not supply them with victuals, and the soldiers were committing great outrages, taking cattle, etc.³³  The previous year the county had won commendation for the fashion in which it discharged its ancient corvée of receiving distinguished foreigners on the occasion of the Spanish Ambassador’s visit.³⁴
   In June 1625, Charles was at Canterbury to receive his fifteen-year-old bride, Henrietta Maria, but in his impatience rode over to surprise her at Dover, in spite of her mother’s prohibitions. In August, Dover was anticipating an attack upon it by the Dunkirkers ;³⁵ Chatham was considered likewise to be in danger of attack,³⁶ and Buckingham sent orders for the mustering of the trained bands. By 9 September the deputy lieutenants reported their preparations for defence,³⁷ and by the 19th that they had surveyed all the coast between Dover and Reculver.³⁸  No time seems to have been lost, although in October Secretary Coke complained that the coasts were without guard.³⁹
   The same account is given in Kent as elsewhere in England of the ill-success of  ‘endeavours to advance the business of a voluntary ⁴⁰  and by November 1630 the sheriff, Richard Browne, wrote that he ‘fears some distemper is growing among the inferior sort of people.’⁴¹  In 1639 the sheriff himself was severely reprimanded for his neglect to levy ship money, £905 of which was still unpaid,⁴²  though due in 1637. In the same year, Roger Petty, late constable of the hundred of Codsheath, was sent for regarding the non-payment of ship money, and hindering that service.⁴³  The mayors disputed as to the rate per ton at which the ship of 640 tons required of the county for six months',’ service, 1 April 1640, should be paid.⁴⁴
   In March 1638-9, orders having already been sent to the Lord Lieutenant for the trained bands of the county to be put in readiness, and weekly exercised, ‘forasmuch as those factious and rebellious spirits in Scotland continue still their warlike preparations,’ 1,000 men from Kent were required to rendezvous at Gravesend by 8 April for service in the north, two parts to be muskets and one part pikes.⁴³ The starting of this force was somewhat delayed by the report of the officers of the trained bands that their arms were very unserviceable; this unserviceableness was held to be partly due to malicious motives, and it was insisted that better arms and men should be provided.⁴⁶
   If anything had been wanted to add to the growing disaffection in Kent, it must have been supplied in October 1639, when the Lord Warden and
   ³³  Ibid. 1623-5. p. 418.
   ³⁴  Ibid. 1610-23. 609. S:r Lewis Lewknor, writing 14 June 1623, says that he was met by a troop of gentlemen at Barham Downs, led by Sir Dudley Digges, Sir Nicholas Tufton, and Sir Edward Hales, and was received at Canterbury with a band of music, by the mayor and his brethren in their scarlet gowns, who gave him a guard of 20 men in the town livery, and that he never saw so handsome a reception in Kent.
   ³⁵  Ibid. 1625-6. p.9!.                                                     ³⁶  Ibid. 127.
   ³⁷  Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. XII, App. pt. i, 211—12.   ³⁸  Ibid. 212.
   ³⁹  Cal. S.P. Dom. 1625-6, p. 127. A survey was again made in 1627, and orders issued that the landing places between Dover and Folkestone be made impassable. Ibid. 1627-8, p. 327.
   ⁴⁰  Cal. S.P. Dom. 1625-6, p. 40!. ‘Some of the people had forborne to attend, some refused to give at all, some few offered half a subsidy which was refused.’
   ⁴¹  Ibid. 629-31, pp. 386-7.               ⁴²  Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. VII, 677b.
   ⁴³  Cal. S.P. Dom. 1639, p. 501. In January 1639, Sir Thomas Headley, late sheriff, complained that ‘by the refractoriness of divers officers employed for collecting of ship money, he had been much hindered in the performance of the service.’ Ibid. 1638-9, p. 394.
   ⁴⁴  Ibid. 1639-40, p. 308.                 ⁴⁵  Ibid. 1638-9, p. 574.        ⁴⁶  Ibid. 1639, pp. 49, 52.