defense within the realme of England, of which some were builded by
the Britons, manie by the Romans, Saxons, and Danes, but most of all
by the barons of the realme, in & about the time of king Stephan, who
licenced each of them to build so manie as them listed vpon their owne
demeasnes, hoping thereby that they would haue imploied their vse to
his aduantage and commoditie. But finallie when he saw that they were
rather fortified against himselfe in the end, than vsed in his
defense, he repented all too late of his inconsiderate dealing, sith
now there was no remedie but by force for to subdue them. After his
decease king Henrie the second came no sooner to the crowne, but he
called to mind the inconuenience which his predecessour had suffered,
and he himselfe might in time sustaine by those fortifications.
Therefore one of the first things he did was an attempt to race and
deface the most part of these holds. Certes he thought it better to
hazard the méeting of the enimie now and then in the plaine field,
than to liue in perpetuall feare of those houses, and the rebellion of
his lords vpon euerie light occasion conceiued, who then were full so
strong as he, if not more strong; and that made them the readier to
withstand and gainesaie manie of those procéedings, which he and his
successours from time to time intended. Herevpon therefore he caused
more than eleuen hundred of their said castels to be raced and
ouerthrowne, whereby the power of his nobilitie was not a little
restreined. Since that time also, not a few of those which remained
haue decaied, partlie by the commandement of Henrie the third, and
partlie of themselues, or by conuersion of them into the dwelling
houses of noble men, their martiall fronts being remooued: so that at
this present, there are verie few or no castels at all mainteined
within England, sauing onelie vpon the coasts and marches of the
countrie for the better kéeping backe of the forren enimie, when
soeuer he shall attempt to enter and annoie vs.
The most provident prince that euer reigned in this land, for the
fortification thereof against all outward enimies, was the late prince
of famous memorie king Henrie the eight, who beside that he repared
most of such as were alreadie standing, builded sundrie out of the
ground. For hauing shaken off the more than seruile yoke of popish
tyrannie, and espieng that the emperour was offended for his diuorce
from quéene Catharine his aunt, and thereto vnderstanding that the
French king had coupled the Dolphin his sonne with the popes neece,
and maried his daughter to the king of Scots (whereby he had cause
more iustlie to suspect than safelie to trust anie one of them all as
Lambert saith) he determined to stand vpon his owne defense, and
therefore with no small spéed, and like charge, he builded sundrie
blockehouses, castels, and platformes vpon diuerse frontiers of his
realme, but chieflie the east and southeast parts of England, whereby
(no doubt) he did verie much qualifie the conceiued grudges of his
aduersaries, and vtterlie put off their hastie purpose of inuasion.
But would to God he had cast his eie toward Harwich, and the coasts of
Norffolke and Suffolke, where nothing as yet is doone! albeit there be
none so fit and likelie places for the enimie to enter vpon, as in
those parts, where, at a full sea they may touch vpon the shore and
come to land without resistance. And thus much brieflie for my purpose
at this present. For I néed not to make anie long discourse of
castels, sith it is not the nature of a good Englishman to regard to
be caged vp as in a coope, and hedged in with stone wals, but rather
to meet with his enimie in the plaine field at handstrokes, where he
maie trauaise his ground, choose his plot, and vse the benefit of
sunne shine, wind and weather, to his best aduantage & commoditie.
Isocrates also saith that towres, walles, bulworkes, soldiers, and
[Sidenote: The best kéepers of kingdomes.]
plentie of armour, are not the best kéepers of kingdomes; but freends,
loue of subiects, & obedience vnto martiall discipline, which they
want that shew themselues either cruell or couetous toward their
people. As for those tales that go of Beston castell, how it shall
saue all England on a daie, and likewise the brag of a rebellious
baron in old time named Hugh Bigot, that said in contempt of king
Henrie the third, and about the fiftith yeare of his reigne:
If I were in my castell of Bungeie,
Vpon the water of Waueneie,
I wold not set a button by the king of Cockneie,
I repute them but as toies, the first méere vaine, the second fondlie
vttered if anie such thing were said, as manie other words are and
haue béene spoken of like holds (as Wallingford, &c:) but now growen
out of memorie, and with small losse not heard of among the common
sort. Certes the castell of Bungeie was ouerthrowen by the aforesaid
prince, the same yeare that he ouerthrew the walles and castell of
Leircester, also the castels of Treske and Malesar, apperteining to
Roger Mowbraie, and that of Fremlingham belonging likewise to Hugh
Bigot, wherof in the chronologie following you may read at large. I
might here in like sort take occasion to speake of sundrie strong
places where camps of men haue lien, and of which we haue great
plentie here in England in the plaine fields: but I passe ouer to
talke of any such néedlesse discourses. This neuerthelesse concerning
[Sidenote: The Wandles in time past were called Windles.]
two of them is not to be omitted, to wit, that the one néere vnto
Cambridge now Gogmagogs hill, was called Windleburie before time, as I
read of late in an old pamphlet. And to saie the truth I haue often
heard them named Winterburie hilles, which difference may easilie grow
by corruption of the former word: the place likewise is verie large
and strong. The second is to be séene in the edge of Shropshire about
two miles from Colme, betwéene two riuers, the Clun or Colunus, and
the Tewie otherwise named Themis, wherevnto there is no accesse but at
one place. The Welshmen call it Cair Carador, and they are of the
opinion, that Caractatus king of the Sillures was ouercome there by
Ostorius, at such time as he fled to Cartimanda quéene of the Brigants
for succour, who betraied him to the Romans, as you may sée in
Tacitus.
OF PALACES BELONGING TO THE PRINCE.
CHAP. XV.
It lieth not in me to set down exactlie the number & names of the
palaces belonging to the prince, nor to make anie description of hir
graces court, sith my calling is and hath béene such, as that I haue
scarselie presumed to peepe in at hir gates, much lesse then haue I
aduentured to search out and know the estate of those houses, and what
magnificent behauiour is to be séene within them. Yet thus much will I
saie generallie of all the houses and honours perteining to hir
maiestie, that they are builded either of square stone or bricke, or
else of both. And thervnto although their capacitie and hugenesse be
not so monstrous, as the like of diuerse forren princes are to be
seene in the maine, and new found nations of the world: yet are they
so curious, neat, and commodious as any of them, both for conuenience
of offices and lodgings, and excellencie of situation, which is not
the least thing to be considered of in building. Those that were
[Sidenote: King Hen. 8. not inferior to Adrian and Iustinian.]
builded before the time of king Henrie the eight, reteine to these
daies the shew and image of the ancient kind of workemanship vsed in
this land: but such as he erected after his owne deuise (for he was
nothing inferiour in this trade to Adrian the emperour and Iustinian
the lawgiuer) doo represent another maner of paterne, which as they
are supposed to excell all the rest that he found standing in this
realme, so they are and shall be a perpetuall president vnto those
that doo come after, to follow in their workes and buildings of
importance. Certes masonrie did neuer better flourish in England than
in his time. And albeit that in these daies there be manie goodlie
houses erected in the sundrie quarters of this Iland; yet they are
rather curious to the eie like paper worke, than substantiall for
continuance: whereas such as he did set vp excell in both, and
therefore may iustlie be preferred farre aboue all the rest. The names
of those which come now to my remembrance, and are as yet reserued to
hir maiesties onelie vse at pleasure are these: for of such as are
giuen awaie I speake not, neither of those that are vtterlie decaied,
as Bainards castell in London builded in the daies of the Conquerour
by a noble man called William Bainard, whose wife Inga builded the
priorie of litle Donemow in the daies of Henrie the first; neither of
the tower roiall there also, &c: sith I sée no cause wherefore I
should remember them and manie of the like, of whose verie ruines I
haue no certeine knowledge. Of such I saie therfore as I erst
[Sidenote: White hall.]
mentioned, we haue first of all White hall at the west end of London
(which is taken for the most large & principall of all the rest) was
first a lodging of the Archbishops of Yorke, then pulled downe, begun
by cardinall Woolseie, and finallie inlarged and finished by king
Henrie the eight. By east of this standeth Durham place, sometime
belonging to the bishops of Durham, but conuerted also by king Henrie
the eight into a palace roiall, & lodging for the prince. Of Summerset
place I speake not, yet if the first beginner thereof (I meane the
lord Edward, the learned and godlie duke of Summerset) had liued, I
doubt not but it should haue beene well finished and brought to a
sumptuous end: but as vntimelie death tooke him from that house & from
vs all, so it prooued the staie of such proceeding as was intended
about it. Wherby it commeth to passe that it standeth as he left it.
Neither will I remember the Tower of London, which is rather an
armorie and house of munition, and therevnto a place for the
safekéeping of offenders, than a palace roiall for a king or quéene to
soiourne in. Yet in times past I find that Belline held his aboad
there, and therevnto extended the site of his palace in such wise,
that it stretched ouer the Broken wharfe, and came further into the
citie, in so much that it approched néere to Bellines gate, & as it is
thought some of the ruines of his house are yet extant, howbeit
patched vp and made warehouses in that tract of ground in our times.
[Sidenote: S. James.]
S. Iames sometime a nonrie, was builded also by the same prince. Hir
[Sidenote: Oteland.]
[Sidenote: Ashridge.]
[Sidenote: Hatfield.]
[Sidenote: Enuéeld.]
[Sidenote: Richmond.]
[Sidenote: Hampton.]
[Sidenote: Woodstocke.]
grace hath also Oteland, Ashridge, Hatfield, Hauering, Enuéeld,
Eltham, Langleie, Richmond builded by Henrie the fift, Hampton court
(begun sometime by cardinall Woolseie, and finished by hir father) and
therevnto Woodstocke, erected by king Henrie the first, in which the
quéenes maiestie delighteth greatlie to soiourne, notwithstanding that
in time past it was the place of a parcell of hir captiuitie, when it
pleased God to trie hir by affliction and calamitie.
[Sidenote: Windsor.]
For strength Windlesor or Winsor is supposed to be the chéefe, a
castell builded in time past by king Arthur, or before him by
Aruiragus, as it is thought, and repared by Edward the third, who
erected also a notable college there. After him diuerse of his
successours haue bestowed excéeding charges vpon the same, which
notwithstanding are farre surmounted by the quéenes maiestie now
liuing, who hath appointed huge summes of monie to be emploied vpon
the ornature and alteration of the mould, according to the forme of
building vsed in our daies, which is more for pleasure than for either
profit or safegard. Such also hath béene the estimation of this place,
that diuerse kings haue not onelie béene interred there, but also made
it the chiefe house of assemblie, and creation of the knights of the
honorable order of the garter, than the which there is nothing in this
land more magnificent and statelie.
[Sidenote: Gréenewich.]
Greenewich was first builded by Humfreie duke of Glocester, vpon the
Thames side foure miles east from London, in the time of Henrie the
sixt, and called Pleasance. Afterwards it was greatlie inlarged by
king Edw. 4. garnished by king Hen. 7. and finallie made perfect by
king Hen. 8. the onelie Phenix of his time for fine and curious
masonrie.
[Sidenote: Dartford.]
Not farre from this is Dartford, and not much distant also from the
southside of the said streame, somtime a nonnerie builded by Edward
the third, but now a verie commodious palace, wherevnto it was also
[Sidenote: Eltham.]
conuerted by K. Henrie the eight. Eltham (as I take it) was builded by
king Henrie the third, if not before. There are beside these moreouer
diuerse other. But what shall I néed to take vpon me to repeat all,
and tell what houses the quéenes maiestie hath? sith all is hirs, and
when it pleaseth hir in the summer season to recreat hir selfe abroad,
and view the estate of the countrie, and heare the complaints of hir
poore commons iniuried by hir vniust officers or their substitutes,
euerie noble mans house is hir palace, where shee continueth during
pleasure, and till shée returne againe to some of hir owne, in which
she remaineth so long as pleaseth hir.
[Sidenote: Of the court.]
The court of England, which necessarilie is holden alwaies where the
prince lieth, is in these daies one of the most renowmed and
magnificent courts that are to be found in Europe. For whether you
regard the rich and infinit furniture of household, order of officers,
or the interteinement of such strangers as dailie resort vnto the
same, you shall not find manie equall therevnto, much lesse one
excelling it in anie maner of wise. I might here (if I would, or had
sufficient disposition of matter concerned of the same) make a large
discourse of such honorable ports, of such graue councellors, and
noble personages, as giue their dailie attendance vpon the quéenes
maiestie there. I could in like sort set foorth a singular
commendation of the vertuous beautie, or beautifull vertues of such
ladies and gentlewomen as wait vpon hir person, betweene whose amiable
countenances and costlinesse of attire, there séemeth to be such a
dailie conflict and contention, as that it is verie difficult for me
to gesse, whether of the twaine shall beare awaie the preheminence.
This further is not to be omitted, to the singular commendation of
[Sidenote: English courtiers the best learned & the worst liuers.]
both sorts and sexes of our courtiers here in England, that there are
verie few of them, which haue not the vse and skill of sundrie
speaches, beside an excellent veine of writing before time not
regarded. Would to God the rest of their liues and conuersations were
correspondent to these gifts! for as our common courtiers (for the
most part) are the best lerned and indued with excellent gifts, so are
manie of them the worst men when they come abroad, that anie man shall
either heare or read of. Trulie it is a rare thing with vs now, to
heare of a courtier which hath but his owne language. And to saie how
many gentlewomen and ladies there are, that beside sound knowledge of
the Gréeke and Latine toongs, are thereto no lesse skilfull in the
Spanish, Italian, and French, or in some one of them, it resteth not
in me: sith I am persuaded, that as the noble men and gentlemen doo
surmount in this behalfe, so these come verie little or nothing at all
behind them for their parts, which industrie God continue, and
accomplish that which otherwise is wanting!
Beside these things I could in like sort set downe the waies and
meanes, wherby our ancient ladies of the court doo shun and auoid
idlenesse, some of them exercising their fingers with the needle,
other in caulworke, diuerse in spinning of silke, some in continuall
reading either of the holie scriptures, or histories of our owne or
forren nations about vs, and diuerse in writing volumes of their owne,
or translating of other mens into our English and Latine toong,
whilest the yoongest sort in the meane time applie their lutes,
citharnes, prickesong, and all kind of musike, which they vse onelie
for recreation sake, when they haue leisure, and are free from
attendance vpon the quéenes maiestie, or such as they belong vnto. How
manie of the eldest sort also are skilfull in surgerie and
distillation of waters, beside sundrie other artificiall practises
perteining to the ornature and commendations of their bodies, I might
(if I listed to deale further in this behalfe) easilie declare, but I
passe ouer such maner of dealing, least I should séeme to glauer, and
currie fauour with some of them. Neuerthelesse this I will generallie
saie of them all, that as ech of them are cuning in somthing wherby
they kéepe themselues occupied in the court, so there is in maner none
of them, but when they be at home, can helpe to supplie the ordinarie
want of the kitchen with a number of delicat dishes of their owne
deuising, wherein the Portingall is their chéefe counsellor, as some
of them are most commonlie with the clearke of the kitchen, who vseth
(by a tricke taken vp of late) to giue in a bréefe rehearsall of such
and so manie dishes as are to come in at euerie course throughout the
whole seruice in the dinner or supper while: which bill some doo call
a memoriall, other a billet, but some a fillet, bicause such are
commonlie hanged on the file, and kept by the ladie or gentlewoman
vnto some other purpose. But whither am I digressed?
I might finallie describe the large allowances in offices, and
yearelie liueries, and therevnto the great plentie of gold and siluer
plate, the seuerall peeces whereof are commonlie so great and massie,
and the quantitie therof so abundantlie seruing all the houshold, that
(as I suppose) Cyniras, Cresus, and Crassus had not the like
furniture: naie if Midas were now liuing & once againe put to his
choise, I thinke he could aske no more, or rather not halfe so much as
is there to be seene and vsed. But I passe ouer to make such needlesse
discourses, resoluing my selfe, that euen in this also, as in all the
rest, the excéeding mercie and louing kindnesse of God dooth
wonderfullie appéere towards vs, in that he hath so largelie indued vs
with these his so ample benefits.
In some great princes courts beyond the seas, & which euen for that
cause are likened vnto hell by diuerse learned writers that haue spent
a great part of their time in them, as Henricus Cornelius Agrippa, one
(for example) who in his epistle "Ad aulicum quendam," saith thus: "An
non in inferno es amice, qui es in aula, vbi dæmonum habitatio est,
qui illic suis artibus humana licèt effigie regnant, atque vbi
scelerum schola est, & animarum iactura ingens, ac quicquid vspiam est
perfidiæ ac doli, quicquid crudelitatis & inclem[=e]tiæ, quicquid
effrænatæ superbiæ, & rapacis auariciæ, quicquid obscenæ libidinis,
fædissimæ impudicitiæ, quicquid nefandæ impietatis, & morum
pessimorum, totum illic aceruatur cumulatissimè, vbi stupra, raptus,
incestus, adulteria, principum & nobilium ludi sunt, vbi fastus &
tumor, ira, liuor, fædáque cupido cum socijs suis imperauit, vbi
criminum omnium procellæ virtutúmque omni[=u] ínenarrabile naufragium,
&c." In such great princes courts (I saie) it is a world to sée what
lewd behauiour is vsed among diuerse of those that resort vnto the
same, and what whoredome, swearing, ribaldrie, atheisme, dicing,
carding, carowsing, drunkennesse, gluttonie, quareling, and such like
inconueniences doo dailie take hold, and sometimes euen among those,
in whose estates the like behauiour is least conuenient (whereby their
talke is verified which say that the thing increaseth and groweth in
the courts of princes sauing vertue, which in such places dooth
languish and dailie vade away) all which enormities are either
vtterlie expelled out of the court of England, or else so qualified by
the diligent endeuour of the chiefe officers of hir graces household,
that seldome are anie of these things apparantlie séene there, without
due reprehension, and such seuere correction as belongeth to those
trespasses. Finallie to auoid idlenesse, and preuent sundrie
transgressions, otherwise likelie to be committed and doone, such
order is taken, that euerie office hath either a bible, or the bookes
of the acts and monuments of the church of England, or both, beside
some histories and chronicles lieng therein, for the exercise of such
as come into the same: whereby the stranger that entereth into the
court of England vpon the sudden, shall rather imagine himselfe to
come into some publike schoole of the vniuersities, where manie giue
eare to one that readeth, than into a princes palace, if you conferre
the same with those of other nations. Would to God all honorable
personages would take example of hir graces godlie dealing in this
behalfe, and shew their conformitie vnto these hir so good beginnings!
which if they would, then should manie grieuous offenses (wherewith
God is highlie displeased) be cut off and restreined, which now doo
reigne excéedinglie, in most noble and gentlemens houses, wherof they
sée no paterne within hir graces gates.
[Sidenote: Traines of attendants.]
I might speake here of the great traines and troopes of seruing men
also, which attend vpon the nobilitie of England in their seuerall
liueries, and with differences of cognisances on their sléeues,
whereby it is knowen to whome they apperteine. I could also set downe
what a goodlie sight it is to sée them muster in the court, which
being filled with them dooth yéeld the contemplation of a noble
varietie vnto the beholder, much like to the shew of the pecocks taile
in the full beautie, or of some medow garnished with infinit kinds and
diuersitie of pleasant floures. But I passe ouer the rehearsall hereof
to other men, who more delite in vaine amplification than I, and séeke
to be more curious in these points than I professe to be.
The discipline of firme peace also that is mainteined within a
certeine compasse of the princes palace, is such, as is nothing
inferiour to that we sée dailie practised in the best gouerned holds &
fortresses. And such is the seuere punishment of those that strike
within the limits prohibited, that without all hope of mercie, benefit
of clergie, or sanctuarie, they are sure to loose their right hands at
a stroke, and that in verie solemne maner, the forme whereof I will
set downe, and then make an end of this chapter, to deale with other
matters.