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<v Speaker 1>Hello, and welcome to Western Sieve. Episode three hundred and eighteen.

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<v Speaker 1>James the First Sir Robert Carey rode furiously from London

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<v Speaker 1>to Edinburgh along the Great Northern Road, spending one night

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<v Speaker 1>in Yorkshire and another in Northumberland. He arrived at holly

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<v Speaker 1>Rod Palace quote be bloodied with great falls and bruises,

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<v Speaker 1>after a journey of more than three hundred and thirty miles.

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<v Speaker 1>By that time. It was late at night on Saturday,

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<v Speaker 1>the twenty sixth of March sixteen oh three. He was

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<v Speaker 1>ushered into the presence of King James the sixth of Scotland.

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<v Speaker 1>Falling to his knees, he proclaimed him to be King

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<v Speaker 1>of England, France and Ireland. He gave him as testimony

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<v Speaker 1>a sapphire ring that his sister, Lady Scrope, had thrown

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<v Speaker 1>to him from a window at Richmond Palace immediately after

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<v Speaker 1>the death of Elizabeth the First. James looked upon the

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<v Speaker 1>ring and uttered, only it is enough. The King had

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<v Speaker 1>previously entrusted this ring to Lady Scrope in the event

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<v Speaker 1>of the Queen's death. Was kind of in that way

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<v Speaker 1>a secret cipher, A body of prelates and peers back

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<v Speaker 1>in England had already met Sir Robert Cecil, who was

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<v Speaker 1>the principal counselor as we know of the old Queen,

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<v Speaker 1>though he was not present yet. Cecil and these men

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<v Speaker 1>proclaimed James as king. Bonfires and bells greeted the news

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<v Speaker 1>of the Swiss an easy succession. Cecil himself declared that

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<v Speaker 1>he had quote steered King James ship into the right

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<v Speaker 1>harbor without cross of wede or tide that could have

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<v Speaker 1>overturned a cock quote end quote. Now, as we know,

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<v Speaker 1>Cecil had entered into a secret correspondence with James well

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<v Speaker 1>before Elizabeth's demise. On April the fifth, James left Edinburgh

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<v Speaker 1>to travel to his new realm. He had now been

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<v Speaker 1>King of Scotland for thirty six years. Ever since he

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<v Speaker 1>had assumed the throne at age thirteen months after the

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<v Speaker 1>forced abdication of Mary Stuart's, Queen of Scots, he had

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<v Speaker 1>been a successful, if not glorious monarch. He managed to

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<v Speaker 1>curb the pretensions of what had been a very argumentative

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<v Speaker 1>clergy and a very difficult nobility from his earliest years.

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<v Speaker 1>The restive and combative spirit of the Scottish lords ensured

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<v Speaker 1>that in the words of the French and Maaster. He

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<v Speaker 1>had been quote nourished in fear end quote. Yet through

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<v Speaker 1>a series of intelligent compromises and by sometimes outwitting his opponents,

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<v Speaker 1>James had held on to his crown. Now, as he

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<v Speaker 1>told his followers, he was about to enter what he

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<v Speaker 1>considered to be the land of promise. He had already

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<v Speaker 1>written to the Council at Westminster asking for money, because

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<v Speaker 1>the Scottish king did not have the funds to finance

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<v Speaker 1>his journey south. The joyous reception that James received from

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<v Speaker 1>his new subjects was quite frankly, not something he expected.

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<v Speaker 1>He was, after all, the first foreign king to rule

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<v Speaker 1>England since William the Conqueror. More interesting, giving the long

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<v Speaker 1>reign of his predecessors, few if any of his subjects

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<v Speaker 1>would have experienced the rule of a male sovereign. Speaking

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<v Speaker 1>of Elizabeth, James had no intention of attending her funeral.

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<v Speaker 1>Truth be told, James still harbored a lot of resentment

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<v Speaker 1>toward the dead queen. Not only had she put his

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<v Speaker 1>mother to death, not that James had done anything to

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<v Speaker 1>stop it, but Elizabeth had, from his perspective, prevaricated over

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<v Speaker 1>his right to the succession far too long. Hence, He

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<v Speaker 1>took around a month intentionally to reach London, arriving only

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<v Speaker 1>after Elizabeth had been laid to rest. He did fall

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<v Speaker 1>off his horse at one point and broke his collarbone.

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<v Speaker 1>That slowed him down a bit and had nothing to

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<v Speaker 1>do with Elizabeth. James's reign was going to be different

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<v Speaker 1>from Elizabeth's, and he made that clear immediately. The reign

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<v Speaker 1>of Elizabeth witnessed the creation of eight hundred and seven

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<v Speaker 1>eight months total. In the first four months of James's rule,

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<v Speaker 1>some nine hundred and six new knights were awarded with

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<v Speaker 1>that honor. The queen had knighted those whom she considered

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<v Speaker 1>to be of genuine merit or importance. James merely considered

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<v Speaker 1>knighthood to be a mark of status. It was said

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<v Speaker 1>to have knighted a piece of beef with the words

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<v Speaker 1>quote arise, sir, loin end quote. On another occasion, he

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<v Speaker 1>didn't catch the name of the person that he had

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<v Speaker 1>just knighted, so he said, quote prithee, rise up and

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<v Speaker 1>call thyself, sir, what thou wilt end quote. Other titles

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<v Speaker 1>could be purchased with cold hard cash. The diminution in

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<v Speaker 1>the importance of this honor marks one of the first

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<v Speaker 1>changes to the old tutor system that had ruled England

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<v Speaker 1>for over a century. Those who met James the First

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<v Speaker 1>were not immediately impressed. He was awkward and hesitant in demeanor.

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<v Speaker 1>His legs were slightly bowed, and he walked with an

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<v Speaker 1>erratic gate. He also retained a broad Scottish accent throughout

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<v Speaker 1>his reign, but he was also quite what we might

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<v Speaker 1>say today laid back. He was quick to laugh. James

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<v Speaker 1>didn't care at all about how he dressed. Since childhood

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<v Speaker 1>he had been desperately afraid of assassination. As a result,

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<v Speaker 1>he wore thick, padded doublets that might impede the progress

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<v Speaker 1>of a dagger, but were very stylish. On May the

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<v Speaker 1>seventh he rode toward London, but was greeted about four

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<v Speaker 1>miles from the city by the Lord Mayor and innumerable citizens.

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<v Speaker 1>He lodged there for four nights before making his way

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<v Speaker 1>to the Tower, where he stayed for several days. London

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<v Speaker 1>was absolutely massive compared to Edinburgh, the largest city in Scotland.

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<v Speaker 1>It was also more sophisticated, yet it was no New Eden,

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<v Speaker 1>no New Garden of Paradise. Even as he approached the city,

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<v Speaker 1>the plague began its yearly visit in the streets and alleys.

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<v Speaker 1>By the end of the summer, it had claimed the

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<v Speaker 1>lives of thirty thousand citizens. A grand state entry had

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<v Speaker 1>been planned for the twenty fifth of July, the day

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<v Speaker 1>of the coronation, but the fear of infected crowds cut

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<v Speaker 1>the ceremony short. There would be a crowning, but no

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<v Speaker 1>state procession. Even in these early months of the rain,

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<v Speaker 1>conspiracies began to mount against the throne. A group of gentlemen,

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<v Speaker 1>among them Sir Walter Raleigh, Henry Broke, and Lord Cobham,

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<v Speaker 1>were suspected of a scheme to depose James and reply

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<v Speaker 1>him with his cousin Arabella Stuart. Like most conspiracies, it

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<v Speaker 1>was riven with rumor, indecision, and then premature disclosure. Raley

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<v Speaker 1>was arrested and consigned to the tower. Two weeks later,

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<v Speaker 1>he attempted suicide. At his subsequent trial, he was denounced

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<v Speaker 1>by the Attorney General as a quote unquote spider of hell.

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<v Speaker 1>This was the end, though what we call historians, I

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<v Speaker 1>should say, the main plot, a quote unquote byplot was

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<v Speaker 1>also discovered, whereby the King was to be kidnapped by

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<v Speaker 1>priest and forced to suspend the laws against Roman Catholics.

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<v Speaker 1>It came to nothing, of course, well nothing other than

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<v Speaker 1>the deaths of every single person who had been involved.

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<v Speaker 1>James remained in London for a relatively low key coronation.

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<v Speaker 1>By then he and his family left for the healthier

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<v Speaker 1>heir of the countryside. There James began to put together

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<v Speaker 1>his government. His Royal Council was made up of many Scotsmen,

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<v Speaker 1>as you might expect. However, he was careful to reward

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<v Speaker 1>several important Englishmen as well. Sir Robert Cecil received most

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<v Speaker 1>of the honors, which makes sense given how he effectively

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<v Speaker 1>shepherded James into his present position. James also rewarded the

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<v Speaker 1>powerful Howard family. He needed the support of the nobility,

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<v Speaker 1>so it makes sense that he would heap largesse on

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<v Speaker 1>at least one family. Now, every Royal council is different,

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<v Speaker 1>and each reflects the personality of its monarch. James's council

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<v Speaker 1>was about twice as large as Elizabeth's, though James, unlike

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<v Speaker 1>his predecessor, almost never attended its meetings. He preferred intimate

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<v Speaker 1>meetings with one or two individuals, where his wit and

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<v Speaker 1>generally common sense could compensate for a lack of manners.

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<v Speaker 1>He didn't particularly like London, not at first, blush and

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<v Speaker 1>not ever, and always preferred to go hunting in the

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<v Speaker 1>countryside Beyond from this vantage, James once wrote a letter

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<v Speaker 1>to his counselors, imagining them to be quote unquote, frying

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<v Speaker 1>in the pains of purgatory upon royal business end quote.

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<v Speaker 1>But despite his hesitancy to engage in that frying pan,

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<v Speaker 1>he could make quick and sudden visits to the capitol,

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<v Speaker 1>where his presence was deemed to be indispensable. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>it was once said of him that he came quote

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<v Speaker 1>like a flash of lightning, both in going and in coming,

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<v Speaker 1>staying there and returning end quote, on his progress from

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<v Speaker 1>London to Edinburgh. At the beginning of his reign, the

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<v Speaker 1>king was given a petition. It was an appeal from

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<v Speaker 1>his Puritan subjects that became known as the Millinery Petition,

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<v Speaker 1>bearing the signatures of one thousand ministers of religion. In

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<v Speaker 1>moderate terms, it suggests to the King that the sign

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<v Speaker 1>of the Cross should be removed from the baptismal ceremony,

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<v Speaker 1>and that the marriage ring was unnecessary. The words priest

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<v Speaker 1>and absolution should be quote unquote corrected and the right

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<v Speaker 1>to confirmation abolished. Other vestments were not to be urged. Now. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 1>religion remained a major issue in England, as it was

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<v Speaker 1>throughout Europe in the early seventeenth century. James, unlike Elizabeth,

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<v Speaker 1>genuinely enjoyed debating matters of doctrine. Hence it makes sense

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<v Speaker 1>that the first important act of his reign was to

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<v Speaker 1>bring together a small number of clerics at Hampton Court,

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<v Speaker 1>where they could debate matters of policy and religious principle.

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<v Speaker 1>On one side were the English bishops, generally satisfied with

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<v Speaker 1>the doctrines and ceremonies of the established church. They were moderate,

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<v Speaker 1>and they were in favor of the union of church

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<v Speaker 1>and state. They put more trust in communal worship than

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<v Speaker 1>in private prayer. They acknowledged the role of custom, experience,

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<v Speaker 1>and reason in spiritual matters. Perhaps the Anglican Church was

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<v Speaker 1>not yet a fully formed faith, but they believe it

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<v Speaker 1>served to bind together those of unclear or flexible beliefs.

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<v Speaker 1>It also suited those who simply wanted to conform and

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<v Speaker 1>get along. On the other side were the Puritans, and

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<v Speaker 1>they were much more concerned with the necessities of private

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<v Speaker 1>prayer and conscience. They believed in the natural depravity of

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<v Speaker 1>man unless the sinner could be redeemed by grace. They

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<v Speaker 1>hated the practice of confession and encouraged in intensive self

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<v Speaker 1>examination as well as self discipline. They did not wish

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<v Speaker 1>for a sacramental priesthood, but a preaching ministry. They accepted

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<v Speaker 1>the word of Scripture as the source of all and

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<v Speaker 1>I do you mean all divine truth? Men and women

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<v Speaker 1>of a Puritan tradition were utterly obedient to God's absolute will,

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<v Speaker 1>from which no ritual or sacrament could save them. This

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<v Speaker 1>lent them a zeal and energy in the attempt to

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<v Speaker 1>purify the world, or, as one Puritan theologian put it, quote,

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<v Speaker 1>a holy violence in the performing of all duties end quote.

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<v Speaker 1>Sometimes they spoke out as the spirit moved them. It

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<v Speaker 1>was said, somewhat unfairly that they loved God with all

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<v Speaker 1>their soul and hated their neighbor with all their heart.

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<v Speaker 1>These were not at this stage though rival creeds. They

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<v Speaker 1>were probably better understood as opposing tendencies within the same church.

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<v Speaker 1>And this was really the first formal confrontation that had

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<v Speaker 1>ever taken place between the two sides. Here at Hampton

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<v Speaker 1>Court in the middle of winter. The proceedings of the

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<v Speaker 1>first day, on the fourteenth of January sixteen oh four,

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<v Speaker 1>were between the King and his major ecclesiastical subjects. James

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<v Speaker 1>debated with his bishops those changes that have been suggested

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<v Speaker 1>in the Millinery petition. On the second day, the Puritans

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<v Speaker 1>were invited to attend. Johns Reynolds, the first to be called,

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<v Speaker 1>argued that the English Church should embrace Calvinist doctrine. The

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<v Speaker 1>Bishop of London, Richard Bancroft, quickly intervened. He knelt down

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<v Speaker 1>before the King and demanded that quote the ancient Canon

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<v Speaker 1>might be remembered end quote, by which he meant that

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<v Speaker 1>no one should be permitted to speak against the bishops. James, however,

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<v Speaker 1>allowed discussion on specific matters to continue. In the subsequent debate,

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<v Speaker 1>James looked good. He was both shrewd and judicious. He

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<v Speaker 1>didn't immediately accede to the Puritans demand for Calvinism, but

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<v Speaker 1>he did accept their proposal for an improved translation of

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<v Speaker 1>the Bible. This request bore incredible fruit in the King

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<v Speaker 1>James Translation, which would be published later in the reign.

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<v Speaker 1>The delegates then discussed the problem of providing a learned

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<v Speaker 1>ministry and the problems of dealing with issues of private conscience.

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<v Speaker 1>The King was willing to secede certain matters to the

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<v Speaker 1>Puritans in the evident belief that a middle way could

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<v Speaker 1>somehow encourage unity within the church. Everything seemed to be

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<v Speaker 1>proceeding without too much difficulty until Reynolds recommended that the

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<v Speaker 1>bishops of the Realm should consult with the Presbers. At

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<v Speaker 1>this the King God visibly upset. Presburg, which was a

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<v Speaker 1>term for the elder minister of a Christian church, had

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<v Speaker 1>really bad connotations for James. The first, he had previously

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<v Speaker 1>been outraged by the Presbyterian leaders of Scotland who never

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<v Speaker 1>really treated him with what he felt was the appropriate respect. They,

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<v Speaker 1>he felt, always inclined toward republicanism and even egalitarianism. One

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<v Speaker 1>Presberg from Scotland had called James to his face quote

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<v Speaker 1>God's silly vassal end quote. James now turned on Reynolds

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<v Speaker 1>and told himself and his Puritan colleagues that they seemed

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<v Speaker 1>to be aiming at creating quote a Scottish Presbyterian which

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<v Speaker 1>agreeth with monarchy as well as God and the devil

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<v Speaker 1>end quote. He had no interest in doing that. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>he told him that he must leave it alone instantly,

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<v Speaker 1>and James's motto from this point forward for the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of his reign would be quote no Bishop, no King.

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<v Speaker 1>Two days later, James called the bishops back for further conference. Subsequently,

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<v Speaker 1>he called back the Puritans and bluntly informed them that

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<v Speaker 1>they needed to conform to the Book of Common Prayer

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<v Speaker 1>issued forty five years earlier. Now, as I mentioned before,

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<v Speaker 1>perhaps the most important accomplishment of James's entire reign was

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<v Speaker 1>his translation of the Bible called the King James Bible,

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<v Speaker 1>which is still in use in many churches to this day. Yet,

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<v Speaker 1>to suggest that James had achieved religious uniformity throughout his

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<v Speaker 1>realm is woefully incorrect. There were at least two different

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<v Speaker 1>churches with two different meanings. All that being said, James

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<v Speaker 1>was positively delighted with his own performance at Hampton Court.

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<v Speaker 1>James was in many respects a learned man. All his life.

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<v Speaker 1>He had argued and debated with his Scottish clergy. He

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<v Speaker 1>positively delighted in theological controversy. To an early observer quote,

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<v Speaker 1>he apprehends clearly, judges wisely, and has a retentive memory.

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<v Speaker 1>End quote. The king also believed himself to be a

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<v Speaker 1>master of the written word. James composed volumes upon volumes

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<v Speaker 1>on tons of subjects, everything from demonology, monarchy, a really

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<v Speaker 1>famous tract on witchcraft actually, and even went on smoking

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<v Speaker 1>on his ascension metal. He is crowned with the laurel Reef,

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<v Speaker 1>a sure sign of his literary pretensions. He has written verse.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, in sixteen sixteen he collected all of his

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<v Speaker 1>prose writings into a folio volume, the first British monarch

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<v Speaker 1>ever to do so. As a result of this, James

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<v Speaker 1>the first became known as and this was sometimes a

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<v Speaker 1>sarcastic name. The British Solomon Parliament was set to open

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<v Speaker 1>on March nineteenth, sixteen oh four. James decided he would

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<v Speaker 1>ride in state through the capital four days prior. It

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<v Speaker 1>was a large parliament eager to see the new king.

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<v Speaker 1>In his opening speech, James made some remarks upon the

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<v Speaker 1>state of religion and admonished the Puritans to be content.

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<v Speaker 1>When it became clear that the Commons were more concerned

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<v Speaker 1>with various matters of privilege and grievance, James rebuked them

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<v Speaker 1>quote as a father to his children end quote. This

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't going to be a situation the comments was going

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<v Speaker 1>to be happy with. Now. A dispute had arisen over

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<v Speaker 1>the election for a member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire, and

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<v Speaker 1>the ensuing argument pitched the King against the Parliament. On

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<v Speaker 1>April fifth, the Speaker delivered a message from James that

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<v Speaker 1>he desired, quote as an absolute king end quote, that

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<v Speaker 1>there might be a conference between the Commons and the judges. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>no monarch had spoken to Parliament like that for decades.

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<v Speaker 1>Silence and amazement followed this rather rude request, whereupon one

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<v Speaker 1>member stood up and said, quote, the Prince's command is

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<v Speaker 1>like a thunderbolt, his command upon our allegiance, like the

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<v Speaker 1>roaring of a lion to his command. There is no

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<v Speaker 1>contradiction end quote. That was not necessarily true. In the

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<v Speaker 1>middle of April, it was proposed that James should assume

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<v Speaker 1>the title of King of Great Britain with the union

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<v Speaker 1>of his kingdoms. It might have been deemed a mere

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<v Speaker 1>formality under the circumstances, but the comments were not so

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<v Speaker 1>easily persuaded. What exactly kind of a union here was

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<v Speaker 1>being proposed? Economic? Constitutional? By Which laws should this new kingdom,

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<v Speaker 1>this new Britain be governed. Would there be a flood

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<v Speaker 1>of Scots coming south taking all the English posts and honors.

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<v Speaker 1>How could the common law of England be consistent with

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<v Speaker 1>the legal traditions of Scotland, and to say nothing of Ireland.

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<v Speaker 1>The King himself was adamant. He wrote, I am the husband,

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<v Speaker 1>and the whole isle is my lawful wife. I am

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<v Speaker 1>the head and it is my body end quote. This

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<v Speaker 1>debate lingered on into the succeeding year, with what the

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<v Speaker 1>King called many crossings, disputations, strange questions, and nothing done.

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<v Speaker 1>James had a vision of a united kingdom with one law,

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<v Speaker 1>one language, and one faith. Yet the practicalities of this

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<v Speaker 1>period made this difficult, if not impossible. The English demanded,

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<v Speaker 1>for example, that the Scotts should be taxed at the

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<v Speaker 1>same rate as themselves. The Scots pleaded poverty, so that

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<v Speaker 1>couldn't be. The Commons had already agreed that quote. Since

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<v Speaker 1>we cannot make any laws to bind Britannia, let us

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<v Speaker 1>precede the leaden foot. The King's enthusiasm for the project

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<v Speaker 1>was as great as his anger against the opponents of

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<v Speaker 1>the union. Well, if there was to be no Grand

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<v Speaker 1>Union Parliament, then turned its attention towards the equally thorny

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<v Speaker 1>issue of religion. Then here there were more problems. The

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<v Speaker 1>Comments now was becoming increasingly dominated by the Puritan gentry,

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<v Speaker 1>and its bias became obvious immediately. The Comments put forth

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<v Speaker 1>two bills which were both Puritan and nature. The first

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<v Speaker 1>was against pluralist non resident clergy essentially, and by the way,

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<v Speaker 1>this is something that people have been complaining about if

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<v Speaker 1>you remember, going all the way back to episodes in

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<v Speaker 1>the High Middle Ages. But a pluralist is a church

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<v Speaker 1>official who holds more than one benefice i ea. Perish

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<v Speaker 1>and gets to collect the tithe from it. So the

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<v Speaker 1>more benefices you have, the more ties you get to collect,

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<v Speaker 1>the wealthier you become. But and here's the kicker, these

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<v Speaker 1>absentee priests never did anything for their parishes. As I said,

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<v Speaker 1>this has been a major complaint of reformers ever since

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<v Speaker 1>and well before Martin Luther. The problem was most pluralists

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<v Speaker 1>were high ranking officials in the Church of England, so

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<v Speaker 1>rooting them out was going to be an issue. The

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<v Speaker 1>second bill was called a Bill for quote a Good,

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<v Speaker 1>Godly and learned Ministry. That was code though what it

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<v Speaker 1>really meant was we want Puritan ministers. James was totally

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<v Speaker 1>flum mixed by all this. So to ram home the

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<v Speaker 1>importance of the English parliamentary way of doing things, the

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<v Speaker 1>Comments then issued a decree on June twentieth reaffirming the

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<v Speaker 1>rights and privileges of Englishmen. Specifically, they wanted freedom from arrest,

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<v Speaker 1>arbitrary arrest, and freedom of speech. Kind of not in

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<v Speaker 1>the way we think of it today. James again took

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<v Speaker 1>a step back. He had never dealt with a parliament

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<v Speaker 1>like this before, certainly not one so assertive, and frankly,

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<v Speaker 1>it infuriated him. When James heard about the June twentieth decree,

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<v Speaker 1>he resented it. He believed in the absolute right of kings,

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<v Speaker 1>and spoiler alert, so will his son Charles. So much so,

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<v Speaker 1>in fact, it's going to cost him his head to

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<v Speaker 1>get his way. On religious matters, James relied heavily on

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<v Speaker 1>the newly installed Archbishop of Canterbury, someone who I introduced before,

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<v Speaker 1>Richard Bancroft. Now Bancroft absolutely despised Puritans. Moreover, he was

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<v Speaker 1>a firm supporter of the royal prerogative. What both he

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<v Speaker 1>and James wanted was religious conformity. So in sixteen oh

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<v Speaker 1>four he issued decrees that the Book of Common Prayer

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<v Speaker 1>and the old thirty nine articles of Elizabeth's reign had

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<v Speaker 1>to be followed. And as the Archbishop of Canterbury, other

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<v Speaker 1>than the King, he was in charge of the Church

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<v Speaker 1>of England. So ministers either had to conform to this

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<v Speaker 1>decree or they had to lose their positions. Though if

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<v Speaker 1>I'm being honest in truth, I can't find a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of evidence that this ever happened. What the decrees did

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<v Speaker 1>do I'm talking about sort of the battling decrees, those

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<v Speaker 1>coming from Commons and then those coming from the Church

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<v Speaker 1>of England, which are really kind of coming from the monarchy.

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<v Speaker 1>What they did was ferment the first real schism in

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<v Speaker 1>the English Churchilikins versus Puritans. It's going to take a

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<v Speaker 1>bit for this drama to play itself out, but it's

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<v Speaker 1>going to, and when it does, it will take the

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<v Speaker 1>form of the English Civil War. But James had more

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<v Speaker 1>to deal with first. You see, as you'll hear next week,

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<v Speaker 1>a gentleman by the name of Thomas Percy, in the

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<v Speaker 1>winter of sixteen oh four made himself a very interesting

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<v Speaker 1>real estate acquisition. He leased a house next to the

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<v Speaker 1>Palace of Westminster, where Parliament met, and with the assistance

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<v Speaker 1>of a certain guy Fox Percy, that winter got to

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<v Speaker 1>work digging a tunnel. His plan blow up the King

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<v Speaker 1>and Parliament more