Eikon Alethine

Eikon alethine. The pourtraiture of truths most sacred majesty truly suffering, though not solely. Wherein the false colours are washed off, wherewith the painter-steiner had bedawbed truth, the late King and the Parliament, in his counterfeit piece entituled Eikon basilike. Published to uudeceive the world. London 1649

Published shortly after Eikon Basilike to try and debunk the idea that the King had written Eikon Basilike. John Milton had also written a book on the same subject, Eikonoklastes, though sadly in his publication there were no pictures. Here a hand pulls back a curtain to reveal the cleric  who was thought of have ghost-written the Eikon, identified in the book with the roman politician Catiline who tried to overthrow the Roman republic, though now thought to be the Bishop of Worcester John Gauden. He is clad in standard Church of England garb in square Canterbury cap, preaching gown with a hanging sleeve visible and a small collar band. The arm has a nicely darted linen cuff. Image © Trustees of the British Museum

A Prophecie

Of the Life, Reigne, and Death of William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury. One of the anti-Laud tracts printed after the Archbishop’s execution. This one from 1644.

Poor Laud is depicted as the great beast with the number engraved on his forehead and a set of antlers growing out of his Canterbury cap. He’s wearing his bishop’s weeds, rochet and chimere with a starched ruff around his neck. The guy on the right hand side offers some of the hated symbols of the high church, prayer beads, a crucifix, and the surplice, whilst the Devil proffers a cardinal’s hat He and the other chap, who is holding a barrel representing the monopolies that Laud was connected with, have short tabbed doublets, breeches, hose and shoes. Spot also the corded hat band.

All The Memorable Wonderstrikings Part 5

I’ve missed out a few pages, but these two are worth looking at. First the Court of High Commission and Star Chamber Courts being closed down by the Long Parliament. Both were long running institutions that had become unpopular. Charles had used the Court of Star Chamber as a means to raise revenue without calling parliament so was an obvious target for his opponents whilst the Court of High Commission as the supreme Ecclesiastical Court similarly attracted the anti-Laudians. Anyway, here is a picture of the top bishops in the land in their white rochets and black chimeres, ruff collars and square canterbury caps.

 

And here a group of workmen remove arms form the storehouse of a practising catholic. Presumably it wasn’t as easy as the operation shown here, but we see three simply dressed gents in doublet and breeches, and possibly the middle two in shirt and breeches. It’s tricky to tell which in this engraving, but they are making off with a stack of muskets, pikes and armour. The guy at the front with the muskets looks like he’s wearing a knitted monmouth cap.