King Charles II. was crowned at the very conjunction of the sun and
Mercury; Mercury being then in "Corde Solis". As the King was at
dinner in Westminster Hall, it thundered and lightened extremely. The
cannons and the thunder played together.
King Charles II. went by long sea to Portsmouth or Plymouth, or both;
an extraordinary storm arose, which carried him almost to France. Sir
Jonas Moor (who was then with his Majesty) gave me this account, and
said, that when they came to Portsmouth to refresh themselves, they
had not been there above half an hour, but the weather was calm, and
the sun shone: his Majesty put to sea again, and in a little time
they had the like tempestuous weather as before.
Not long before the death of King Charles II. a Sparrow-hawk escaped
from the perch, and pitched on one of the iron crowns of the white
tower, and entangling its string in the crown, hung by the heels and
died. Not long after, another hawk pitched on one of the crowns. From
Sir Edward Sherborne, Knight.
The Gloucester frigate cast away at the Lemanore, and most of the men
in it; the Duke of York escaping in a cock boat, anno 1682, May the
5th, on a Friday.
When King James II. was crowned, (according to the ancient custom, the
Peers go to the throne, and kiss the king) the Crown was almost kissed
off his head. An Earl did set it right; and as he came from the Abbey
to Westminster Hall, the Crown tottered extremely.
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