In 1565, Queen Elizabeth, in her journey into Lincolnshire, "passed through Stamford, and dined at the White Friary, which stood a little way East from St. Paul's Gate, where the road divides for Ryhall and Uffington. From the extent of its walls, which are yet standing, the building must have been large, and, according to tradition, it was very magnificent: it was also admired for its church and steeple, the latter of which, Mr. Peck informs us, was similar to that of All Saints. Over the western gateway (a venerable monument of antiquity, which is here accurately delineated), are three niches, over each of which there were formerly arms, which are now defaced."

Academical lectures and exercises were formerly read at Stamford by the Carmelites; and the Friary here was particularly eminent, and the house large and magnificent. It was certainly in existence during the reign of King Edward the First, and further benefactioned by King Edward the Third, whose arms are over this venerable Gateway'.

VOL. I.

*cc3

Among the classical ancients, statues of their Deities were placed on Town-gates; afterwards those of the Emperors. Hence came the custom of affixing the armsof Princes; and accordingly here in token of foundation and dominion, are three niches, over each of which there were formerly arms, though the two side ones are now defaced.

The Rule of this Order prescribed their houses to be on lone spots; and here, as elsewhere, the Friary was out of the town.

1566.

In the beginning of April we meet with the following Royal Letter:

66

"To o'r right trusty and right well-belovid Cousyn the Erle of Sherowsbury, Compaignon of our Order of the Garter.

"ELIZABETH R.

Right trustie and right well-bilovid Cousyn, we grete you well. Forasmuch as it hath ben declared unto us on your behalf that, for certain your urgent and necessary busyness, your request is to be dispensed of your cumming to the Feast of Saint George now next cumming, we late you wite that we are pleased to graunt unto you yo sayd request, and by theis pnts, do licence you to be absent from the sayd Feast: and theis our Ires shalbe your sufficient warrant and dischardge on that behalf. Yeven under our seale of our Order, the first day of Aprill 1566, the eight year of our Reign."

1

On the 8th of May, Archbishop Parker obtained from his Royal Mistress 1 a grant having forty retainers 2; but he had a great many more, as appears from the following Cheque-roll of his Household:

"His Chancellor, with allowance of three Servants.

"The Steward £.20 wages, with two Men and two Geldings.

"The Treasorer 20 marks wages, with two Men and two Geldings. "Controller £.10 wages, with one Man and one Gelding.

"These three Chief Officers:

"Chief Almoner, a Doctor, with other Chaplens.

In the preceding year (see p. 198) Archbishop Parker had the honour of being godfather to the infant son of the Margravine of Baden, when the Queen was personally present as godmother. Another signal mark of the Queen's favour will be seen in the following Letter from Lord Robert Dudley to the Archbishop:

"MY LORD, The Queen's Matie being abroad hunting yesterday in the Forrest, and having had very good hap, besides great sport, she hath thought good to remember your Grace with part of her prey, and so commanded me to send you from her Highness a great and fat stag killed with her own hand, which because the weather was hot, and the deer somewhat chafed, and dangerous to be carried so far without some help, I caused him to be perboyled in this sort for the better preservation of him, which I doubt not but shall cause him to come unto you as I would be glad he should. So having no other matter at present to trouble your Grace withall, I will commit you to the Almighty, and with my most hearty commendations take my leave, in haste, at Windsor, this third of Sept. Your Gr. assured

R. DUDDELEY."

⚫ Cardinal Pole had a patent, dated Aug. 20, 4 Philip and Mary, for retaining a hundred servants; which gives some idea of his splendour and hospitality.

"Dr. Drewrie, the Master of the Faculties. The Doctors and Chaplains every one Man without any wages.

"Chief Secretary 20 nobles wages, and one Man.

"Stewdents, Antiquaries, and Writers.

"Gentlemen of the Horse £.4 wages.

"Gentlemen Huishers two, like wages, and every one of them one Servant. "Of the Private Chamber, one Gentleman, £3. 6s. 8d.; three others; Gentleman Daily Waiters, 16 or 14, every one of them £.3 wages. Clerk of Kitchin 40s. wages, and his fee. The Cater 40s. wages.

"The Master Cook, Larderers, and Postler, besides four Pages; this four nobles wages, the other 40s. and their fees.

"Yeomen of the Squillery and two Gromes.

"Yeomen Usher of the Great Chamber and of the Hall, four marks wages the peece. "Yeomen Waiters eight.

"Yeoman Officers, two in every office; as Panthers, Butlers, Ewrers, Sellerers, Wardrobe.

"Yeoman of the Horse.

"Master of the Bardge, £.4 wages.

"Porters, Granator, Sub-Almoner, Slawterman, Gardner, £4. wages.

"Gromes of the Presence of the Privie-Chamber, Hall, Parler, Chappell, Landry, of the Stable, six; two Laborers; Ewerie Yeoman; Officers last mentioned and Groomes 40s. the pece wages; amounting to yerly at £.200 wages, which was paid every quarter eve in the counting-house by the Steward, who was ever Justice of the Peace and of the Quorum in Kent and Surrey; having the rule and government of all the Household save the other two Chief Officers and Chaplains; being to entertain noble personages and men of great place til thei wer brought to the Archbishop; to take account of the bills of every Underofficer, and to allow or disallow of them.

"All thes had allowance for their diett in the hall at Lamhith; as first was the Steward's table on the one side, for himself, his two fellow Officers, Gentlemen of the Horse, Secretaries, Gentleman-Usher, that waited not at the Archbishop's table, with other Gentlemen-Waiters: and if al cold not sit thear thei were placed at the Gentlemen's table. Next to that table, over against the Steward's table on the other side of the hall, had the Almoner his table, with the Chapleins and the Stewdents; and either of thes tables had like allowance of diet, manchet, and wine. The Gentlemen's long table, at first sitting, was for some Gentlemen

of household and manors, and for the Archbishop's Waiters when he had dined. On the other side against them sat the Yeomen-Waiters and Yeomen-Officers, that attended not, and meaner sort of strangers. At the table next the hall dore sat the Cooks and attendant Yeomen Officers. Over against them sat the Gromes before mentioned of the stable and other extern places. Then, at the nether end of the hall, by the pantry, was a table, wherat was dailie entertained eight or ten of the poor of the town by turn. The Sub-Almoner had a chest for broken mete and brede, and a tub with broken beer, for reliefe of other poore, as they wer put in bills parted among them 1.

"Touching the Parsons, besides his ordinary servantes that he had in private lodgings, his wife, who kept a table, whither oft came Gentlewomen and other friends; where was also daily, imprimis, his eldest son and his wife (who had, as also the yonger son and his wife, a woman and man servant); his brother Baker's wife, her daughter and maide; his neece Clerke, her son, and a maide servant; the Comptroller's wife, who had a maide of her own; maide servants IIII; in toto 16. "Of those that were his household servants, of good birth and parentage, weare Egremont Ratcliff, half brother to the Earl of Sussex, Lord Chamberlain; Charles Gray, brother to the Earl of Kent; Edward Cobham, brother to the Lord Warden Cobham, Privie Counsellor; Richard Bingham, after a Knight and worthie soldier in Ireland; Geffrey Benton, Secretarie of Estate and Privie Counseiler thear; John Stafford, son to the Lady Stafford of the Queen's Bedchamber; Warham St. Leger; Henry Harrington, brother to the Lord Harrington; Henry

Strype gives this further account of Archbishop Parker's hospitality: "In the daily eating this was the custom. The Stewards, with the servants that were Gentlemen of the better rank, sat down at the tables in the Hall on the right hand; and the Almoner, with the Clergy and the other servants, sat on the other side; where there was plenty of all sorts of provision both for eating and drinking. The daily fragments thereof did suffice to fill the bellies of a great number of poor hungry people that waited at the gate; and so constant and unfailing was this provision at my Lord's table, that whosoever came in either at dinner or supper, being not above the degree of a Knight, might here be entertained worthy of his quality, either at the Steward's or at theAlmoner's table. And moreover, it was the Archbishop's command to his servants that all strangers should be received and treated with all manner of civility and respect, and that places at the table should be assigned them according to their dignity and quality: which redounded much to the praise and commendation of the Archbishop. The discourse and conversation at meals was void of all brawling and loud talking, and for the most part consisted in framing men's manners to Religion, or in some other honest and beseeming subject. There was a Monitor of the Hall; and if it happened that any spoke too loud, or concerning things less decent, it was presently husht by one that cried Silence. The Archbishop loved hospitality, and no man shewed it so much, and with better order, though he himself was very abstemious."