Chapter I: Front Matter

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Transcriber’s Note:

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There are both numbered footnotes and notes using the traditional asterisk, dagger, etc. The latter have been The footnotes have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are referenced.

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THE LIFE AND TIMES
OF
GEORGE VILLIERS,
DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

FROM ORIGINAL AND AUTHENTIC SOURCES.

BY MRS. THOMSON,

AUTHOR OF
“MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF HENRY THE EIGHTH,”
“LIFE OF SIR WALTER RALEGH,”
“MEMOIRS OF SARAH, DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH,”
&c., &c.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. III.

LONDON:
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN,
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

1860.

_The right of Translation is reserved._

LONDON:
PRINTED BY R. BORN, GLOUCESTER STREET,
REGENT’S PARK.

CONTENTS OF VOL. III.

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CHAPTER I.

Death of the Earl of Suffolk--His Address to the Heads of
Houses--The Opportunity seized upon by the King to make
Buckingham Chancellor--Indignation of the House of
Commons--Injudicious Conduct of the King--Vehement
Debates--Sir Dudley Digges and Elliot sent to
Prison--Buckingham’s Motives for Engaging in a War with
France--He endeavours to send away the Queen’s
Servants--His Fear of losing his Influence--Arrival of
Soubise and Rohan--The Duke goes to Dover--To
Portsmouth--Letters from the Duchess--From his Mother--He
sets sail for Rochelle--His First Operations
Successful--Care taken by him of his Troops--1626-1627 1

CHAPTER II.

The Delay in Sending Provisions--The Impossibility of
reducing the Citadel by Famine--The Duke’s own means were
embarked in the Cause--Sir John Burgh--His Death--Letter
of Sir Edward Conway to his Father--Buckingham’s Sanguine
Nature--Efforts of Sir Edward Nicholas 41

CHAPTER III.

Felton--His Character--Uncertainty of his
Motives--Circumstances under which he was brought into
Contact with Buckingham--Motives of his Crime
discussed--The Remonstrance--The Fate of La
Rochelle--Buckingham’s Unpopularity--Returns to
Rhé--Misgivings of his Friends--Interview with Laud--with
Charles I.--His Farewell--He enters
Portsmouth--Felton--The Assassination--Original Letters
from Sir D. Carlton and Sir Charles Morgan--The King’s
Grief 89

CHAPTER IV.

Character of the Duke of Buckingham--His Patronage of
Art--His Collection--The Spanish Court
Described--Collection by Charles I.--Fate of these
Pictures 137

CHAPTER V.

Patronage of the Drama by Charles and the Duke of
Buckingham--Massinger--Ben Jonson--Their Connection with
the Court, and with the Duke 183

CHAPTER VI.

Beaumont and Fletcher--Their Origin--Their Joint
Productions--Character of Bishop Fletcher--Anecdotes about
the Use of Tobacco--Ford, the Dramatist--Howell--Sir Henry
Wotton--The Character of the Duke of Buckingham Considered 267

APPENDIX 321

CHAPTER I.

DEATH OF THE EARL OF SUFFOLK--HIS ADDRESS TO THE HEADS OF HOUSES--THE
OPPORTUNITY SEIZED UPON BY THE KING TO MAKE BUCKINGHAM
CHANCELLOR--INDIGNATION OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS--INJUDICIOUS CONDUCT
OF THE KING, VEHEMENT DEBATES--SIR DUDLEY DIGGES AND ELIOT SENT TO
PRISON--BUCKINGHAM’S MOTIVES FOR ENGAGING IN A WAR WITH FRANCE--HE
ENDEAVOURS TO SEND AWAY THE QUEEN’S SERVANTS--HIS FEAR OF LOSING HIS
INFLUENCE--ARRIVAL OF SOUBISE AND ROHAN--THE DUKE GOES TO DOVER--TO
PORTSMOUTH--LETTERS FROM THE DUCHESS--FROM HIS MOTHER--HE SETS SAIL
FOR ROCHELLE--HIS FIRST OPERATIONS SUCCESSFUL--CARE TAKEN BY HIM OF
HIS TROOPS--1626-1627.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

GEORGE VILLIERS.

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