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In 1553 John Chamberlain was born to Richard Chamberlain and Anne Downe.
Letters of the Court of James I 1618. 13th August 1618. London. John Chamberlain (age 65), Esq., to Sir Dudley Carleton (age 45).
I wrote this day sennight by Harman, the post, and meant not to write again till I should go out of town, about the middle of this next week, unless Dickson had been despatched, who, upon Mr. Secretary's promise to send a packet for you after you, waits diligently at Whitehall; or else he had come down to you to the seaside, and given account of his journey to Salisbury. But now it is very likely you shall hear of him shortly, for Secretary Naunton and some others of the council are expected here this day.
I was sorry to understand by your letter from Margate that you found no readier passage, for I know how tedious it is to be wind-bound, specially when business doth press. I was likewise a diligent observer of the wind, and saw there was no possibility to get over, unless you took the course to Calais, and so over land.
Letters of the Court of James I 1618. 20th August 1618. London. John Chamberlain (age 65), Esq., to Sir Dudley Carleton (age 45).
I was bold to recommend this gentleman, Mr. Henry Sibthorpe, upon Mr. West's request, who is his uncle, and wishes well to him, and would have been glad he might have been for your service. But seeing you were so well provided that he could not be of use to you in that kind, his suit now is that you would be pleased to see him well placed in some company; and that you would carry a favourable eye toward him, for his sake, and as he shall deserve. He hath a good opinion of him upon my knowledge, and means well towards him; so that whatsoever favour you shall do him cannot be better bestowed than upon so honest and kind-hearted a man as Mr. West.
Letters of the Court of James I 1618. 28th August 1618. Hague. Sir Dudley Carleton (age 45) to John Chamberlain (age 65).
It was Tuesday night, by reason of a strong contrary wind, before we arrived at this place; and betwixt this and Rotterdam (where I was met by Sir Horace Vere (age 53) and much good company) we were overtaken with the most terrible tempest of thunder, lightning, and rain, that any man of us had ever met with, so as it was a common speech amongst us that it must needs prognosticate somewhat; which fell out the day following, our great man, Monsieur Barnevelt, with two of his chief instruments, Hogerbots and Grotius, the one pensioner at Leyden, the other of Rotterdam, being then arrested prisoners in the Prince of Orange's lodgings by order of the States-General, where they remained two days, until the lodgings in the court, where the Amirante of Arragon lay last, were prepared for them. I account it in some regard ill luck to come à la vieille of such a feast; at which though there are many make good cheer, (and I may well say the most in this country) yet there being some mal diners, they lay no small blame upon me, and so speed it by public voice, as if I had given fire to this mine by certain intercepted letters, which I should have brought with me out of England. Their apprehension proceeded chiefly of certain difficulties and traverses they sought to cast in the way of the national Synod, after they had offered themselves at the Prince of Orange's return from Utrecht to concur with the States-General and his excellency; which they perceiving, and that this business would prove Penelope's web, unless these men were laid holden, not only took the resolution for them, but for one Leyden-burgh, the secretary of Utrecht, who had the same authority in that province, as Barnevelt, in Holland, and was there held on the day after they were taken. Vander Mile, who married Barnevelt's daughter, was with me at the instant that his father was taken, and went from me to the council, not knowing any thing of the matter until the news was publicly sent to the council, by the States-General; which may seem very strange, that he, his father, and the rest of that party, who had the chief managing of the affairs, should have so small knowledge or apprehension of what hung over their heads; this course having been almost a year in speech, and it was known to forty in this town the night before it was put in execution.
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Letters of the Court of James I 1618. 31st October 1618. London. John Chamberlain (age 65), Esq., to Sir Dudley Carleton (age 45).
I remember, that in my last letter, I said that Sir Walter Raleigh (age 64) was not secure. But now he is past all peradventure; for, upon Thursday morning [29th October 1618], he was be-headed, in the old Palace at Westminster, 'twixt the Parliament House and the church. On Wednesday, he was brought from the Tower to the King's Bench bar, as they say, the manner is when a man lives above a year and a day after he is condemned; and there demanded what he could say for himself, why the sentence pronounced against him at Winchester should not be put in execution. The sum of his answer was, that the king had employed him in his service, and given him a commission, wherein he styled him "his loyal subject;" and withal given him potestatem vitæ et mortis; which did amount to a pardon. For in all reason he must be master of his own life, that hath power over other men's. The judges replied, that there is no pardon for treason by implication. Wherefore, he must find a better plea, or undergo the sentence. Thus he spoke of his trial at Winchester, and avowed that all, or the far greater part of those that were present, did acquit him in their consciences; and that the king's gracious forbearing him so long, and, but for this late accident, longer would have done, even to a hundred years, if nature could have drawn out his life so long, did show that his majesty approved his innocence. But, in conclusion, he was willed to prepare himself, and so was delivered to the sheriffs of London, and conveyed to the Gatehouse, where he spent the rest of that day in writing letters to the king, and others, and in prayer with the Dean of Westminster, who came the next morning at five o'clock, and ministered to him the communion; and, when he had broken his fast, about eight o'clock, came to the scaffold, where he found the Earls of Arundel, Oxford, Northampton, the Lord of Doncaster, and divers others. He made a speech of more than half an hour, wherein he cleared himself of having any intelligence with France, which had been objected to him, more than to save his life, and hide himself from the king's indignation. Then, that he never said any ill intent words towards his majesty, not so much as in thought. That he had no other pretence, nor end in his last voyage, than the enriching of the king, the realm, himself, and his followers. That he never had any undutiful speech concerning his majesty with the runagate French physician, nor ever offered to Sir Lewis Stukely £ 10,000 to go with him into France, nor told him that the Lord Arran had given him advice to be gone; and that he and the Lord of Doncaster would maintain him in France, of which points he had been accused by them. And, though he protested not only to forgive them, but to pray God to forgive them, yet he thought fit to give men warning of such persons. To all this, and much more, he took God, so often, and so solemnly to witness, that he was believed of all that heard him.
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In 1628 John Chamberlain (age 75) died.