Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: VIII. THE STUAET KINGS 1 AND CEOMWELL. A. The First King By "divine Eight." James I., 1603-1625. The First Stuart King of England was summoned by a swift messenger, who took the news of Elizabeth's death to Edinburgh. A few days later, James VI. of Scotland received a formal letter from the council announcing that he had been proclaimed King James I. of England. There was no one who could safely dispute his claim. The people wished to end the wars between the two countries, and as James was a Presbyterian, he was welcome to the growing number of Puritans. The king consumed thirty-two days in traveling to London. He stopped frequently to hunt and feast with his new subjects, and to make their acquaintance. His majesty was very awkward on his feet, and still more so in the saddle. In spite of the efforts of his attendants, he once rolled off his horse, but Eobert Cecil, his chancellor, courteously remarked that " any great and extreme rider" like his Majesty was liable to such an accident. To accustom the kingly arm to the use of his new power, he knighted something over two hundred gentlemen during his " progress," and condemned a pickpocket to death. " I hear our new king," a famous Englishman wrote to a friend, " hath hanged one man without a trial. If the wind bloweth thus, why may not a man be tried before he hath offended ? " 1 THE HOUSE OF STUART. James I. (1603-1625) (p. 156) Charles I. (1625-1649) Elizabeth, m. Frederick | Elector of the Palatinate Charles II. Mary, m. James II. Sophia, tn. the Elector (1660-1685) William II. I (1685-1688) | of Hanover of Orange I George I. (p. 884) William III. of Orange, m. Mary Anne James Edward, afterward (1689-1094) (1703-1714) the Old Pretender William III. of England I (1689-1702) Charles, the Young ...