else, save that which spake zealous prayers, and unceasable wishes, for his most speedy and long'd for arrivall; insomuch that the night was thought unworthy to be crown'd with sleepe, and the day not fit to be lookt upon by the Sunne, which brought not some fresh tydings of his Majestie's more neare and neerer approach. At the length Expectation (who is ever waking, and that so long was great) grew neare the time of her delivery, Rumor comming all in a sweate to play the midwife, whose first comfortable words were, that this Treasure of a Kingdome (a Man Ruler) hid so many yeares from us, was now brought to light, and at hand. "Et populi vox erat una, venit." MARTIAL. And that he was to be conducted through some utter part of this his Citie to his Royall Castle the Tower, that in the age of a man (till this very minute) had not bene acquainted nor borne the name of a King's Court; which entrance of his (in this maner) being fam'de abroad, because his loving subjects the Citizens would give a taste of their dutie and affection, the Device following was suddenly made up, as the first service to a more Royall and serious ensuing Entertainment. And this (as it was then proposed) should have beene performed about the Barres beyond Bishopsgate. THE DEVICE. Saint George, Saint Andrew, (the Patrons of both Kingdomes,) having a long time lookt upon each other with countenances rather of meere strangers than of such neare neighbours, upon the present aspect of his Majestie's approach toward London', were (in his sight) to issue from two severall places on horsebacke, and in compleate armour, their brestes and caparisons suited with the armes of England and Scotland (as they are now quartered), to testifie their leagued combination, and newe sworne brotherhood. These two armed Knights, encountering one another on the way, were to ride hand in hand, till they met his Majestie. But the strangenesse of this newly begotten amitie, flying over the Earth, it calles up the Genius of the Cittie, who (not so much mazde as wondring a tthe noveltie) intersepts their passage. And most aptly (in our judgement) might this domesticum numen (the Genius of the place) lay just clayme to this preheminence of first bestowing salutations and welcomes on his Majestie, Genius being held (inter fictos Deos) to be God of Hospitality and Pleasure; and none but such a one was meet to receive so excellent and princely a guest. Or, if not worthy, for those two former respects, yet being Deus generationis, and having a power aswell over countries, hearbs, and trees, as over men, and the Cittie having now put on a regeneration, or new birth, the induction of such a person might (without a warrant from the Court of Critists) passe very currant. To make a false florish here with the borrowed weapons of all the old maisters of the noble science of poesie, and to keepe a tyrannicall coyle, in anatomizing Genius from head to foote (onely to shewe how nimbly we can carve up the whole messe of the poets) were to play the executioner, and to lay our Citie's Houshold God on the rack, to make him confesse howmany paire of Latin sheets we have shaken and cut into shreds to make him a garment. Such feates of activitie are stale, and common among schollers (before whome it is protested we come not now, 'James had lingered on his journey, "banqueting and feasting by the way," as Wilson says, but chiefly hunting, in which he took great delight; the Plague too intervened, and a journey to the North, which he made to receive his Queen and Son, so that nearly twelve months elapsed from the period of Elizabeth's death to his public entry from the Tower. Happily James was patient of these Pageants, which were somewhat new to him, and had besides sufficient literature in them to interest his scholarship: yet it may be wondered how he held out at Whitehall. Wilson accounts for it somewhat uncharitably, according to his custom; "The City and Suburbs," he says, "were one great Pageant; yet the King endured this day's brunt with patience, being assured he should never have such another." Wilson's Life of King James, p. 12. Gifford. in a Pageant, to play a Maister's prize). For nunc ego ventosæ plebis suffragia venor. The multitude is now to be our audience, whose heads will miserably run a wooll-gathering if we doo but offer to breake them with hard words. But suppose (by the way), contrary to the opinion of all doctors, that our genius (in regard the place is feminine, and the person itselfe drawne figurá humaná, sed ambiguo sexu) should at this time be thrust into woman's apparell. It is no schisme, be it so; our Genius is then a female, antique, and reverend both in yeares and habit, a chaplet of mingled flowres, interwoven with branches of the plane tree, crowning her temples, her haire long and white, her vesture a loose roabe, changeable and powdred with starres. And being (on horsebacke likewise) thus furnished this was the tune of her voyce: GENIUS LOCI. Stay, we conjure you, by that potent name, ST. GEORGE. Of which each letter's (now) a triple charme: And Halcyonean dayes assure all's calme. When every tongue speakes musick; when each pen When Troyes proud buildings shew like fairie bowers, I am the Place's Genius, whence now springs Where the neat Sunne each morne himselfe attires, And gildes it with his repercussive fires. This jewell of the land; England's right eye; Greene Neptune's minion, 'bout whose virgin waste Isis is like a cristall girdle cast. Of this are we the Genius; here have I Fortie-foure Summers, and as many Springs, I charge you therefore say, for what you come? ST. GEORGE. ST. ANDREW. ST. GEORGE. GENIUS. Saint George. Saint Andrew. For Scotland's honour I. For England's I; "Rerum certa salus, terrarum gloria Cæsar! Sospite quo, magnos credimus esse Deos." MARTIAL. "Delexere priùs pueri, juvenesque, senesque, At nunc infantes te quoque, Cæsar, amant." Idem. This should have beene the first offring of the Cittie's love; and his Majestie not making his entrance according to expectation, it was (not utterly throwne from the altar, but) layd by. "Jam crescunt mediâ pægmata celsa viâ." MARTIAL. By this time imagine that Poets (who drawe speaking pictures) and Painters (who make dumbe poesie) had their heads and hands full; the one for native and sweet |