CIVITATIS AMOR,

&c.

Civitatis Amor. The Citie’s Loue. An entertainement by water, at Chelsey and White-hall. At the ioyfull receiuing of that Illustrious Hope of Great Britaine, the High and Mighty Charles, To bee created Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornewall, Earle of Chester, &c. Together with the Ample Order and Solemnity of his Highnesse creation, as it was celebrated in his Maiesties Palace of Whitehall, on Monday, the fourth of Nouember. 1616. As also the Ceremonies of that Ancient and Honourable Order of the Knights of the Bath; And all the Triumphs showne in honour of his Royall Creation. London, Printed by Nicholas Okes for Thomas Archer, and are to be sold at his shop in Popes-head-Pallace. 1616. 4to.

Reprinted in Nichols’s Progresses of King James, vol. iii. p. 208.

CIVITATIS AMOR.
The ample Order and Solemnity of Prince Charles his Creation.

His Majesty, as well to shew the bounty of his affection towards his royal son, as to settle in the hearts of his loving subjects a lively impression of his kingly care for continuance of the happy and peaceable government of this land in his issue and posterity, having determined to invest his princely Highness with those titles and solemnities [with] which the former princes of this realm have usually been adorned; it seemed fittest—both in regard of his Highness’ years, shewing the rare proofs of promising heroical virtues, and also that it would be a gladness most grateful and acceptable to the commonwealth—to have the solemnities thereof royally performed: to the effecting of which, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the city of London, with the several Companies, honourably furnished and appointed, and marshalled in fair and comely order—both by the care and industry of master Nicholas Leate, citizen and merchant of London, and one of the chief captains for the city; as also by the well-observed and deserving pains of master Thomas Sparro, water-baily, made, for that day, marshal for the water-triumphs—were ready attending, with a great train and costly entertainment, to receive his Highness at Chelsea, their barges richly deckt with banners, streamers, and ensigns, and sundry sorts of loud-sounding instruments aptly placed amongst them. And for his Grace’s first entertainment, which was near Chelsea, a personage figuring London, sitting upon a sea-unicorn, with six Tritons sounding before her, accompanied both with Neptune and the two rivers Thamesis and Dee, at his first appearing speaks as followeth.

[THE CITY’S[309] LOVE.
The Entertainment by Water at Chelsea and Whitehall.
AT CHELSEA.

A personage figuring London, sitting upon a sea-unicorn, with six Tritons sounding before her, accompanied thither with Neptune, and the two rivers Thamesis and Dee, at the first appearing of the Prince speaks as followeth:]

London.
Neptune, since thou hast been at all this pains,
Not only with thy Tritons to supply me,
But art thyself come from thy utmost mains
To feast upon that joy that’s now so nigh me,
To make our loves the better understood,
Silence thy watery subject, this small flood.

Neptune gives action toward Thamesis, and speaks:

Neptune.
By the timely ebbs and flows,
That make thee famous to all those
That must observe thy precious tides
That issue from our wealthy sides,
Not a murmur, not a sound,
That may this lady’s voice confound!—
And, Tritons, who by our commanding power
Attend upon the glory of this hour,
To do it service and the city grace,
Be silent till we wave our silver mace.
London.
And you, our honour’d sons, whose loyalty,
Service, and zeal, shall be express’d of me,
Let not your loving, over-greedy noise
Beguile you of the sweetness of your joys.
My wish has took effect, for ne’er was known
A greater joy and a more silent one.

Then turning to the Prince, [she] thus speaks:

Treasure of hope, and jewel of mankind,
Richer no kingdom’s peace did ever see,
Adorn’d in titles, but much more in mind,
The loves of many thousands speak in me,
Who from that blessing of our peaceful store,
Thy royal father, hast receiv’d most free
Honours, that woo’d thy virtues long before,
And ere thy time were capable of thee;
Thou whose most early goodness, fix’d in youth,
Does promise comfort to the length of time;
As we on earth measure heaven’s works by truth,
And things which natural reason cannot climb,
So when we look into the virtuous aim
Of thy divine addiction, we may deem,
By rules of grace and principles of fame,
What worth will be, now in so high esteem,
And so betimes pursu’d; which thought upon,
Never more cause this land had to rejoice;
But chiefly I, the city, that has known
More of this good than any, and more choice.
What a fair glorious peace, for many years,
Has sung her sweet calms to the hearts of men,
Enrich’d our homes, extinguish’d foreign fears,
And at this hour begins her hymns agen![310]
Live long and happy, glory of our days!
And thy sweet time mark’d with all fair presages,
Since heaven is pleas’d in thy blest life to raise
The hope of these, and joy of after ages.—
Sound, Tritons; lift our loves up with his fame,
Proclaim’d as far as honour has a name!
Neptune.
Sound on!
THE ENTERTAINMENT AT WHITEHALL.

This personage, figuring London, with the six Tritons sounding before, Neptune, and the two rivers, being arrived at Whitehall, where attend the Prince’s landing the figures of two sacred deities, Hope and Peace, thus speaks:

London.
Hope, now behold the fulness of thy good,
Which thy sick comforts have expected long;—
And thou, sweet Peace, the harmony of this flood,
Look up, and see the glory of thy song.
Hope, leaning her breast upon a silver anchor,
attended with four virgins all in white, having
silver oars in their hands, thus answers:
Hope.
Fair and most famous city, thou hast wak’d me
From the sad slumber of disconsolate fear,
Which at the music of thy voice forsak’d me,
And now begin to see my comforts clear;
Now has my anchor her firm hold agen,
And in my blest and calm security
The expectations of all faithful men
Have their full fruits, being satisfied in me.
This is the place that I’ll cast anchor in,
This, honour’s haven, the king’s royal court;
Here will I fasten all my joys agen,
Where all deservers and deserts resort:
And may I never change this happy shore
Till all be chang’d, never to alter more!

Then Peace, sitting on a dolphin, with her sacred quire, sings this song following:

The song of Peace.
Welcome, O welcome, spring of joy and peace!
Born to be honour’d and to give increase
To those that wait upon thy graces;
Behold the many thousand faces
That make this amorous flood
Look like a moving wood,
Usurping all her crystal spaces;
’Mongst which The City’s Love is first,
Whose expectation’s sacred thirst
Nothing truly could allay
But such a prince and such a day.
Welcome, O welcome! all fair joys attend thee!
Glory of life, to safety we commend thee!
Tho. Middleton.[311]

[The Prince[312] landed at the common stairs at Whitehall, the nobility and his officers preceding. In the Hall he was received by the Duke of Lennox, lord steward of the household, the controller and officers of the household; in the Great Chamber by the Lord Chamberlain, and Viscount Fenton, captain of the guard. He proceeded no further than to the door of the Presence.]

PRINCE CHARLES HIS CREATION.

The day’s Triumph ended, to the great honour of the city and content of his Highness, who, out of the goodness of his love, gave the Lord Mayor and Aldermen many thanks, on Monday following, the lords and peers of the realm being all assembled at Whitehall, his Highness then proceeded in this manner to his creation:

First went [the Prince’s Gentlemen, according to their degrees; his learned Counsel; the drums;] the trumpets; then the Heralds and Officers of Arms, in their rich coats; [the Earl Marshal with his vierge;[313] the Lord Chamberlain with his white staff]; next followed the Knights of the Bath, being six-and-twenty in number, apparelled in long robes of purple satin, lined with white taffeta; then Sir William Segar, knight, alias garter principal king of arms, bearing the letters patents; the Earl of Sussex the purple robes; the train borne by the Earl of Huntington, the sword by the Earl of Rutland, the ring by the Earl of Derby, the rod by the Earl of Shrewsbury, the cap and coronet by the Duke of Lennox lord steward. His princely Highness, supported by the Earls of Suffolk and Nottingham, came bareheaded, [followed by the principal Gentlemen of his chamber], and so entered the great hall, where the King was set in his royal throne, and the whole state of the realm in their order.

The Prince made low obeisance to his Majesty three times; and after the third time, when he was come near to the King, he kneeled down on a rich pillow or cushion, whilst Sir Ralph Winwood, principal secretary, read his letters patents: then his Majesty, at the reading of the words of investment, put the robes upon him, and girded on the sword; invested him with the rod and ring, and set the cap and coronet on his head. [When the patent was fully read, it was delivered to the King, who delivered it to the Prince, kissing him once or twice. At the putting on of the mantle, and delivering of the patent, the trumpets and drums sounded.]

With which ceremony the creation being accomplished, the King arose, and went up to dinner; but the Prince, with his lords, dined in the hall, and was served with great state and magnificence, accompanied at his table with divers great lords, as the Earl of Suffolk, lord treasurer; the Earl of Arundel, lord marshal; the Earl of Nottingham, lord admiral; the Duke of Lennox, lord steward; the Earl of Pembroke, lord chamberlain; the Earls of Shrewsbury, Derby, [Huntington], Rutland, and Sussex; the Prince sitting in a chair at the upper end, and the rest in distance about four yards from him, one over against another, in their degrees; all which were those that were employed in several offices of honour about his royal creation. [The Earl of Southampton acted as cup-bearer, the Earl of Dorset as carver, the Lord Compton as sewer,[314] and doctor Sinhowse, the Prince’s chaplain, said grace.] At another table, in the same room, on the left hand of the Prince, sat the Knights of the Bath, all on one side, and had likewise great service and attendance. [After some music, the song of forty parts was sung by the gentlemen of the chapel and others, sitting upon degrees over the screen at the north end of the Hall; which was sung again by the King’s commandment, who stood as a spectator in the room over the stairs ascending to the Great Chamber.] About the midst of dinner, Sir William Segar, knight, alias garter principal king of arms, with the rest of the King’s Heralds and Pursuivants of Arms, approached the Prince’s table, and with a loud and audible voice proclaimed the King’s style in Latin, French, and English, thrice; and the Prince’s, in like manner, twice: then the trumpets sounding, the second course came in; and dinner done, that day’s solemnity ceased.

At night, to crown it with more heroical honour, forty worthy gentlemen of the noble societies of Inns of Court,[315] being ten of each house, every one appointed, in way of honourable combat, to break three staves, three swords, and exchange ten blows a-piece—whose names, for their worthiness, I commend to fame—began thus each to encounter other: and not to wrong the sacred antiquity of any of the houses, their names are here set down in the same order as they were presented to his Majesty; viz. of the

Middle Temple—Master Strowd, Master Izord.
Gray’s Inn—Master Courthop, Master Calton.
Lincoln’s Inn—Master Skinner, Master Windham.
Inner Temple—Master Crow, Master Vernon.
Middle Temple—Master Argent, Master Glascock.
Gray’s Inn—Master Wadding, Master St. John.
Lincoln’s Inn—Master Griffin, Master Fletcher.
Inner Temple—Master Parsons, Master Brocke.[316]
Middle Temple—Master Bentley, senior, Master Peere.[317]
Gray’s Inn—Master Selwyn, Master Paston.
Lincoln’s Inn—Master Selwyn, Master Clinch.
Inner Temple—Master Chetwood, Master Smalman.
Middle Temple—Master Bentley, junior, Master Bridges.
Gray’s Inn—Master Covert, Master Fulkes.
Lincoln’s Inn—Master Jones, Master Googe.
Inner Temple—Master Wilde, Master Chave.
Middle Temple—Master Wansted, Master Goodyeere.
Gray’s Inn—Master Burton, Master Bennet.
Lincoln’s Inn—Master Hitchcock, Master Neville.
Inner Temple—Master Littleton,[318] Master Trever.

[During the fifth of November, the anniversary of the Gunpowder Treason, the festivities were suspended. On that day Bishop Andrews preached before the King at Whitehall, on Psalm[319] xxvii. 3; and his Majesty knighted Sir William Segar, garter king at arms.]

On Wednesday, the sixth day of November, to give greater lustre and honour to this triumph and solemnity, in the presence of the King, Queen, Prince, and Lords, fourteen right honourable and noble personages, whose names hereafter follow, graced this day’s magnificence with running at the ring[320]; viz.

The Duke of Lennox, lord steward.
Earl of Pembroke, lord chamberlain.
Earl of Rutland.
Earl of Dorset.
Earl of Montgomery.
Viscount Villiers.
Lord Clifford.
Lord Walden.
Lord Mordaunt.
Sir Thomas Howard.
Sir Robert Rich.
Sir Gilbert Gerrard.
Sir William Cavendish.
Sir Henry Rich.

Having thus briefly described the manner of his Highness’ creation, with the honourable service shewn to the solemnity both by the lords and gentlemen of the Inns of Court, I should have set a period, but that the Knights of the Bath, being a principal part and ornament of this sacred triumph, I cannot pass them over without some remembrance: therefore thus much out of the Note of Directions from some of the principal officers of arms, and some observation of credit concerning the order and ceremonies of the knighthood:—

The lords and other that were to receive the honourable order of the Bath repaired on Saturday, the second of November, to the Parliament House at Westminster, and there in the afternoon heard evening prayer, observing no other ceremony at that time, but only the heralds going before them, in their ordinary habits, from thence to King Henry the Seventh’s chapel at Westminster, there to begin their warfare, as if they would employ their service for God especially; from whence, after service ended, they returned into the chamber they were to sup in. Their supper was prepared all at one table, and all sate upon one side of the same, every man having an escutcheon of his arms placed over his head, and certain of the King’s officers being appointed to attend them. In this manner, having taken their repast, several beds were made ready for their lodging in another room hard by, after the same manner, all on one side; their beds were pallets with coverings, testers, or canopies of red say,[321] but they used no curtains.

The Knights in the meanwhile were withdrawn into the bathing-chamber, which was the next room to that which they supped in; where for each of them was provided a several bathing-tub, which was lined both within and without with white linen, and covered with red say; wherein, after they have said their prayers and commended themselves to God, they bathe themselves, that thereby they might be put in mind to be pure in body and soul from thenceforth; and after the bath, they betook themselves to their rest.

Early the next morning they were awakened with music, and at their uprising invested in their hermits’ habits, which was a gown of gray cloth, girded close, and a hood of the same, and a linen coif underneath, and an handkercher hanging at his girdle, cloth stockings soled with leather, but no shoes; and thus apparelled, their esquires governors, with the heralds wearing the coats of arms, and sundry sorts of wind instruments before them, they proceed from their lodging, the meanest in order foremost, as the night before, until they came to the chapel, where, after service ended, their oath was ministered unto them by the Earl of Arundel, lord marshal, and the Earl of Pembroke, lord chamberlain, in a solemn and ceremonious manner, all of them standing forth before their stalls, and at their coming out making low reverence towards the altar, by which the commissioners sate: then were they brought up by the heralds by two at once, the chiefest first, and so the rest, till all successively had received their oath,[322] which in effect was this: That above all things they should seek the honour of God, and maintenance of true religion; love their sovereign; serve their country; help maidens, widows, and orphans; and, to the utmost of their power, cause equity and justice to be observed.

This day, whilst they were yet in the chapel, wine and sweetmeats were brought them, and they departed to their chamber to be disrobed of their hermits’ weeds, and were revested in robes of crimson taffeta, implying they should be martial men, the robes lined with white sarcenet, in token of sincerity, having white hats on their heads with white feathers, white boots on their legs, and white gloves tied unto the strings of their mantles; all which performed, they mount on horseback, the saddle of black leather, the arson[323] white, stirrup-leathers black gilt, the pectoral[324] of black leather, with a cross paty[325] of silver thereon, and without a crupper, the bridle likewise black, with a cross paty on the forehead or frontlet; each knight between his two esquires well apparelled, his footmen attending, and his page riding before him, carrying his sword, with the hilts upward, in a white leather belt without buckles or studs, and his spurs hanging thereon. In this order ranked, every man according to his degree—the best or chiefest first—they rode fair and softly towards the court, the trumpets sounding, and the heralds all the way riding before them. Being come to the King’s hall, the Marshal meets them, who is to have their horses, or else 100s. in money, for his fee: then, conducted by the heralds and others appointed for that purpose, his Majesty sitting under his cloth of estate, gave to them their knighthood in this manner:

First, the principal lord that is to receive the order comes, led by his two esquires, and his page before him bearing his sword and spurs, and kneeleth down before his Majesty; the Lord Chamberlain takes the sword of the page and delivers it to the King, who puts the belt over the neck of the knight, aslope his breast, placing the sword under his left arm; the second nobleman of the chief about the King puts on his spurs, the right spur first; and so is the ceremony performed. In this sort Lord Maltravers, son and heir to the Earl of Arundel, lord marshal, which was the principal of this number, being first created, the rest were all consequently knighted alike. And when the solemnity thereof was fully finished, they all returned in order as they came, saving some small difference, in that the youngest or meanest knight went now foremost, and their pages behind them.

Coming back to the Parliament House, their dinner was ready prepared, in the same room and after the fashion as their supper was the night before; but being set, they were not to taste of any thing that stood before them, but, with a modest carriage and graceful abstinence, to refrain; divers kinds of sweet music sounding the while; and after a convenient time of sitting, to arise and withdraw themselves, leaving the table so furnished to their esquires and pages.

About five of the clock in the afternoon they rode again to court, to hear service in the King’s chapel, keeping the same order they did at their return from thence in the morning, every knight riding between his two esquires, and his page following him. At their entrance into the chapel, the heralds conducting them, they make a solemn reverence, the youngest knight beginning, the rest orderly ensuing; and so one after another take their standing before their stalls, where all being placed, the eldest knight maketh a second reverence, which is followed to the youngest; and then all ascend into their stalls, and take their accustomed places. Service then beginneth, and is very solemnly celebrated with singing of divers anthems to the organs; and when the time of their offertory is come, the youngest knights are summoned forth of their stalls by the heralds, doing reverence first within their stalls, and again after they are descended, which is likewise imitated by all the rest; and being all thus come forth, standing before their stalls as at first, the two eldest knights, with their swords in their hands, are brought up by the heralds to the altar, where they offer their swords, and the dean receives them, of whom they presently redeem them with an angel[326] in gold, and then come down to their former places, whilst two other are led up in like manner. The ceremony performed and service ended, they depart again in such order as they came, with accustomed reverence. At the chapel-door, as they came forth, they were encountered by the King’s master cook, who stood there with his white apron and sleeves, and a chopping-knife in his hand, and challenged their spurs, which were likewise redeemed with a noble[327] in money, threatening them, nevertheless, that if they proved not true and loyal to the King, his lord and master, it must be his office to hew them from their heels.

On Monday morning they all met together nigh at the court, where, in a private room appointed for them, they were clothed in long robes of purple satin, with hoods of the same, all lined and edged about with white taffeta; and thus apparelled, they gave their attendance upon the Prince at his creation, and dined that day in his presence, at a side-board, as is already declared.

The Names of such Lords and Gentlemen as were made Knights of the Bath, in honour of his Highness’ Creation.

And for an honourable conclusion of the King’s royal grace and bounty shewn to this solemnity, his Majesty created Thomas Lord Ellesmere, lord chancellor of England, Viscount Brackley; the Lord Knolles, Viscount Wallingford; Sir Philip Stanhope, Lord Stanhope of Shelford in Nottinghamshire: these being created[329], on Thursday the seventh of November, the Lord Chancellor Viscount Brackley being led out of the council-chamber into the privy gallery by the Earl of Montgomery and Viscount Villiers.