King's Entertainment 11

An eye-witness account of the coronation procession by G. Dugdale , published in quarto as The Time Triumphant (1604).

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But to our Solempmitie they couet the Citty and country, & al make preparation to they day, the couet the order for the Kings person: they in the Cittie his welcome to it, and his quiet passe through the streets, the country they post up to attend so that all are busied to this solemnity and reason I trow being the day of Triumph so long expected:The Tower was emptye of his prisoners, and I beheld the late Sir Walter Rawly, the late Lord Cobham ,the late Lord Grey: Markham with others: convaid some to the Marshalsies, others to the gatehouse, and others appointed prisonres ye Tower it selfe, prepared with that pompe as eye neuer sawe, such glory in the hangings, such Maiesty in the Ornaments of the chambers, & such necessarie prouition as when I beheld it I could no lesse then say.
God giues KING IAMES the place,
And glory of the day:
As neuer King possest like place,
That came the Northen way:
And since the heauens will haue it so,
what liuing soule dares answere no.
Upon the Thames the water workes for his entertainment were
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Mirraculus, and the fire workes on the water passed pleasing, as a Castell or fortresse builded on two barges seeing as a settled forte in of an Iland, planted with much munition of defence: and two pinnaces ready rigde armd likewise to assault the Castle that had you beheld the mannaging of that fight with onset on the Castle, repulse from the Castle and then the taking of it in, it was a show worthy the sight of many Princes: being there plast at ye cost of the Sincke ports: where at the King all pleasd made answere that their loue was like the wilde fire unquenchable. And I pray God it may euer be so. Well from the Tower he came: heare cost was quite careles, desire that was feareless, and content flourisht in aboundance: but so Royally attended as if the Gods had summond a Parliament & were all in their steps of Triumph to Ioves high court, This worthy traine ending so Maiestique a presence and the companies of London , in their liueries, plast in streete double raild for them, and the passingers, the Whiflers they in their costly suites and Chaines of Gold walking up and downe not a conduit betwixt the Tower and Westminster : but runnes Wine, drinke who wil, comming thus with his Royal assembly all so gallantly mounted, as the eie of man was amazed at ye pomp. In Fanchurch street was erected a stately Trophie or Pageant, at the Citties charge, on which stood such a show of workmanship and glorie as I neuer saw the like. top and top gallant whereon were showes so imbrodered and set out, as the cost was incomparable who speaking speeches to the King of that excellent eloquence and as while I liue I commend. The Cittie of London very rarely and artificially made, where no church, house nor place of note, but your eye might easilye find out, as the Exchange,Coleharber, Powles, Bowe Church, &c. There also Saint George and Saint Andrew , in compleat Armour, met in one combate & fought for the victorie, but an old hermitt passing by, in an Oration: ioynd them hand in hand, and so for euer hath made them as one harte, to the ioy of the King , the delight of the Lords, and the unspeakeable comfort of the comminallty: Our gratious Queene Ann, milde and curteous plaste in a Chariot, of exceeding beauty, did all the way so humbly and with mildenes, salute her subiects, neuer cauing to bend her body to them, this way and that, that women and men in my sight wept with ioy The young hopeful Henry Fredericke, or Fredericke Henry , Prince of Wales , smiling as ouer-ioyde to the peo
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ples eternall comfort, salute them with many a bende, before whom the Lord Mayor of the Cittie, in a Crimson Ueluet gowne, bearing his in amiled golden Mace upon his shoulder, usherd the King Queene and Prince, who bringing them to Temple-barre,<.>oke his leaue and receiued many thankes, of the King and Queene, who was after met by the Aldermen& Sheriffes, who came to guard him home, well the glory of that show past, the King and his traine past on through gratious street, but their let me tell you I was not very neare, but in my eye it was super excellent Iustice as I take it, attired in beaten gold, holding a crowne in her hand guarded with Shalmes and Cornets, whose noyse was such as if the Triumph had beene endles, there likewise were on both sides speeches spoken, showes appointed with seuerall harmonies, of drums, trumpets, and musique of all sortes. The Italians spared no spending in that behalfe, at whose charge this glorious prospect was so pompous and full of show to the wonder of euery beholder: both for the height. strength & quallitite, through it our King and his traine past, and at the corner of the streete stood me one: an old man with a white beard, of the age of three-score & 19. who had seene the change of 4. Kings & Queenes, & now behold the Triumphs of the 5. which by his report exceeded all the rest, wherefore as hopeful neuer to behold the like, yet he would of his own accord, doe yt which should shew his duty, and old loue, that was to speake a fiue lines, yt his sonne had made him, which lines were to this purpose, he himselfe attired in greene.
Peereles of honor, heare me speake a word,
Thy welcom'd glory, and inthroan'd renowne:
Being in peace, of earthly pompe and State,
To furnish forth, the beauties of thy crowne.
Age thus salutes thee, with a dawny pate,
Threescore and nineteene, is they seruants yeares,
That hath beheld, bhy predissestors foure,
All flourishing greene, whose deaths the Subiectes teares,
Mingled with mine, did many times deplore:
But now againe, since that our ioyes are fiue,
Fiue hundreth welcomes, I doe giue my King,
And may thy change, to v^sthat be aliue,
Neuer be knowne, a fifth extreame to bring,
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My honest hart, be patterne of the rest.
Who euer praide, for them before now thee,
Both them and thine, of all ioy be possest,
Whose liuely presence, we all blesse to see,
And so passe on. God guide thee on they way,
Olde Hinde concludes, hauing no more to say.
But the narrow way, and the preasing multitude, so ouershadowd him, and the noyse of the showe, that oppertunitie was not fauourable to him, so that the King past by, yet noting his zeale I haue publiquely imprinted it. that all his fellow Subiectes may see this olde mans forwardnes, who myst of his purpose by the concourse of people, beside ye King apointed no such thing but at seueral stays & appointed places. Along Cornehill they trooped with great Maiestie, but his highnes being right ouer the Exchange, smilde looking toward it, belike remembring his last being there, the grace of the Marchants, and the rudenes of the multitude, & casting his eye up to the third Trophie or Pageant, admirde it greatly, it was so goodly top and top many stories, and so hie as it seemd to fall forward: On the top you might behold the sea Dolphins as droping from the clouds on the earth, or looking to behold the King . Pictures of great arte cost and glory as a double ship that being two: was so cunningly made as it seemde but one, which figured Scotland and England in one, with the armes of both in one Scutchin, sayling on two seas at once, heare was a speech of won der deliuered too: but the glorie of this show, was in my eye as a dreame, pleasing to the affection, gorgeous and full of ioy, and so full of show and variety, that when I held down my head as wearyed with looking so hie, me thoght it was a griefe to me to awaken so soone, but thus the Dutch &French spared for no cost, to gratifie our King, still ye streets stood raild, and the Liueries of al ye companies on both sides guarding the way, & the stron g streame of people violently run ning in ye midst toward Cheap-side ther our Triumphant rides garnisht with troups of royalty, & gallant personages, & passing by the great cundyt on the top thereof, stood a prentise in a black coate, a flat cap seruant like, as walking before his Maisters shop, now whether he spake this or no, I heard not it, but ye manner of his speech was this, coming to me at the 3. or second hand.
What lack you gentleman? what wil you buy? Silkes, Sattens, Taffaties &c
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But stay bold tonge, stand at a giddie gaze,
Be dim mine eyes, what gallant traine are heare:
That strikes mindes mute, and puts good wits in maze,
O tis our KING , Royall KING IAMES I say:
Passe on in peace, and happy be thy way,
Liue long on Earth, Englands great Crowne to sway.
Thy Cittie gratious King, admires thy fame,
And on their knees, prayes for thy happy state:
Our women for thy Queene ANN whose rich name,
Is their created blisse, and sprong of late:
If womens wishes, may preualie thus being.
They wish you both long liues, and good agreeing.
Children for Children, pray before they cate,
At their vprising, and their lying downe:
Thy sonnes and daughters, princely all compleat,
Royall in bloud, children of high Renowne.
But generally, togither they incline,
Praying in one, great King for thee and thine.
Whether he were appointed, or of his owne accord I know not but howsoeuer forward loue is acceptable, and I would the King had hard them, but the sight of the Trophie at Soper-lane ende, made him the more forward: there was cost both curious and comely, but the deuises of that a farre off I could not coniecture: but by report it was exceeding, it made no huge high show like the other, but as pompous both for glorie & matter a stage standing by, on which were enacted strang things, after which an Oration deliuered of great wisedome, both the sides of this Pagant were deckt gallantly, and furnisht as all the broad street as the King past shewd like a paradice but heare his grace might see ye loue of his Subiects, who at that time are exceeding in the shows passing by the crosse beutifully guilded and adorned, there the recorder and Aldermen on a scaffold, deliuered him a gallant Oration: and withall a cup of beaten gold, so he past on to ye pagant at ye litle conduit very artificial indeede, of no exceeding height, but prety & pleasing in ye manner of an arbor, wherein were placed all manner of wood inhabitants, diuers shows of Admiration, as Pompions, Poungarnets, & all kinde of fruit, which ye Lords highly com mended, where after strange musicques, hath giuen plenty of harmony: he passed towards Fleete-street through
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Ludgat, where the cunduits dealt so plenteously both before & after he was past, as many were shipt to the Ile of sleepe, that had no leasure for snorting to behold ye days Triumph: when he came to ye Trophie in Fleetestreete ye Lords considered yt the same for Royalty was so richly beautified, & so plenteous of show, that with the bredth of the streete it seemed to them to haue gone back againe, and where but then at the crosse in Cheape but otherwise saluted, as with varietye of speeches, & all sundry sorts of Musiques by ye Cittie, appointed two as yt at ye little Cunduit, & all else but ye Exchange & gratious street, on ye top of this pageant was placed a Globe, of a goodly preperation this whil wondring at ye glory of it, setting on unawares were they on ye Pageant at Templebarre, neither great nor smal but finely furnisht, some compared it to an Exchange shop, it shined so in ye dark place & was so pleasing to ye eie: where one a yongman an Acter of ye Cittie so deliuered his mind & the manner of all in an Oration yt a thousand giue him his due deseruing commendations.
In ye Strand was also an other of smal motion, a piramides fitly beseeming time & place, but ye day far spent &the King & States I am sure wearied with ye shows as the stomack may glutton, the daintiest courts staid not long, but passed forward to ye place appointed: when I leaue them to Gods protection & their owne pleasures.

Bibliography
Arber (1877-90), 5.639-56
Nichols (1828), 1.408-19
Bergeron (1983), 111-25