thereon a profile of her Majesty's countenance; which additional ornament, it is conjectured, was designed to represent these Noblemen to be the Queen's favourites 1.

The place where this procession appears to be, is within the inclosure of the court-yard of Hunsdon House; the back front is the prospect in this picture: they are passing round, as it were, by the aquæduct, to come to the front entrance. This house was entirely built by King Henry VIII.2 and afterwards the front 3 only new rebuilt by Lord Hunsdon as it still remains, both ways being encircled with water, and two arched bridges to pass over to the house.

As the back front is the prospect to this picture, so at a distance, on a hill, appears a small old castle, perhaps Stortford Castle, by which the river Stort passes, and joins the river Lea at Stansted, where, near the bridge, are boats or skiffs purposely represented.

It is much to be admired, that in this picture, so large and historical, there should be no date on it, nor arms, nor other insignia, unless the story was then so well known and remarkably public, that the Nobleman who caused it to be done, and to whose honour the ceremonial was performed, might believe it would never be forgot in his family, or to posterity.

So weak is human foresight, that, upon our late discovery of it, much retrospection and laborious enquiry was necessary to come at the probable truth and history of it. Some of the conjectures and proofs, as I collected them, are sorted in this mannner :

I was assured that the noble Peer, in whose family it has been at Coleshill in Warwickshire for fifty or sixty years past, had no certain account handed to him of it, but only that it was painted in memory of Queen Elizabeth's doing honour to a young married couple, uncertain who, or when, or where. When it was brought to London, to enlighten the story of it, it was shewn to persons the most

'I conceive that this Painting, being a work of a multitude of figures, was not immediately done, but took a considerable time to draw the persons, habits, and the prospect of the place and buildings, &c. By the Council-books it appears the Queen was at Stansted Place in 1571, and again in 1576, when she stood god-mother to a daughter of Lord Hunsdon.

* See the accounts of this building and expences in a MS. in the reign of King Henry VIII. See in Chauncy's Hertfordshire, a view of the front of this house, and some account of this family. ♦ When I waited on the Right Honourable the Earl of Oxford to see it, at Coleshill in Warwickshire, October 1737. It was brought to London 1738.