royalty restored-第12章

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r　some　dayes；　coming　as　they　did　from　all　parts　of　the　nation：　　and　the　king　being　as　willing　to　give　them　that　satisfaction；　would　have　none　kept　out；　but　gave　free　access　to　all　sorts　of　people。〃　　Indeed　his　loyal　subjects　were　no　less　pleased　with　him　than　he　with　them；　and　in　faith　he　was　sorry；　he　declared；　in　that　delicate　strain　of　irony　that　ran　like　a　bright　thread　throughout　the　whole　pattern　of　his　speech；　he　had　not　come　over　before；　for　every　man　he　encountered　was　glad　to　see　him。

Day　after　day；　week　after　week；　the　Palace　of　Whitehall　presented　a　scene　of　ceaseless　bustle。　　Courtiers；　ambassadors；　politicians；　soldiers；　and　citizens　crowded　the　antechambers；　flocked　through　the　galleries；　and　tarried　in　the　courtyards。　Deputations　from　all　the　shires　and　chief　towns　in　the　three　kingdoms；　bearing　messages　of　congratulation　and　loyalty；　were　presented　to　the　king。　　First　of　all　came　the　worshipful　lord　mayor；　aldermen　and　council　of　the　city　of　London；　in　great　pomp　and　state；　when　the　common…sergeant　made　a　speech　to　his　majesty　respecting　the　affection　of　the　city　towards　him；　and　the　lord　mayor；　on　hospitable　thoughts　intent；　besought　the　honour　of　his　company　to　dinner；　the　which　Charles　promised　him　most　readily。　And　the　same　day　the　commissioners　from　Ireland　presented　themselves；　headed　by　Sir　James　Barry；　who　delivered　himself　of　a　fine　address　regarding　the　love　his　majesty's　Irish　subjects　bore　him；　as　proof　of　which　he　presented　the　monarch　with　a　bill　for　twenty　thousand　pounds；　that　had　been　duly　accepted　by　Alderman　Thomas　Viner；　a　right　wealthy　man　and　true。　　Likewise　came　the　deputy　steward　and　burgesses　of　the　city　of　Westminster；　arrayed　in　the　glory　of　new　scarlet　gowns；　and　the　French；　Italian；　and　Dutch　ministers；　when　Monsieur　Stoope　pronounced　an　harangue　with　great　eloquence。　　Also　the　vice…chancellor　of　the　University　of　Oxford；　with　divers　doctors；　bachelors　of　divinity；　proctors；　and　masters　of　arts　of　the　same　learned　university；　who；　having　first　met　at　the　Temple　Church；　went　by　two　and　two；　according　to　their　seniority；　to　Essex　House；　that　they　might　wait　on　the　most　noble　the　Marquis　of　Hertford；　then　chancellor。　　Accompanied　by　him；　and　preceded　by　eight　esquires　and　yeomen　beadles；　having　their　staves；　and　three　of　them　wearing　gold　chains；　they　presented　themselves　before　the　king；　and　spoke　him　words　of　loyalty　and　greeting。　　The　heads　of　the　colleges　and　halls　of　Cambridge；　with　some　masters　of　arts；　in　like　manner　journeyed　to　Whitehall；　when　Dr。　Love　delivered　a　learned　Latin　oration；　expressive　of　their　devotion　to　royalty　in　the　person　of　their　most　illustrious　monarch。

Amongst　others　came；　one　day；　my　Lord　Cleveland　at　the　head　of　a　hundred　gentlemen；　many　of　them　being　officers　who　had　formerly　served　under　him；　and　other　gentlemen　who　had　ridden　to　meet　the　king　when　coming　unto　his　own；　and　having　arrived　at　Whitehall；　they　knelt　down　in　the　matted　gallery；　when　his　majesty　〃was　pleased　to　walk　along；〃　says　MERCURIUS　PUBLICUS；　〃and　give　everyone　of　them　the　honour　to　kiss　his　hand；　which　favour　was　so　highly　received　by　them；　that　they　could　no　longer　stifle　their　joy；　but　as　his　majesty　was　walking　out　（a　thing　thought　unusual　at　court）　they　brake　out　into　a　loud　shouting。〃

Then　the　nobility　entertained　the　king　and　his　royal　brothers　with　much　magnificence；　his　Excellency　Lord　General　Monk　first　giving　at　his　residence　in　the　Cockpit；　a　great　supper；　after　which　〃he　entertained　his　majesty　with　several　sorts　of　musick；〃　Next　Earl　Pembroke　gave　a　rare　banquet；　also　the　Duke　of　Buckingham；　my　Lord　Lumley；　and　many　others。　　Nor　was　my　lord　mayor；　Sir　Thomas　Allen；　behindhand　in　extending　hospitality　to　the　king；　whom　he　invited　to　sup　with　him。　　This　feast；　having　no　connection　with　the　civic　entertainments；　was　held　at　good　Sir　Thomas's　house。　　The　royal　brothers　of　York　and　Gloucester　were　likewise　bidden；　together　with　several　of　the　nobility　and　gentry　of　high　degree。　　Previous　to　supper　being　served；　the　lord　mayor　brought　his　majesty　a　napkin　dipped　in　rose…water；　and　offered　it　kneeling；　when　his　majesty　had　wiped　his　hands；　he　sat　down　at　a　table　raised　by　an　ascent；　the　Duke　of　York　on　his　right　hand；　and　the　Duke　of　Gloucester　on　his　left。　　They　were　served　with　three　several　courses；　at　each　of　which　the　tablecloth　was　shifted；　and　at　every　dish　which　his　majesty　or　the　dukes　tasted；　the　napkins　were　moreover　changed。　　At　another　table　in　the　same　room　sat　his　Excellency　the　Lord　General；　the　Duke　of　Buckingham；　the　Marquis　of　Ormond；　the　Earl　of　Oxford；　Earl　of　Norwich；　Earl　of　St。　Albans；　Lords　De　la　Ware；　Sands；　Berkeley；　and　several　other　of　the　nobility；　with　knights　and　gentlemen　of　great　quality。　　Sir　John　Robinson；　alderman　of　London；　proposed　his　majesty's　health；　which　was　pledged　standing　by　all　present。　　His　majesty　was　the　while　entertained　with　a　variety　of　rare　music。　This　supper　was　given　on　the　16th　of　June；　and　a　couple　of　weeks　later；　on　the　5th　of　July；　the　king　went　〃with　as　much　pompe　and　splendour　as　any　earthly　prince　could　do　to　the　greate　Citty　feast；　the　first　they　had　invited　him　to　since　his　returne。〃

But　whilst　entertainments　were　given；　and　diversions　occupied　the　town；　Charles　was　called　upon　to　touch　for　the　evil；　an　affliction　then　most　prevalent　throughout　the　kingdom。　　According　to　a　time…honoured　belief　which　obtained　until　the　coming　of　George　I。；　when　faith　in　the　divinity　of　kings　was　no　longer　possible　to　the　most　ignorant；　the　monarch's　touch　was　credited　with　healing　this　most　grievous　disease。　　Majesty　in　those　days　was　sacred；　and　superstition　rife。　　Accordingly　we　read　in　MERCURIUS　PUBLICUS　that；　〃The　kingdom　having　for　a　long　time；　by　reason　of　his　majesty's　absence；　been　troubled　with　the　evil；　great　numbers　flocked　for　cure。　　Saturday　being　appointed　by　his　majesty　to　touch　such　as　were　so　troubled；　a　great　company　of　poor　afflicted　creatures　were　met　together；　many　brought　in　chairs　and　baskets；　and　being　appointed　by　his　majesty　to　repair　to　the　banqueting　house；　the　king　sat　in　a　chair　of　state；　where　he　stroked　all　that　were　brought　to　him；　and　then　put　about　each　of　their　necks　a　white　ribbon　with　an　angel　of　gold　on　it。　　In　this　manner　his　majesty　stroked　above　six　hundred；　and　such　was　his　princely　patience　and　tenderness　to　the　poor　afflicted　creatures；　that　though　it　took　up　a　long　time；　the　king；　being　never　weary　of　well　doing；　was　pleased　to　make　inquiry　whether　there　were　any　more　that　had　not　been　touched。　　After　prayers　were　ended　the　Duke　of　Buckingham　brought　a　towel；　and　the　Earl　of　Pembroke　a　basin　and　ewer；　who；　after　they　had　made　their　obeysance　to　his　majesty；　kneeled　down　till　his　majesty　had　washed。〃

This　was　on　the　23rd　of　June；　a　few　days　earlier　than　the　date　fixed　by　Evelyn　as　that　on　which　the　king　first　began　〃touch　for　ye　evil。〃　　A　week　later　we　find　he　stroked　as　many　as　two　hundred　and　fifty　persons。　　Friday　was　then　appointed　as　the　day　for　those　suffering　from　this　disease　to　come　before　the　king；　it　was　moreover　decided　that　only　two　hundred　persons　should　be　presented　each　week　and　these　were　first　to　repair　to　Mr。　Knight；　his　majesty's　surgeon；　living　at　the　Cross　Guns；　in　Russell　Street；　Covent　Garden；　over　against　the　Rose　tavern；　for　tickets　of　admission。　　〃That　none　might　lose　their　labour。〃　　the　same　Mr。　Knight　made　it　known　to　the　public　he　would　be　at　home　on　Wednesdays　and　Thursdays；　from　two　till　six　of　the　clock；　and　if　any　person　of　quality　should　send　for　him　he　would　wait　upon　them　at　their　lodgings。　　The　disease　must　indeed　have　been　rife：　　week　after　week　those　afflicted　continued　to　present　themselves；　and　we　read　that；　towards　the　end　of　July；　〃notwithstanding　all　discouragements　by　the　hot　weather　and　the　multitude　of　sick　and　infirm　people；　his　majesty　abated　not　one　of　his　accustomed　number；　but　touched　full　two　hundred：　　an　high　conviction　of　all　such　physicians；　surgeons；　and　apothecaries　that　pretend　self…　preservation　when　the　languishing　patient　requires　their　assistance。〃　　Indeed；　there　were　some　who　placed　boundless　faith　in　the　king's　power　of　healing　by　touch；　amongst　whom　was　one　Avis　Evans；　whom　Aubrey；　in　his　〃Miscellanies；〃　records