wold bestowe but half as much more, and then I think she should have as pleasant and comodyus a howse as any in England. I am sorry your L. ys not here to se yt. Even by and by her Majesty ys going to the Forest, to kill some bucks with her bowe, as she hath done in the Park this morning. God be thanked, she is very merry. But at her first coming, being a marvelous hott day at her coming hither, not one drop of good drink for her, so ill was she provyded for, notwithstanding her oft telling of her comyng hither; but we were fain to send to London with bottells, to Kenelworth, to divers other places where ale was. Her own here was such, as there was no man able to drink it; yt had been as good to have drank malmsey; and yet was it laid in about three dayes before her Majesty came. Hit did put her very farr out of temper, and almost all the company beside so: for none of us all was able to drink either bere or ale here. Synce, by chance, we have found drink for her to her lykyng, and she is well agayn: but I feared greatly, two or three dayes, some sickness to have fallen by reason of this drynk. God be thanked, she is now perfect well and merry; and I think, upon Thursday come se'nnight, will take her journey towards Kenelworth, whear I pray God she may lyke all things no worse than she hath done here: I hope the better by the good newes. For the graunt of her Majesty touching the Concealed Wards, &c. as I have to thank your L. for the friendly dealings, so will I be no whit the less thankfull than I have promised; and therof your L. assure yourself, though it please you to refer it to my consideration. It shall be even as I offered your L. at first, and so shall your own dealers be the doers as myne. And as I know your L. charge to be as myne, and as your place required, so wold it did lye in me, or may lye in me, to help to better yt; as you shall sone find, when the occasion shall offer, that I will deal no less, but more earnestly than for myself; for so I may do; and what your L. shall impart unto me at any time for the accomplishment hereof, ye shall se how willingly and carefully I will deal in yt. And so wishing you good health, and alway well to do, with my most hearty commendations, will byd your L. farewell. In some hast, reddy to ryde, this Tuesday toward evening [June 18], Your assured friend, R. LEYCEster. Her Majesty has signed my other book also; but no years after death. To the Right Honourable my very good L. the Lord Burley, L. Tresorer of England, &c." I shall now extract, as far as I have been able to collect them, the various Newyear's Gifts presented to the Queen by the Earl of Leicester; who regularly had in return about 100 ounces of gilt plate. In 1571-2 that distinguished Favourite's New-year's Gift to the Queen was, "one armlet or skakell of golde, all over fairely garnished with rubyes and dyamondes, haveing in the closing thearof a clocke, and in the fore parte of the same a fayre lozengie dyamonde without a foyle, hanging thearat a rounde juell fully garnished with dyamondes, and perle pendant; weying 11 oz. qua dim', and farthing golde weight; in a case of purple vellate all over embrauderid with Venice golde, and lyned with greene vellat."-In 1572-3, "one riche carkenet or collor of golde, haveing in it two emeraldes, 4 rubyes, and fully garnished with small rubyes and dyamondes."-In 1573-4, "a fanne of white fethers, sett in a handell of golde; the one side thearof garnished with two very fayre emeraldes, especially one, and fully garnished with dyamondes and rubyes; and the backe syde and handle of lyke golde, garnished with dyamondes and rubyes; and on each syde a white beare and twoe perles hanging, a lyon ramping with a white moseled beare at his foote."-In 1574-5, a doublett of white satten, garnished with goldsmith's worke, and sett with 18 very fayre payre of claspes of goldsmith's worke enamuled, every paire of them set with fyve diamondes and eight rubyes, one diamonde in every paire bigger than the rest, one of the smaller dyainondes lacking, with a fayre pasmayne lace of damaske golde and damaske silver 2."-In 1575-6, "a a juell, being a crosse of golde, conteyning 6 very fayre emeraldes, whearof two bigger than the rest, the one of the biggest being cracked, and 3 large perles pendaunte."-In 1576-7, " a coller of golde, "a coller of golde, contayning 13 peeces, whearin are 13 greate emeraldes, and 13 peeces of golde, with 13 troches of perles, 5 perles in every troche, and in every peece 4 small rubyes."-In 1577-8, "a carcanett of golde enamuled, 9 peeces whearof are garnished with sparcks of dyamondes and rubyes, and every one of them a pendante of golde enamuled, and garnished with smale sparcks of rubyes, and an ophall in the middes. Ten other peeces of golde lykewise enamuled, and every of them garnished with very smale dyamonds; two large raged pearles sett with a rose of sparcks of rubyes, and every of the two lesser pearls pendant, and a pendant of golde, and in every peece a lozengye dyamonde and a smale rubye, and in the middes a large pendant of golde garnished with meane rubyes, an ophall, and a meane perle pendant. And six dosen of buttons likewise enamuled, and every button of golde garnished with smale sparcks of rubyes, in every of them a large ragedd pearle."-In the Progress of 1578 the Earl gave the Queen3, "oone faire cup of cristall fationed like a slipper, In the New-year's Gifts to Queen Mary, 1556-7, is "a faire purse, with £.10. half soveraigns" presented by the Lord Robert Dudley, in return for a gilt cup, weighing 20 ounces and a half. Amongst other Gifts to the Queen when at Killingworth, in 1575, was "a jewell, being a greyhound gold," &c. presented by the Lady Howard. 3 This was on occasion of his marriage; of which see under the year 1578. See also more of him under the years 1581, 1584, and 1588. a garnished with golde, and a cover of golde, enamaeled, with white faulcone in the toppe, weighing 30 ounces." In 1578-9," a very faire juel of golde, being clocke fully furnished with small diamondes and rubyes: abowte the same are six bigger diamondes pointed, and a pendaunte of golde, diamonds, and rubyes, very smale; and upon eche side a losengye diamonde, and an apple of golde enamuled greene and russet."-In 1579-80, "two bodkyns of golde; in the topp of the one is a very fayre table dyamonde, garnished aboute with smale rubyes; and in the toppe of the other is a very fayre rubye garnished aboute with smale diamondes, and a capp of black velvet, with a broweke of golde, garnished with 18 diamondes, and a bande abowte it, with 14 buttons of golde, garnished with dyamonds, being raged staves and true-love knotts, garnished with rubyes and dyamondes, and 36 smale buttons, being true-knotts and raged staves."-In 1580-1, "a cheyne of golde, made lyke a payre of beades, contayning 8 long peeces, fully garnished with small diamondes, and fower score and one smaller peeces, fullie garnished with like diamondes; and hanging thereat a rounde clocke fullie garnished with dyamondes, and an appendante of diamondes hanging thearat."-In 1581-2, "a litle boke of golde, enamuled, garnished and furnished with smale diamondes and rubyes, bothe claspes, and all hanging at a chayne of golde, viz. 6 peces of golde enamuled, two of them garnished with raged staves of smale sparcks of diamondes, and 4 of them in eche, 2 smale diamonds and two smale sparcks of rubyes, 16 lesser peeces of gold, in every of them a smale diamonde, and also 24 peeces of gold, in every of them 4 perles, with a ring of gold to hang it by."-In 1582-3, "a faire juell of golde, being a carkenet, contayning 20 peeces, being letters and a sipher in the midest, all garnished with smale dyamonds, and betwene every letter 2 perles, and every letter having a smale diamond pendant; and at thesipher a pendant garnished with smale dyamonds, and 3 smale rock rubyes in 3 of the said peeces."-In 1583-4, "a faire juell of golde, being a chaine, contayning 24 knotts lyke bonser knotts, 12 matreues knotts, and 12 lytle seenkfoyles, all garnished with smale dyamonds on thone side, and a key of golde hanging at it, garnished on thone side with like diamondes."-In 1584-5, "a sable skynne, the hedd and four feete of gold, fully garnished with dyamonds and rubyes of sundry sorts."-In 1585-6," one fold of perle, contayning 101 juells thearat hanging, with one greate table diamonde in the midest, 2 rubyes on eche side; the residue of the juell garnished with 14 smale diamonds on thone side of the same jueil, the other side inamuled with a peare pearle; all together with the lace 2 oz. qa. dim'."-In 1586-71, "a purse of golde, enamuled, and garnished with smale diamondes, rubies, and ophalls of sundry bignesses, and a blewe saphire in the topp, with 2 strings, having pendants of perles of sundry bignesses hanging at a smale chaine of golde; and one bracelet of golde, contayning 6 peeces, 4 peeces like crosses, 2 peeces like half crosses, fully furnished with diamondes, rubyes, and perles of sundry bignesses, on thone side, with a rowe of perles and smale rubyes on eche side of the said bracelet enamuled." This is the last time I find the Earl of Leicester's name among the New-year's Gifts. He died in 1588. 529 The Queen's removal from Kenilworth was to Lichfield, where she continued eight days; and enjoyed a grand musical treat by attending divine service in that noble Cathedral 2. Within that period also she seems to have made excursions into the neighbourhood 3. The following curious document was communicated by Mr. Sharp of Coventry: Accompte of Symon Byddull and John Walkelet, Baylieffs and Justic's of Peace within the Cyttye of Lich', from St James Apostle, 1575 to 1576. Charges when the Queene's Matie was at the Cyttye of Lich', A° 1575. (July 27 to Aug. 3.) Imp'mis, to the Queenes most excellent Matie in golde £. s. d. 40 0 0 0 1 0 Wm Hollcroft, for kepynge Madde Richard when her Matie was here It'm, to Gregorye Ballard's Maid, for brynginge checkyns It'm, to Gostalowe, for takynge downe the skaffold It'm, to the Clerke of the Mrkett 0 10 0 2 0 0 The Queen's fondness for music has more than once been noticed (see pp. 293, 487.) and may be judged of from the following anecdote: "In 1565 Henry Lord Berkeley bought a lute of motherof-pearl for his Lady, for which Queen Elizabeth had offered 100 marks. This lute Lord Berkeley, about ten years after, gave to the Countess Dowager of Derby, whom in his widower's freedom he called his Mistress.”—This lute was, about the year 1810, in the possession of the late Mrs. Jordan the actress, who had bought it at a sale. Fosbroke's Extracts from the Berkeley MSS. p. 192. The Queen appears regularly to have attended on the Sunday mornings at the Parish Church of Kenilworth. After divine service, balls and tiltings filled up the afternoon; and on one Sunday a masque was intended. The following entry is taken from the Parish Register of Alrewas, a village five miles from Lichfield: "Elizabetha Regina rediebat Lichfeldiæ 30 die mensis Julii, et illic remanebat usque ad tertiam diem mensis Augusti, anno Domini 1575." It'm, to the Trumpettors, at the tyme of p'clamc'on, made by the - 0 13 4 3 (sic.) 0 10 0 0 10 0 Mr Cartwright, that shuld have made the Orac'on It'm, for ij dayes laborynge at Longbridge, to cast downe the waye It'm, to Gregorye Ballard, for goinge wth l'res to Kyllyngworthe Wyddowe Hill, for ij dos' waxe torches, and one lyncke James Oliver, for beare vi men, to go wth the Queene's treasure to Rydgeley 1 068 Rugeley, to which place the Queen's "Treasure" was carried, is a market town in the direct road between Lichfield and Stafford. |