The High and Mighty Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, &c. The Manner of his Arriuall at the Spanish Court, the Magnificence of his Royall Entertainement there: His happy Returne, and hearty welcome, both to the King and Kingdome of England, the fifth of October, 1623. Heere liuely and briefely described, together with certaine other delightfull passages, obseruable in the whole Trauatle.

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NO longer let sad dolours darke your eyes,
Nor longer feares your doubtfull hearts surprize,
Leaue gazing on each other, o're the Land,
As if the Countries state were at a stand:
The solitary night is past away,
Succeeded by the glorious light of day,
Which brought the brightfull Sunne, againe to reare
His rayes aboue our Brittish Hemispheare;
That now the Land, which thirty weekes did mourne,
Dries her tear'd face, and finds her ioy returne.
His Departure, and Iourney.
This griefe did growe (without a fain'd pretence)
Vpon departure of our gracious Prince;
Whose often perils, mixt with trauaile-paine,
And oft distempers which he did sustaine,
Both on the Sea, and that huge tract of way,
That in a hundred forty a stages lay,
While to, and through the very heart of France
He past, deseru'dly doe his fame aduance.
In morning of the Spring he 'gan to goe,
And made it Winter here, which was not so;
Whose Winters visiting vs now againe,
Makes vs new Spring of gladnesse entertaine.
On Marche's seuenth day, to Spaines Courtly aire
Vnto Madrid was made his first repaire;
Where both our Kings b Embassadours, on knee,
With wonderment him welcom'd heartily;
With whom he priuately himselfe repos'd
Till to that Monarch there, he was disclos'd.
His Entertainement there.
His Comming knowne, the Maiestie of Spaine,
That euer to his Highnesse did maintaine
Royall respect, him graciously saluted,
And as his c Second Selfe the Prince reputed;
Yeelding large Quarter, and the Courtliest place,
With store of Nobles to attend his Grace:
Who from all d coasts (as their Lords will imported)
Eight hundred of the chiefest there resorted:
These striuing, prest with seruiceable loue,
Themselues euen as his Leigemen still to proue:
Deuising often e Masques, Tilt, Tournament,
Barriers, Flights, Chace, each thing to cause content;
Sparing no cost, exposing (the greatest treasure)
Their persons to assault (to shew him pleasure)
Fierce f Bulls, vntam'd, vntide: nor was this all;
Spaines Soueraigne held himselfe a g Festiuall,
To Honour Englands Heire, t'adorne which, were
The Queene, and faire Infanta present there.
Ne're Prince such liking, so much grace accrewde,
Both of King, Nobles, Gentry, Multitude:
And this for sixe moneths stay. But leauing these,
Haste we to see'em vpon, and past the Seas.
His Returne, Arriuall, and welcome.
Bidding the King, his Court, these sports adiew,
T'embarke at Biscay shore he straite withdrew,
And waited long to meete a luckie wind,
At last, his wish was answered to his mind:
Heau'n proues propitious, winde his loue imparts,
Drawne by the prayers, driu'n by the sighes, from hearts
Of thousands here: So thence he forward set,
And Portsmouths Port, in seuen daies saile he fet.
But being arriu'd, no tongue can halfe expresse
The rauisht Countries wondrous ioyfulnesse,
The Peoples clamour, Trumpets clangor, sound
Of Drums, Fifes, Violls, Lutes, these did abound;
Loud Cannons thundring from the Castels, Towers,
And Ships, shooke Ayre and Earth, all to their powers,
Pourde healths of wine for welcome; Bels were rung,
Bonefires were kindled, fire-workes each-where flung:
Yet's not enough high fires in streets to frame,
Vnlesse the fire of zeale your hearts enflame;
And that in Churches Psalmes of thankes be singing,
As well as in the Steeples Bells a ringing.
Yee' haue pray'd, your prayer's heard; now this is done,
Laud God, and loue your King, and Kingdomes Sonne.
His arriuall at London, his welcome to the Court, with the generall Applaudite's of all the People.
Yet louingly his louing mind he shewes
To London, where his Subiects loue bestowes;
Some for meere ioy, burning their whole estate;
That Brittaines Prince might not find them ingrate:
All shew'd their loues, all did forbeare to mourne,
When Englands Ioy, with ioy did safe returne.
Thus did he haste to see his Fathers Court,
Where thousand hearts with Ioy did free resort,
To giue their best of welcomes: Englands Deare,
Was ne're more welcome; when their Heart was here,
That Heart, that dead did lay so many hearts,
When he from Brittany so freely parts,
Did with his sight reuiue those hearts againe.
Which his long absence hath a long time slaine.
The Royall Caesar of Great Brittaynes Ile,
Did entertaine his Sonne; a gracious smile,
And blessing he vpon his head doth powre,
Reioycing at that happy ioyfull houre.
Brittaines chiefe Deare did thus embrace his Deare,
Iust in the forme you see pourtraied here.
Then since all count these dayes the happy dayes,
To Him that makes man happy, be the Praise.

These Notes, with their directory letters, are here inserted, for the better explayning some of the Verses, and Story.

a His Iourney by Land, consisted of 141. Stages, here in Eng­land, France, & Spaine; some of them containe but 8 or 10, some 12 or 16 miles in length; so that the computation of the vvay that his Highnesse rode Poste, amount to about 1100. miles.

b The Lord Digby, Earle of Bristoll, Embassadour extraordī ­nary for the Kings Maiestie; and Sir Walter Aston, Leiget there.

c For the King of Spaine appointed him halfe his Guard, and a most sumptious Quarter in the Court, for his residence; as also caused him to ride in Triumph through Madrid.

d The Catholike King, because other triumphes were prepa­ring, sent mandatory letters about, especially to the Principall Nobility of Aragon, that they should come and giue attendance at the Court, vpon the Princes pleasure; because they haue the re­putation to be excellent men at Armes.

e Of which Masques, the most magnificent, was on Easter day last, presented by the Lord Admirall of Castile and Leon, in celebration of our most Illustrious Princes Arriuall there; where­in the King also was thought to haue beene an Actor.

f It hath bin, and is a custome of that Countrey, at some great solemnities, for their Noblemen, as Dukes, Earles, Lords, and others of best note, to enter the lists, and maintaine combate with Lances, Targets, Swords, and Darts, against loose furious Bulls, in which they exercise their Courage and abilities, some­times not without danger; and as they merit, purchase estima­tion. This was performed at Whitsontide.

g That Festiuall before mentioned, was made by the King of Spaine at Madrid, the 21 of August last, 1623. to honour the Espousall Treaties of Prince Charles, with the Lady Infanta Ma­ria of Austria; and the maner was by darting with Canes, after the vse there.

And this may suffice for a briefe, yet plaine description of our Noble Princes sudden Iourney thither, his Royall entertainment there, and most happy Returne hither, and wel-come home a­gaine: To Gods glory, and the exceeding ioy and comfort of all true loyall hearted Subiects.

FINIS.

Printed at London, 1623.

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