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244. Extracts from me

moirs of the

Duc de Sully (June 22, 1603)

CHAPTER XIV

THE PERSONAL MONARCHY OF THE EARLY STUARTS,

1603-1640

I. ROYAL, PARLIAMENTARY, AND PURITAN THEORIES

The following passage is an extract from the memoirs. of the contemporary French minister, Sully, describing the new English king, James I, whom he had been sent to greet in the name of the French king, Henry IV.

The king of England, who had before acquainted me that he would grant me an audience on the 22d, which was Sunday, sent a gentleman to confirm it to me, to desire I would not think the time tedious, and to be informed how I was lodged, and whether I wanted anything. To this favor was also added a present of half a buck, which, as this prince informed me by the bearer, he had killed that day, and was the first he had ever taken in his life, though he was a great lover of the chase; the reason was, there being very few in Scotland, and this the first he had hunted in England.

From hence he took occasion to make Henry a compliment, by saying that he had attributed his good fortune to the arrival of a man, who came from a prince that was looked upon to be the king of hunters. I replied . . . that when the king my master made a party for the chase, he was so far from thinking, like the king of England, that my presence would contribute to its success, that he generally sent me to attend to other affairs in the cabinet, where, he said, I was more happy. Though there was nothing serious in all this, I was nevertheless glad of the opportunity that was afforded me to insinuate myself into his Britannic Majesty's favor, and

with this view I turned my compliment in such a manner as might please the self-complacency of James, who, I very well knew, was extremely flattered by any comparison with the king of France.

his influence

over the

The conversation continued the same as before, during great James' vain part of the entertainment; but an opportunity offering for the boasting of king to speak of the late queen of England, he did it, and to my great regret, with some sort of contempt; he even boasted government of Elizabeth of the dexterity which he had employed to manage her by means of her own councilors, all of whom, he said, he had gained over during her life, so that they did nothing but what was agreeable to him; that it was, therefore, not at this time only he governed England, but several years before the death of the late queen, whose memory did not seem agreeable to him. He then called for some wine, his custom being never to mix water with it, and holding the glass in his hand toward Beaumont and myself, he drank to the health of the king, the queen, and the royal family of France. I returned him his health, and that, too, without forgetting his children. He inclined himself to my ear when he heard me name them, and told me softly, that the next health he would drink should be to the double union which he was planning between the royal houses.

He had never till now said a single word to me about this; and I thought the opportunity which he had thus taken for it was not extremely well chosen. I failed not, however, to receive the proposal with all possible marks of joy, and replied softly that I was certain Henry would not hesitate in his choice between his good brother and ally, and the king of Spain, who had before applied to him upon the same subject. James, surprised at what I told him, informed me in his turn, that Spain had made him the same offers of the Infanta for his son as it had to France for the Dauphin. At last he quitted the company to go to bed, where he usually passes part of the afternoon, and sometimes even the whole of it.

King James held positive opinions about most things, including the use of tobacco, which was now becoming a

245. King James on

the new

tobacco

using

widespread habit in England. He wrote, therefore, what he called A Counterblast against Tobacco, from which the following passages are selected.

Many in this kingdom have had such a continual use of taking this unsavory smoke, as now they are not able to forbear fashion of the same, no more than a long drunkard can be long sober, without falling into an uncurable weakness. . . . It is, as you use, or rather abuse it, a branch of the sin of drunkenness, which is the root of all sins: for as the only delight that drunkards take in wine is in the strength of the taste, and the force of the fume thereof that mounts up to the brain; for no drunkards love any weak or sweet drink; so are not those (I mean the strong heat and the fume) the only qualities that make tobacco so delectable to all the lovers of it?

And for the vanities committed in this filthy custom, is it not both great vanity and uncleanliness, that at the table, a place of respect, of cleanliness, of modesty, men should not be ashamed to sit tossing of tobacco pipes, and puffing of the smoke of tobacco one to another, making the filthy smoke and stink thereof to exhale athwart the dishes and infect the air, when very often men that abhor it are at their repast?

Surely smoke becomes a kitchen far better than a dining chamber, and yet it makes a kitchen also oftentimes in the inward parts of men, soiling and infecting them with an unctuous and oily kind of soot, as hath been found in some great tobacco takers that after their death were opened. . . . The public use whereof at all times and in all places hath now so far prevailed, as that divers men, very sound both in judgment and complexion, have been at last forced to take it also without desire, partly because they were ashamed to seem singular . . . and partly to be as one that was content to eat garlic (which he did not love) that he might not be troubled with the smell of it in the breath of his fellows.

And is it not a great vanity that a man cannot heartily welcome his friend now, but straight they must be in hand with tobacco? Now it is become in place of a cure, a point of good fellowship, and he that will refuse to take a pipe of tobacco

among his fellows (though for his own election he would rather feel the savor of a sink) is accounted peevish and no good company, even as they do with tippling in the cold Eastern countries. Yea the mistress cannot in a more mannerly kind entertain her servant than by giving him out of her fair hand a pipe of tobacco. . . . It is a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black, stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless.

The views of James and of the authorities of the established church on the question of Sunday observance are brought out clearly in the Declaration of Sports, issued by the king, after noticing in Lancashire, when he was traveling through the country in 1617, that the puritanical magistrates and some of the clergymen were punishing people for carrying on their ancient amusements on Sunday.

(1617)

Our express pleasure therefore is, that the laws of our king- 246. The dom and canons of the church be as well observed in that Declaration of Sports county, as in all places of this our kingdom; and on the other part, that no lawful recreation shall be barred to our good people which shall not tend to the breach of our aforesaid laws and canons of our church. Which to express more par- Conversion ticularly, our pleasure is, that the bishop and all other inferior or punishchurchmen and churchwardens shall for their parts be careful Catholics and diligent, both to instruct the ignorant, and convince and reform them that are misled in religion, presenting them that will not conform themselves but obstinately stand out, to our judges and justices, whom we likewise command to put the law in due execution against them.

ment of

Puritans

Our pleasure likewise is, that the bishop of that diocese Humiliation take the like strait order with all the Puritans and precisians or exile of within the same, either constraining them to conform themselves or to leave the country, according to the laws of our kingdom and canons of our church, and so to strike equally on both hands, against the contemners of our authority and

not to be prevented from enjoying Sunday

afternoon sports

Roman Cath

olics and all

absentees

from church

to be deprived

of this privilege

adversaries of our church. And as for our good people's lawful recreation, our pleasure likewise is, that after the end of divine service our good people be not disturbed, letted, or discouraged from any lawful recreation, such as dancing, either men or women, archery for men, leaping, vaulting, or any other such harmless recreation, nor from having of May games, Whitsun ales, and morris dances; and the setting of Maypoles and other sports therewith used; so as the same be had in due and convenient time, without impediment or neglect of divine service. And that women shall have leave to carry rushes to the church for the decorating of it, according to their old custom. But withal we do here account still as prohibited all unlawful games to be used upon Sundays only, as bear and bull baitings, interludes, and at all times in the • meaner sort of people, by law prohibited, bowling.

And likewise we bar from this benefit and liberty all such known recusants, either men or women, as will abstain from coming to church or divine service, being therefore unworthy of lawful recreation after the said service, that will not first come to the church and serve God; prohibiting in like sort the said recreation to any that, though conformed in religion, are not present in the church at the service of God before their going to the said recreations. Our pleasure likewise is, that they to whom it belongeth in office shall present and sharply punish all such as, in abuse of this our liberty, will use these exercises before the end of all divine services for that day. We likewise straitly command that every person shall resort to his own parish church to hear divine service, and each parish by itself to use the said recreation after divine service; prohibiting likewise any offensive weapons to be carried or used in the said times of recreation. And our pleasure is, that this our declaration shall be published by order from the bishop of the diocese, through all the parish churches, and that both our judges of our circuit and our justices of our peace be informed thereof.

Given at our manor of Greenwich, the four and twentieth day of May, in the sixteenth year of our reign in England, France, and Ireland; and of Scotland the one and fiftieth.

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