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 .

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 way that his Highnesse rode Poste , amount to about 1100. miles .

ᵇ The Lord Digby , Earle of Bristoll , Embassadour extraordīnary 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 .