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.
[Sidenote: Striking within the court and palace of the prince.]
At such time therefore as the partie transgressing is conuicted by a
sufficient inquest impanelled for the same purpose, and the time come
of the execution of the sentence, the sergeant of the kings wood-yard
prouideth a square blocke, which he bringeth to some appointed place,
and therewithall a great beetle, staple, and cords, wherewith to
fasten the hand of the offendor vnto the said blocke, vntill the whole
circumstance of his execution be performed. The yeoman of the
scullarie likewise for the time being, dooth prouide a great fire of
coales hard by the blocke, wherein the searing irons are to be made
readie against the chiefe surgeon to the prince or his deputie shall
occupie the same. Upon him also dooth the sergeant or chiefe farrour
attend with those irons, whose office is to deliuer them to the said
surgeon when he shall be redie by searing to vse the same. The groome
of the salarie for the time being or his deputie is furthermore
appointed to be readie with vineger and cold water, and not to depart
from the place vntill the arme of the offendor be bound vp and fullie
dressed. And as these things are thus prouided, so the sergeant
surgeon is bound from time to time to be readie to execute his charge,
and seare the stumpe, when the hand is taken from it. The sergeant of
the cellar is at hand also with a cup of red wine, and likewise the
chiefe officer of the pantrie with manchet bread to giue vnto the said
partie after the execution doone, and the stumpe seared, as the
sergeant of the ewerie is with clothes, wherein to wind and wrap vp
the arme, the yeoman of the poultrie with a cocke to laie vnto it, the
yeoman of the chandrie with seared cloths, and finallie the maister
cooke or his deputie with a sharpe dressing knife, which he deliuereth
at the place of execution to the sergeant of the larder, who dooth
hold it vpright in his hand, vntill the execution be performed by the
publike officer appointed therevnto. And this is the maner of
punishment ordeined for those that strike within the princes palace,
or limits of the same. Which should first haue beene executed on sir
Edmund Kneuet, in the yeare 1541. But when he had made great sute to
saue his right hand for the further seruice of the king in his warres,
and willinglie yeelded to forgo his left, in the end the king pardoned
him of both, to no small benefit of the offendor, and publication of
the bountifull nature that remained in the prince. The like priuilege
almost is giuen to churches and churchyards, although in maner of
punishment great difference doo appeere. For he that bralleth or
quarelleth in either of them, is by and by suspended "Ab ingressu
ecclesiæ," vntill he be absolued: as he is also that striketh with the
fist, or laieth violent hands vpon anie whome so euer. But if he
happen to smite with staffe, dagger, or anie maner of weapon, & the
same be sufficientlie found by the verdict of twelue men at his
arrainement, beside excommunication, he is sure to loose one of his
eares without all hope of release. But if he be such a one as hath
beene twise condemned and executed, whereby he hath now none eares,
then is he marked with an hot iron vpon the chéeke, and by the letter
F, which is seared déepe into his flesh, he is from thencefoorth noted
as a common barratour and fraie maker, and therevnto remaineth
excommunicate, till by repentance he deserue to be absolued. To strike
a clearke also (that is to saie) a minister, is plaine
excommunication, and the offendor not to be absolued but by the prince
or his especiall c[=o]mission. Such also is the generall estate of
the exc[=o]municate in euerie respect, that he can yéeld no
testimonie in anie matter so long as he so standeth. No bargaine or
sale that he maketh is auaileable in law, neither anie of his acts
whatsoeuer pleadable, wherby he liueth as an outlaw & a man altogither
out of the princes protection, although it be not lawfull to kill him,
nor anie man otherwise outlawed, without the danger of fellonie.