68 JOURNAL OF JOHN ASTON, 1639 



roomes, befitting his state, and a small garden. The cheifest 

 of the king's pleasure heere was to ride downe into Clifton 

 Yngs (or meadows) and have his nobillitie about him, and 

 see his cavaliers on their brave horses, much more like the 

 recreation of Hide Parke, than the fashion of Campus Martins. 



To this cittie I came the 4th of Aprill^ beeing Thursday, 

 and there remained till the 27th of the same monetli, beeing 

 Saturday. The people are affable and free hearted, yet vaine- 

 glorious, and love to bee praised. In theire feasts they are 

 very luxurious, and given to excesse; but it may bee the occasion 

 now made them to enlardge theire courtesies beyond their usuall 

 boundes otherwise they deserve the king's charactar of good 

 people who the longer hee stayed the bettei' they used him. 



The beleife of the bishops was that the king once heere, 

 the faction in Scotland like a mist by the breaking forth of 

 the sunne would dissipate and vanish, but theire pollicy and 

 confidence failed them, as the sequele shewed. For the Scots 

 vanquished them at their owne weapon, and foiled them in 

 the treaty, as they had affronted the king by taking amies. 

 And heerein onely my lord of Canterbury comes short of the 

 Cardinall Richelieu, because hee did perfect and goe through 

 with his design against the Rochellers, but his grace failed 

 in his prediction, the event (I beleive) falling quite contrary 

 to his expectacion. 



This clergie poet gained a benefice for the ensueing coppie, 

 because hee pleased the bishop's humour soe well. [A space 

 is left for the "coppie."] 



Aprill. Heere in Yorke during our abode, which was three 

 weekes, wee were never disciplined, nor mustered. Onely the 

 9th of this moneth wee were in Clifton Ings disposed in ranck 

 and file and soe our number observed, which came farr short 

 of the king's expectacion or the list of his servants. The 

 delay and necglect of training was excused, by the absence 

 of many of the king's servants (which were daylie expected) 

 and the want of amies and furniture, which those were present, 

 for conveniency and ease of carriadge had, (as they pretended) 

 sent by sea to New-Castle and Barwick. But the true cause 

 (as I conceive) was the want of officers not yet elected, and 

 a hope the Scotsh would submitt, the king beeing soe farre 



