The earls of Northumberland and Huntingdon, the lords Thomas Howard and
Willoughby, with many other noblemen and knights, paid a visit to the
duke of Norfolk, and were entertained, with their retinue, at the duke’s
palace, in Norwich, in 1561. The guild happening at this time, William
Mingay, Esq., then mayor, invited them and their ladies to the feast,
which they accepted, and expressed the greatest satisfaction at their
generous and hospitable reception. At the entertainment the duke and
duchess of Norfolk sat first; then the three earls of Northumberland,
Huntingdon, and Surrey, lord Thomas Howard, lord Scroop and his lady,
lord and lady Bartlet, lord Abergavenny, with so many other peers,
knights, and ladies, that the hall could scarcely contain them and their
retinue.[455] The mayor’s share of the expense was one pound, twelve
shillings, and ninepence. The feast makers, four in number, paying the
rest. The mayor’s bill of fare was as follows:--
£. _s._ _d._
Eight stone of beef, at 8d. a stone, and a sirloin 0 5 8
Two collars of brawn 0 1 0
Four cheeses, at 4d. a cheese 0 1 4
Eight pints of batter 0 1 6
A hinder quarter of veal 0 0 10
A leg of mutton 0 0 5
A fore quarter of veal 0 0 5
Loin of mutton and shoulder of veal 0 0 9
Breast and coat of mutton 0 0 7
Six pullets 0 1 0
Four couple of rabbits 0 1 8
Four brace of partridges 0 2 0
Two Guinea cocks 0 1 6
Two couple of mallard 0 1 0
Thirty-four eggs 0 0 6
Bushel of flour 0 0 6
Peck of oatmeal 0 0 2
Sixteen white bread-loaves 0 0 4
Eighteen loaves of white wheat-bread 0 0 9
Three loaves of meslin bread 0 0 3
Nutmegs, mace, cinnamon, and cloves 0 0 3
Four pounds of Barbary sugar 0 1 0
Sixteen oranges 0 0 2
A barrel of double strong beer 0 2 6
A barrel of table beer 0 1 0
A quarter of wood 0 2 2
Two gallons of white wine and Canary 0 2 0
Fruit, almonds, sweet water, perfumes 0 0 4
The cook’s wages 0 1 2
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Total £1 12 9
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After dinner, Mr. John Martyn, a wealthy and honest man of Norwich, made
the following speech:--“Maister Mayor of Norwich, and it please your
worship, you have feasted us like a king. God bless the queen’s grace.
We have fed plentifully and now, whilom I can speak plain English, I
heartily thank you, maister Mayor, and so do we all. Answer, boys,
answer. Your beer is pleasant and potent, and will soon catch us by the
_caput_ and stop our manners: and so huzza for the queen’s majesty’s
grace, and all her bonny-brow’d dames of honour.[456] Huzza for maister
Mayor, and our good dame Mayoress. His noble grace,[457] there he is,
God bless him, and all this jolly company. To all our friends round
county, who have a penny in their purse and an English heart in their
bodies, to keep out Spanish dons, and papists with their faggots to burn
our whiskers. Shove it about, twirl your cap-cases, handle your jugs,
and huzza for maister Mayor, and his bretheren their worships.”
The honesty, freedom, loyalty, and good-humour of this speech would, at
any time, entitle the orator to a patient hearing and an approving
smile.
The above is from Beatniffe’s Norfolk Tour.