ed the
king to Royston, and, to his apprehension, never parted from him with
more seeming affection, though the king well knew he should never see
him more. "The earl, when he kissed his hand, the king hung about his
neck, slabbering his cheeks, saying--'For God's sake, when shall I see
thee again? On my soul I shall neither eat nor sleep until you come
again.' The earl told him on Monday (this being on the Friday). 'For
God's sake let me,' said the king:--'Shall I, shall I?'--then lolled
about his neck; 'then for God's sake give thy lady this kisse for me, in
the same manner at the stayre's head, at the middle of the stayres, and
at the stayre's foot.' The earl was not in his coach when the king used
these very words (in the hearing of four servants, one of whom reported
it instantly to the author of this history), 'I shall never see his face
more.'"

He displayed great imbecility in his amusements, which are characterised
by the following one, related by Arthur Wilson:--When James became
melancholy in consequence of various disappointments in state matters,
Buckingham and his mother used several means of diverting him. Amongst
the most ludicrous was the present. They had a young lady, who brought a
pig in the dress of a new-born infant: the countess carried it to the
king, wrapped in a rich mantle. One Turpin, on this occasion, was
dressed like a bishop in all his pontifical ornaments. He began the
rites of baptism with the common prayer-book in his hand; a silver ewer
with water was held by another. The marquis stood as godfather. When
James turned to look at the infant, the pig squeaked: an animal which he
greatly abhorred. At this, highly displeased, he exclaimed,--"Out! Away
for shame! What blasphemy is this!"

This ridiculous joke did not accord with the feelings of James at that
moment; he was not "i' the vein." Yet we may observe, that had not such
artful politicians as Buckingham and his mother been strongly persuaded
of the success of this puerile fancy, they would not have ventured on
such "blasphemies." They certainly had witnessed amusements heretofore
not less trivial which had gratified his majesty. The account which Sir
Anthony Weldon gives, in his Court of King James, exhibits a curious
scene of James's amusements. "After the king supped, he would come
forth to see pastimes and fooleries; in which Sir Ed. Zouch, Sir George
Goring, and Sir John Finit, were the chiefe and master fools, and surely
this