African Hemp. _Sansciviera Guineam._
Dedicated to _St. Edmund_.
~November 17.~
_St. Gregory Thaumaturgus_, Bp. A. D. 270. _St. Dionysius_, Abp. of
Alexandria, A. D. 265. _St. Gregory_, Bp. of Tours, A. D. 596. _St.
Hugh_, Bp. of Lincoln, A. D. 1200. _St. Anian_, or _Agnan_, Bp. A. D.
453.
_Queen Elizabeth’s Accession._
This day was formerly noted in the almanacs as the anniversary of queen
Elizabeth’s accession to the throne, in the year 1558. In 1679, while
the bill for excluding the duke of York, afterwards James II., from the
throne of England, was in agitation, there was a remarkable cavalcade
in London on this day. The following account of it was drawn up at the
time:--
“The bells generally about the town began to ring at three o’clock in
the morning. At the approach of evening, all things being in readiness,
the solemn procession began, setting forth from Moor-gate, and so passed
first to Aldgate, and from thence through Leadenhall-street, by the
Royal Exchange, through Cheapside, and so to Temple-bar, in the ensuing
order, viz.
“1. Six whifflers, to clear the way, in pioneers’ caps, and red
waistcoats.
“2. A bellman ringing, and with a loud but dolesome voice, crying out
all the way, ‘remember justice Godfrey.’
“3. A dead body, representing justice Godfrey, in a decent black habit,
carried before a jesuit in black, on horseback, in like manner as he was
carried by the assassins to Primrose-hill.
“4. A priest, in a surplice, with a cope embroidered with dead bones,
skeletons, sculls, and the like, giving pardons very plentifully to all
those that should murder protestants, and proclaiming it meritorious.
“5. A priest in black, alone, with a great silver cross.
“6. Four carmelites, in white and black habits.
“7. Four grey-fryars, in the proper habits of their order.
“8. Six jesuits, with bloody daggers.
“9. A concert of wind music.
“10. Four bishops, in purple, and lawn sleeves, with a golden cross on
their breast, and crosier staves in their hands.
“11. Four other bishops, in pontificalibus, with surplices and rich
embroidered copes, and golden mitres on their heads.
“12. Six cardinals, in scarlet robes and caps.
“13. The pope’s doctor, (sir George Wakeman, the queen’s physician,)
with jesuit’s powder in one hand, and an urinal in the other.
“14. Two priests in surplices, with two golden crosses.
“Lastly, the pope, in a lofty glorious pageant, representing a chair of
state, covered with scarlet, richly embroidered and fringed, and
bedecked with golden balls and crosses. At his feet a cushion of slate,
and two boys in surplices, with white silk banners, and bloody
crucifixes and daggers, with an incense pot before them, censing his
holiness, who was arrayed in a splendid scarlet gown, lined through with
ermine, and richly daubed with gold and silver lace; on his head a
triple crown of gold, and a glorious collar of gold and precious stones,
St. Peter’s keys, a number of beads, _agnus deis_, and other catholic
trumpery. At his back, his holiness’s privy councillor, (the degraded
seraphim, _anglice_, the devil,) frequently caressing, hugging, and
whispering him, and ofttimes instructing him aloud, ‘to destroy his
majesty, to forge a protestant plot, and to fire the city again;’ to
which purpose he held an infernal torch in his hand.
“The whole procession was attended with 150 flambeaux and lights, by
order; but so many more came in voluntarily that there was some
thousands.
“Never were the balconies, windows, and houses more numerously lined, or
the streets closer thronged with multitudes of people, all expressing
their abhorrence of popery, with continual shouts and exclamations, so
that it is modestly computed that, in the whole progress, there could
not be fewer than 200,000 spectators.
“Thus, with a slow and solemn state they proceeded to Temple-bar; where,
with innumerable swarms, the houses seemed to be converted into heaps of
men, and women, and children; for whose diversion there were provided
great variety of excellent fireworks.
“Temple-bar being, since its rebuilding, adorned with four stately
statues, viz. those of queen Elizabeth and king James on the inward, or
eastern side, fronting the city, and those of king Charles I. and king
Charles II. on the outside, facing towards Westminster; and the statue
of queen Elizabeth, in regard to the day, having on a crown of gilded
laurel, and in her hand a golden shield, with this motto
inscribed,--‘The Protestant Religion and Magna Charta,’ and flambeauxs
placed before it; the pope being brought up near thereunto, the
following song (alluding to the posture of those statues) was sung in
parts, between one representing the English cardinal, (Howard,) and
others acting the people.
_Cardinal._
“From York to London town we came,
To talk of popish ire,
To reconcile you all to Rome,
And prevent Smithfield fire
_People._
“Cease, cease, thou Norfolk cardinal,
See yonder stands queen Bess,
Who sav’d our souls from popish thrall,
O! queen Bess, queen Bess, queen Bess.
“Your popish plot and Smithfield threat
We do not fear at all;
For lo! beneath queen Bess’s feet
You fall, you fall, you fall!
“’Tis true, our king’s on t’other side,
Looking tow’rds Whitehall,
But could we bring him round about,
He’d counterplot you all.
“Then down with James and set up Charles
On good queen Bess’s side,
That all true commons, lords, and earls,
May wish him a fruitful bride.
“Now God preserve great Charles our king
And eke all honest men;
And traitors all to justice bring,
Amen, amen, amen.
“Then having entertained the thronging spectators for some time with the
ingenious fireworks, a vast bonfire being prepared just over against the
Inner Temple Gate, his holiness, after some compliments and reluctances,
was decently toppled from all his grandeur into the impartial flames;
the crafty devil leaving his infallibilityship in the lurch, and
laughing as heartily at his deserved ignominious end as subtle jesuits
do at the ruin of bigotted lay-catholics whom themselves have drawn in;
or as credulous Coleman’s abettors did, when, with pretences of a
reprieve at the last gasp, they made him vomit up his soul with a lie,
and sealed up his dangerous chops with a flatter. This justice was
attended with a prodigious shout, that might be heard far beyond
Somerset-house, (where the queen resided,) and it was believed the echo,
by continual reverberations, before it ceased, reached Scotland, [the
duke was then there,] France, and even Rome itself, damping them withal
with a dreadful astonishment.”
These particulars, from a tract in lord Somers’s collection, are related
in the “Gentleman’s Magazine” for 1740; and the writer adds, that “the
place of prompter-general, Mr. North insinuates, was filled by lord
Shaftesbury.”
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