“Whereas the Earl of Glamorgan’s regiment of horse being over at least 200, is now by reason of continual duty, 2 troops taken from it, and 60: (sic) more lost in fight, much weaker, therefore it is desired that the remainder of this horse may be by order secured in Colonel Lingen’s regiment; till such time the rest of the money by the said Earl, appointed for the raising of his regiment, may be received.”
On Friday, the 18th of July, his Majesty returning to the Castle dined there, continuing his visit until the 22nd, when he set out for a place called The Creek. In the evening, however, he had supper at the Castle, and remained there until Thursday, the 24th. He purposed going to Bristol, but apprehending the approach of the Scots, on arriving at The Creek, he went thence to Newport, Cardiff, Radnor, and Ludlow Castle. After a lapse of six weeks, his Majesty, on Sunday, the 7th of September, paid his third visit to Raglan Castle in time to partake of supper. He staid until Monday, the 15th of September,[H] when he took a final leave of his bountiful host. During this last visit his Majesty appears, on different occasions, to have gone to Abergavenny on the 8th and 11th, attended with his guards.[56]
Much misapprehension prevails respecting these royal visits, which it is clear were made on three distinct occasions, his Majesty staying the first time thirteen days, on the second six days, and on the last eight days.
A singular instance of the Marquis’s freedom in addressing the King occurs in the following statement made by his chaplain:—[23]
“The Marquis had a mind to tell the King as handsomely as he could, of some of his (as he thought) faults; and thus he contrived his plot against the time that his Majesty was wont to give his Lordship a visit, as commonly he used to do, after dinner. His Lordship had the book of John Gower[I] lying before him on the table; the King, casting his eye upon the book, told the Marquis that he had never seen it before.
“Oh,” said the Marquis, “it is a book of books, which if your Majesty had been well versed in, it would have made you a King of Kings.”
“Why so, my Lord?” said the King.
“Why,” said the Marquis, “here is set down how Aristotle brought up and instructed Alexander the Great in all his rudiments, and the principles belonging to a prince.”
“And under the persons of Alexander and Aristotle, he read the King such a lesson, that all the standers by were amazed at his boldness; and the King, supposing that he had gone further than his text would have given him leave, asked the Marquis whether he had his lesson by heart, or whether he spoke out of the book.
“Sir,” the Marquis replied, “if you could read my heart, it may be you might find it there; or if your Majesty please to get it by heart, I will lend you my book.”