Archy was appointed court jester after escaping the death penalty for sheep stealing by displaying his wit to the king, and was already in service in 1603 when the king succeeded to the English throne. In 1611 he was granted a pension of two shillings a day, which a month later was re-granted for life, and he accompanied James on his visit to Scotland in 1617. His influence was considerable and he was greatly courted and flattered, but his success appears to have gone to his head. He became presumptuous, insolent, and mischievous and was much disliked by the members of the court. James seems to have favoured him, indeed in August 1618 Archie got the monopoly on tobacco pipes.
In 1623 he accompanied Prince Charles and Buckingham in their adventure into Spain, where he was much caressed and favoured by the Spanish court and, according to his own account, was granted a sizeable pension.
He retained his post on the accession of Charles I, and accumulated a considerable fortune, including the grant by the king of 1000 acres (4 km²) in Ireland. After the death of Buckingham in 1628, whom he declared "the greatest enemy of three kings," the principal object of his dislike and rude jests was Archbishop Laud, (Archbishop of Canterbury 1633 to 1645) whom he openly vilified and ridiculed. In 1637, On Laud's complaint to the council, Archy was sentenced the same day "to have his coat pulled over his head and be discharged the king's service and banished the king's court."
He settled in London as a money-lender, and many complaints were made to the privy council and House of Lords of his sharp practices. In 1641 on the occasion of Laud's arrest, he enjoyed a mean revenge by publishing Archy's Dream; sometimes Jester to his Majestie, but exiled the Court by Canterburie's malice. Subsequently he resided at Arthuret in Cumberland, according to some accounts his birthplace, where he possessed an estate, and where he died in 1672, his burial taking place on April 1.
He was twice married, his second wife being Sybilla Bell. Some sources say that there is no record of any legal offspring, but the baptism of a "base son" of Archibald Armstrong is entered in the parish register of December 17, 1643. Other sources quote him having a son, Philip, in 1628 and several daughters - referred to in his Dream. He is also thought to have married a third time, eighteen months after the birth of his illegitimate son. A Banquet of Jests: A change of Cheare, published about 1630, a collection chiefly of dull, stale jokes, is attributed to him, and with still less reason probably A choice Banquet of Witty Jests ... Being an addition to Archee's Jests, taken out of his Closet but never published in his Lifetime (1660).
He was succeeded as Court Jester by Muckle John.
Archibald Armstrong from the 1636 edition of A Banquet of Jests
(British Museum)
(British Museum)
No comments:
Post a Comment