SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF CHARLES THE FIRST, SURNAMED THE MARTYR. Born at Dumfermline, in Scotland, November 29th, A. D. 1600. Crowned February 2d, 1625. Married, in 1625, to Henrietta Maria, Daughter to Henry IV. of France, and Mary of Medicis, by whom he had issue, Charles James, who died an infant; Henry, Duke of Gloucester, died at the age of twenty; Mary, married to William of Nassau, Prince of Orange, Father of King William III; Elizabeth, Anne, and Catherine, died unmarried; Henrietta, married Philip, Duke of Orleans, Brother of Louis XIV. King of France. King Charles reigned twenty-four years; was beheaded January 30th, 1649, and buried at Windsor. PRINCIPAL EVENTS. Petition of Right, for abolishing arbitrary Taxes and Imprisonment, presented. Assassination of the Duke of Buckingham by Felton, a Lieutenant. Tax of Ship Money, levied without consent of Parliament. Resistance of Hambden. Civil War with Scotland. Peace with France and Spain. Episcopacy abolished in the North. Solemn League and covenant Civil War in England. Various successes of the King and Parliament against each other. Execution of Archbishop Laud. Cromwell gives law to the Parliament. The King goes to the Scots; is delivered up by them; escapes to the G 2 Isle Isle of Wight; is seized again by the army, imprisoned, brought to trial, disavows the authority of the Court, by whose sentence, however, he is condemned and beheaded. EMINENT PERSONS. Archbishop Laud. Earl of Strafford. John Hambden. Lucius Cary, Lord Falkland. Harry Cary, Lord Falkland.* H. Montague, Earl of Manchester. R. Greville, Lord Brooke. Lord Keeper Littleton. Arthur, Lord Capel. Lord Edward Herbert, of Cherbury. G. Stanley, Earl of Derby. J. Digby, Earl of Bristol. Ulicke De Burgh, Marquis of Clanrickarde, and Earl St. Albans. Henry Carey, Earl of Monmouth. Mildmay Fane, Earl of Westmoreland, E. Somerset, Marquis of Worcester. COTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. Popes. Urban VIII. 1623. Innocent X. 1644. Emperors. Of Germany. Ferdinand II. 1619. Ferdinand III. 1637. Of the Turks.-Amurath IV. 1623, Ibrahim, 1640. Maho met IV. 1649. Kings. Of France.-Louis XIII. 1620. Louis XIV. 1643. Of Portugal alone.-John IV. 1640.+ • This Nobleman having been brought into the House of Commons at a very early age, was told by a Member that "he looked as if he had not sowed his Wild Oats ;"" then I am come," he replied, "to the properest place, where there are so many Geese to pick them up." + The Portuguese shook off the Spanish yoke, and elected John, Duke of Braganza, their King. CHARLES CHARLES THE FIRST. "With firmness forced, apparently serene, C. DIBDIN, JUN. "Murder most foul, as in the best it is, SHAKESPEARE. "Nor agonies, nor livid death disgrace "The sacred features of the Monarch's face; ROWE'S LUCAN. "Le crime fait la honte et non pas l'echafaud LE VICOMTE D*****. Yet for the Royal Martyr's prayer "(The Royal Martyr prays we know,) This guilty isle, oh Heaven! spare, "Hear but his soul above, and not his blood below." COWLEY. WHILE WHILE RALEIGH Wrote dreary day, "The World" one He heard, beneath his prison bars, a fray; But on enquiry, could not learn, forsooth, Which party err'd, or which declared the truth. The foil'd historian cast his pen aside, "Dare I presume old tales to tell," he cried, "When, from what happens, almost in my sight, "I find no clue to teach me wrong from right?" If penetration, deep as his, could falter, I claim excuse enough,-I'm no Sir Walter.Some writers of our martyr'd CHARLES believe He was religious,* brave; wou'd ne'er deceive: Was affable, chaste, temp'rate, wise, nor can You take, than theirs, a nobler view of man. Others with pertinacity declare Him weak, oppressive, govern'd by the fair; * He wrote, also, and his works, after his death, published in a volume, intitled "Reliquiæ Sacræ Carolina; or, the Works of that great Monarch and glorious Martyr, King Charles I. both civil and sacred." After the Restoration, his famous Einwv Baσin was published, which went through forty-seven impressions, including 48,000 copies; "the greatest run," says Burnet, "that any book has had in our age." CATALOGUE OF ROYAL AUTHORS; HARRIS'S LIFE OF Fond Fond of prerogative, to fav'rites kind, Alternate prey to flattery, fear, and hope ; The monarch's deeds should large allowance With whom too often, to a nation's shame, The outset of the hapless monarch's reign, Spain; When BUCKINGHAM, our blood-stain'd records tell, By gloomy FELTON's savage dagger fell. The northern presbytery, near and far, Cry "havock! and let slip the dogs of war;" The |