HOW KING JAMES BROUGHT HOME HIS BRIDE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 129, 7 January 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

HOW KING JAMES BROUGHT HOME HIS BRIDE.

The North Sea is generally a wild place in winter time, and in the days of tiny ships was occasionally altogether impassable. Anne of Denmark, a little princess twelve years old, had been married by proxy (as was then the custom with those of Royal blood) to King dames VI. of Scotland, who later on ascended the English throne as James 1. Admiral Peter Minch, a Danish sea dog, was to bring the bride to Edinburgh, but, although he twice set sail, he was beaten back to Norway each time by contrary winds. The bluff old admiral declared there was witchcraft at the bottom of it, as he had once boxed the ears of a witch's husband at Copenhagen, and she was taking her revenge. The ,poor little Princess sat down and wrote an appealing letter from Cpsnln, where tho licet had taken refuge, as the harbour was frost-bound, and she was cut off alike from her native land and" her adopted country. James received th a novel love-letter, and determined, like a true knight-errant, to rescue the fair one from her awkward situation; but it as no easy task, for he had no money, and his biggest ship was k mere cockleshell, while of the sea lie knew nothing. It is to his credit j however, that as soon as he could arrange for Government to be carried on juring his absence, he left Edinburgh ■ecrctly at dead of night, and embariL'd aboard a vessel of 120 tons. Fortune once more favoured the bravr, jnd on November 7, 1">89, he landed, safely at Fi'eson, in Norway. For t ivcck and more he wandered up and down the dismal wintry coast seeking in vain for I"psala. At last he discov- l cred a village half iburied in snow. | dulloping ahead, and leaving his train to follow as they might, he rode up to the hut which sheltered Ins iittlo Princess. Booted and spurred, he flung open the door, and cried out| that he was the King of Scotland,cone to claim and kiss his bride. Anne at first drew back in natural alarm and maidenly modesty, but as soon as iho ivas assured that the gallant, though' mow-covered, cavalier was really her welded husband, her restive disappear., >d. They were married next day "io he tune of the surf and the blast, j nit their "love in a cottage" lasted 'or sonic time, for the North Sea rat-! >d with redoubled fury, and it was in-' •ossiblo to quit the place for over i I nonth. Finally James, after porsoi-' illy making the journey to assure hin-j •eh of its practicability, went through. .he passes from Norway to Swede:-,' irought his bride to that more bespit-' iblc coast, and arrived safely, first it Croenburg and finally at Leith and ulinboro' Anne was a trifle petularfc ind fantastic, but her husband treated; is child-bride with tact and good •en.se. And on November 19, 159 C, I he seventh anniversary of the meet-j ng in the -now-clad hut, Anne preen tori her husband with "Baby Cha'-j es," better known to history as Chari.3