present; the Constable-Marshall, and Master of the Game, for the better honor and reputation of the Commonwealth; and wisheth them to be received, &c. "Then the King's Serjeant at Law declareth and inferreth the necessity; which heard, the Lord Chancellour desireth respite of farther advice. Then the antientest of the Masters of the Revels singeth a song, with assistance of others there present. "At supper the Hall is to be served in all solempnity, as upon Christmas day, both the first and second course to the highest table. Supper ended, the Constable-Marshall presented himself with drums afore him, mounted upon a scaffold, born by four men; and goeth three times round about the harthe, crying out, aloud, A Lord, a lord,' &c. Then he descendeth, and goeth to dance, &c. And after he calleth his Court, every one by name, one by one, in this manner: "Sir Francis Flatterer, of Fowleshurst, in the county of Buckingham. "Sir Randle Rakabite, of Rascall-hall, in the county of Rake-hell. "Sir Morgan Mumchance, of Much Monkery, in the county of Mad Mopery. "Sir Bartholmew Baldbreech, of Buttocks-bury, in the county of Brekeneck. "This done, the Lord of Misrule addresseth himself to the Banquet; which ended with some minstralsye, mirth, and dancing, every man departeth to rest. "At every mess is a pot of wine allowed. 66 Every repast is 6d. "St. John's Day. About seaven of the clock in the morning, the Lord of Misrule is abroad, and if he lack any officer or attendant, he repaireth to their chambers, and compelleth them to attend in person upon him after service in the Church, to breakfast, with brawn, mustard, and malmsey. After breakfast ended, his Lordship's power is in suspense, until his personal presence at night; and then his power is most potent. "At dinner and supper is observed the diet and service performed on St. Stephen's day. After the second course served in, the King's Serjeant, orator-like, declareth the disorder of the Constable-Marshal, and of the Common Serjeant: which complaint is answered by the Common Serjeant; who defendeth himself and the Constable-Marshal with words of great efficacy. Hereto the King's Serjeant replyeth. They rejoyn, &c. and who so is found faulty committed to the Tower, &c. "If any officer be absent at dinner or supper times; if it be complained of, he that sitteth in his place is adjudged to have like punishment as the officer should have had being present: and then withall he is enjoyned to supply the office of the true absent officer, in all pointe. If any offendor escape from the Lieutenant into the buttery, and bring into the Hall a manchet upon the point of a knife, he is pardoned for the buttry, in that case is a sanctuary. After cheese served to the table, not any is commanded to sing. "Childermas Day. In the morning, as afore on Monday, the Hall is served; saving that the Sewer, Carver, and Cup-bearer, do not attend any service. Also like ceremony at supper. "Wednesday. In the morning, no breakfast at all; but like service as afore is mentioned; both at dinner and supper. "Thursday. At breakfast, brawn, mustard, and malmsey. At dinner, roast beef, venison-pasties, with like solempnities as afore. And at supper, mutton and hens roasted. "New Year's Day. In the morning, breakfast as formerly. At dinner, like solempnity as on Christmas-eve. "The Banquetting Night. It is proper to the Butler's office, to give warning to every House of Court, of this banquet; to the end that they, and the Innes of Chancery, be invited thereto, to see a play and mask. The Hall is to be furnished with scaffolds to sit on, for Ladies to behold the sports, on each side. Which ended, the Ladyes are to be brought into the Library, unto the Banquet there; and a table is to be covered and furnished with all banquetting dishes, for the Lord Chancellor, in the Hall; where he is to call to him the Ancients of other Houses, as many as may be on the one side of the table. The Banquet is to be served in by the Gentlemen of the House. "The Marshall and Steward are to come before the Lord Chancellour's mess. The Butlers for Christmas must serve wine; and the Butlers of the House beer and ale, &c. When the Banquet is ended, then cometh into the Hall the Constable-Marshal, fairly mounted on his mule; and deviseth some sport for passing away the rest of the night. Twelf Day. At breakfast, brawn, mustard, and malmsey, after morning prayer ended. And at dinner, the hall is to be served as upon St. John's-day." 142 In June 1562, the Queen and Court being then at Greenwich, the following letter was addressed to Henry Hastings, third Earl of Huntingdon : "ELIZABETH R. Right trusty and right wel-beloved Cowsen, we greet you well. Forasmuch as a meeting and enterview between us and our good Sister and Cosyn the Quene of Scotts hath bene of long time motioned, to be had some time this summer; which, as we are accorded, shall take effect about Bartholomewtyde next, either at our Citty of Yorke, or some other convenient place on this side neere unto Trent. We, meaning to have you there, to attend upon us, as is meet for the degree and place which you hold, do will and require you to put yourself (our Cowsen), your wife, and your trains in order to attend on you both, being so many in number, as at the least 26 of them may remain to attend upon you both about our Court, and be ready to meet us on the way, near unto Trent, at such place and day of the month of August next as shall be signified to you by our Chamberlain, or some others of the Counsell, at the furthest before the midst of July; forseing that the array of yourselfe, your wife, and your traines, may be according to the best of your states and degrees, and meetest for the honour and presence of such an enterview. Yeven under our signet, at our mannor of Grenewiche, the 16th of June, in the fourth yere of our Reigne." The QUEEN at WINDSOR CASTLE and ETON, 1563. In the Royal MSS. in the British Museum (12 A. xxx.) is a Tract, intituled, "De adventu gratissimo ac maximè exoptato ELIZABETHÆ, nobilissimæ ac illustrissimæ Reginæ Angliæ, Franciæ, et Hiberniæ, Fidei Defensatricis, ad has Arces VINDESORENSES, suas TONENSIUM Scholarum maximè triumphans Ovatio 2, 1563."-The title is encompassed with ornaments; the arms of the Queen the top, and of the School at the bottom. Under the arms of the School: Cum larium Henricus Sextus fundamina nostrum Fiat ut hoc fundos tibi trado, & prædia multa, Quinetiam tibi do præclara insignia, famæ This learned "Oration" is followed by LXXII Latin Epigrams by the "Grex Etonensius." |