January 1 On the Day of Circumcision the King attends morning service, comes down, makes offering, goes back up, and hears the remainder of the prayers.
The Earl of Worchester bore the sword.
Likewise on Epiphany Sunday, when Doctor Ratcliffe, Warden of Brasenose College, Oxford, preached the sermon.
Tobie Matthew, summoned, comes to England that the King may employ his assistance in several matters.
6 Parliament is dissolved by proclamation.
The King with the Prince went to his lodge at Theobalds. On the journey he came close to being drowning, being thrown from his horse at the third milestone from Theobalds.
Dominus Sheldon, Oxford’s Regius Professor of Law, visited me.
Proclamation for indemnifying those who suffered losses in the fire in Chancery Lane.
The Marquess of Buckingham, his wife and mother, receive Confirmation from the Bishop of London according to the rite. On this day when he entered his Cathedral and ascended the choir, some men wittily said that they were ill-washed.
Robert Philips, who had opposed the marriage with the Infanta of Spain, is locked in the Tower of London. Likewise Mallory from the County of York.
The Earl of Somerset is freed from his lengthy incarceration in the Tower of London, and commanded to keep himself at Viscount Wallingford’s and the surrounding vicinity.
Edward Coke is accused of having acted in bad faith in the case of the Earl of Somerset by conceailing certain true confessions, and substituting false ones.
Thomas Howard, second son of Thomas Earl of Suffolk is created Viscount Andover and Baron of Charleton. He married the daughter of William Cecil, younger son of Baron Burghley.
28 The Earl of Oxford and Francis Steward are sent with certain armed ships to intercept ships of the United Provinces returned from East India, but these made their escape to Zeeland.
Francis Earl of Berkshire committed suicide at this time, leaving behind an unwed daughter and a natural son, to whom he bequeathed an income of a thousand pounds.
In a published book the King gave reasons why he dissolved Parliament.
February 2 On the Feast of Purification the sun shone bright.
The Earl of Oxford was sent out to intercept Indian ships of the United Provinces, but they escaped thanks to favoring winds.
Hubbard, son of Henry Hubbard, Justice of the Common Pleas, took to wife Earl of Bridgewater’s second daughter. He had previously been married to the daughter of the Earl of Leicester.
20 Sir Henry Saville, who has deserved excellently of the University of Oxford and the entire republic of letters, bequeathed a great longing for the literary nation at age 69. He was buried at Eton in a night-time funeral. He is succeeded by the Scotsman Thomas Murray, and by Brent in Merton College.
Antonius de Dominus, Bishop of Spalato, wearied of the King’s charity, is preparing himself to journey to Rome, out of some hope of convoking a General Council to settle the religious argument. He came to England in December 1616.
Rainuto, second Duke of Parma, died on March. He left a son who is a deaf-mute. Eduardo, his second son, is chosen to succeed him.
I leased out my house at Siward for an annual rent of 4 sugar loaves.
By [the Archbishop of Spalato’s] resignation, Balancquall the Scotsman procured the headship of the Savoy, and Baron Digby is readying himself for a journey to the King of Spain.
A book appeared entitled The Spanish Chancery.
The joust is postponed for a week, because the weather is rainy.
A Dutch ship returned from East India is captured by Vice-admiral Merwin and Porter (Endymion’s brother), with a great cargo of goods.
Richard Weston, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is sent to the Archduchess.
Count Gondomar is planning his return to Spain, and Viscount Doncaster prepares himself for a journey to France.
March 20 The Marquise of Buckingham gives birth to a firstborn daughter. She is immediately attacked by the measles, and escapes with difficulty.
John Suckling is made one of the Principal Secretaries.
Viscount Doncaster is sent to France.
April *** Viscount Swartzenberg comes as Ambassador from the Emperor Ferdinand.
From Gravesend Viscount Pembroke escorted him upriver to Somerset House.
The Queen of France has had a miscarriage.
On the same day it is announced that the King of Bohemia has crossed over from Holland to Denmark with a small number of followers, to fan new fires of war there, which our King dislikes.
7 Prince Charles’ Chaplain Winniffe falls out of his favor, because in an inelegant speech he compared Frederick, ex-King of Bohemia, to a lamb, and Spinola to a bloodthirsty wolf, which the King disliked.
8 The Emperor’s Ambassador is admitted to the King with his retinue on a Sunday in the Upper House of Parliament, with great congratulations.
He exercises himself with jousting.
Likewise he is entertained with an elegant banquet at Parliament, and bids farewell to the King.
15 Swartzenbrrg has honored me with a great compliment, as by Lewis Lewknor I have discovered, by speaking of and quoting much from my writings.
18 Swartzenberg set sail, and with him Richard Weston, Chancellor of the Exchequer. In another ship was the Archbishop of Spalato, seasick to the point of vomiting.
The Earl of Oxford is cast in the Tower of London because of rash words uttered against our King and the King of Spain.
A rumor is circulating that the commanders whom Baron Vaulx sent to Flanders were intercepted by the Dutchmen and cast in the sea. The soldiers who volunteered to fight for the United Provinces were sent to Holland, the rest were set on shore in England.
27 Marcantonio [actually Carlos] Coloma, Governor of Cambrai, has come from the King of Spain as Ambassador in place of Count Gondomar, and greeted me by name.
May *** Richard Weston, Chancellor of the Exchequer (whose son has been taken by madness) departs for Brussels.
2 On my birthday, clarus inoffenso processit lumine Titan.
The younger William Beecher is sent to Germany with Baron Chichester and also the younger Hotman.
Foscarini, who was the Ambassador of the Venetian Republic in England, is wretchedly strangled in prision, among other reasons because he had imparted certain secrets to the Countess of Arundel.
At Court I searched in vain for the Lord Treasurer, having been summoned by him, I know not why.
Bad news has been brought from the Palatinate, that Tilly, general of the Bavarian army and Gonsalvo the Spaniard have crushed Mansfeldt’s men and torn up his camp. Meanwhile the United Provinces are widely ranging through Brabant.
Oliver St. John, Viceroy of Ireland, returned to England.
June *** Soubise, a member of Rohan’s family, came to England as a refugee.
Soubise the archrebel came to England to beg help against his king, but he is given a deaf ear and ignored.
An elegant book has appeared promoting a marriage between Prince Charles and Mary of Spain.
Viscount Grandison and Conway are taken onto the Privy Council.
Baron Says, even if he contributed a huge sum of money for the war in the Palatinate, is nonetheless given into custody because he had zleft the matter to the individual choice of his neighbors.
The Pope will in no wise consent (nor will his delegates) that a marriage be contracted between the Prince and the Infanta.
St. Swithin’s day quite serene.
The younger Morris (?) has been creating a great deal of trouble for John Doderige and myself over the prebendary at Isarcomb, with John Packer being favorable.
Great riots at Constantinople.
In Virginia three hundred Englishmen are slaughtered by the barbarians.
Rumor has it that Count Gondomar, returned to Spain, was put in custody because he had so strenuously championed the marriage, and it is also written from Italy that the Infanta is destined to be joined in wedlock with the Duke of Florence.
A ship from East India returned to London.
August *** The Earl Marshal, as he was leaping down from a vehicle, was dragged by unbridled horses and scarcely avoided the peril of death.
The wife of Secretary Calvert, a most modest woman, is dead.
Doctor Perin, of the Requests, is dead.
Proclamation forbidding importation of exotic goods save in English bottoms.
September ***
October *** Arthur Chichester, Baron Belfast, returned from the Emperor.
Roland Searchfield, Bishop of Bristol, died.
Kevercher is striving to gain his See.
December *** John Bennet, Doctor of Laws, fined £20,000 for corruption in the Court of Prerogatives (on the last day of November), is now henceforth debarred from all the judicature, and ordered to make retitution of what he has unjustly peculated.
The King came to Westminster, but did not attend Evensong on the Eve of the Nativity. On the day he took Communion in the Holy Eucharist.
Proclamation that noblemen should remain at home and exercise their hospitality among their own kinsmen, under pain of a great fine.
On the last day of December Arthur Chichester, Baron Belfast, was sworn in to the Privy Council of England.