Part 15 (1/2)
”Within one land one single rule is best: Divided reigns do make divided hearts; But peace preserves the country and the prince.”
It recalled the horrors of the civil wars, and forbade the like again:--
”What princes slain before their timely hour!
What waste of towns and people in the land!
What treasons heap'd on murders and on spoils!
Whose just revenge e'en yet is scarcely ceas'd: Ruthful remembrance is yet raw in mind.
The G.o.ds forbid the like to chance again.”
A good description of the play, with copious extracts, is published in Morley's ”English Plays,” from which it also appears that ”Queen Mary's expenditure on players and musicians had been between two and three thousand pounds a year in salaries. Elizabeth reduced this establishment, but still paid salaries to interlude players and musicians, to a keeper of bears and mastiffs, as well as to the gentlemen and children of the chapel. The Master of the Children had a salary of forty pounds a year; the children had largesse at high feasts, and when additional use was made of their services; and each Gentleman of the Chapel had nineteenpence a day, with board and clothing. The Master of the Chapel who at this time had the training of the children was Richard Edwards, who had written lighter pieces for them to act before her Majesty, and now applied his skill to the writing of English comedies, and teaching his boys to act them for the pleasure of the Queen. The new form of entertainment made its way at Court and through the country.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE FOOL OF THE OLD PLAY.
(_From a Print by Breughel._)]
At this period
THE CHRISTMAS REVELS AT THE INNS OF COURT
were observed with much zest and jollity. Sandys (writing in 1833 of Elizabeth's time) says:--
”The order of the usual Christmas amus.e.m.e.nts at the Inns of Court at this period would cause some curious scenes if carried into effect in the present day. Barristers singing and dancing before the judges, serjeants and benchers, would 'draw a house' if spectators were admitted. Of so serious import was this dancing considered, that by an order in Lincoln's Inn of February, 7th James I., the under barristers were by decimation put out of commons because the whole bar offended by not dancing on Candlemas Day preceding, according to the ancient order of the society, when the judges were present; with a threat that if the fault were repeated, they should be fined or disbarred.”
Sir William Dugdale makes the following reference to
THE CHRISTMAS REVELS OF THE INNER TEMPLE:--
”First, the solemn Revells (after dinner, and the play ended,) are begun by the whole House, Judges, Sergeants at Law, Benchers; the Utter and Inner Barr; and they led by the _Master of the Revells_: and one of the Gentlemen of the Utter Barr are chosen to sing a song to the Judges, Serjeants, or Masters of the Bench; which is usually performed; and in default thereof, there may be an amerciament. Then the Judges and Benchers take their places, and sit down at the upper end of the Hall. Which done, the _Utter-Barristers_ and _Inner-Barristers_, perform a second solemn Revell before them. Which ended, the _Utter-Barristers_ take their places and sit down. Some of the Gentlemen of the _Inner-Barr_, do present the House with dancing, which is called the _Post Revells_, and continue their Dances, till the Judges or Bench think meet to rise and depart.”
THE HARD FROST OF 1564
gave the citizens of London an opportunity of keeping Christmas on the ice. An old chronicler says: ”From 21st December, 1564, a hard frost prevailed, and on new year's eve, people went over and alongst the Thames on the ise from London Bridge to Westminster. Some plaied at the football as boldlie there, as if it had been on the drie land; divers of the Court, being then at Westminster shot dailie at p.r.i.c.kes set upon the Thames, and tradition says, Queen Elizabeth herself walked upon the ise. The people both men and women, went on the Thames in greater numbers than in any street of the City of London. On the third daie of January, 1565, at night it began to thaw, and on the fifth there was no ise to be seene between London Bridge and Lambeth, which sudden thaw caused great floods, and high waters, that bore downe bridges and houses and drowned Manie people in England.”
HOW QUEEN ELIZABETH WENT TO WORs.h.i.+P, CHRISTMAS, 1565.
Nichols[55] gives the following particular account of Queen Elizabeth's attendance at Divine wors.h.i.+p, at the ”Chappell of Whitehall, Westminster,” Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 1565:--
”Item, on Monday, the 24th of December, the Officers of Arms being there present, the Queen's Majesty came to the evening prayer, the sword borne by the Earle of Warwick, her trayn borne by the Lady Strange.
”Item, on Christmas Day her Majesty came to service very richly apparelled in a gown of purple velvet embroidered with silver very richly set with stones, with a rich collar set with stones; the Earl of Warwick bare the sword, the Lady Strange the trayn. After the Creed, the Queene's Majesty went down to the offering, and having a short forme with a carpet, and a cus.h.i.+on laid by a gentleman usher, the ... taken by the Lord Chamberlain, her Majesty kneeled down, her offering given her by the Marquis of Northampton; after which she went into her traverse, where she abode till the time of the communion, and then came forth, and kneeled down at the cus.h.i.+on and carpet aforesaid; the Gentlemen Ushers delivered the towel to the Lord Chamberlain, who delivered the same to be holden by the Earl of Suss.e.x on the right hand, and the Earl of Leicester on the left hand; the Bishop of Rochester served the Queen both of wine and bread; then the Queen went into the traverse again; and the Ladie Cicilie, wife of the Marquis of Baden, came out of the traverse, and kneeled at the place where the Queen kneeled, but she had no cus.h.i.+on, but one to kneel on; after she had received she returned to the traverse again; then the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chamberlain received the Communion with the Mother of the Maids; after which the service proceeded to the end, and the Queen returned again to the Chamber of presence strait, and not the closet. Her Majesty dined not abroad; the said Officers of Arms had a mess of meat of seven dishes, with bread, beer, ale, and wine.”
ROYAL CHRISTMASES AT HAMPTON COURT.
In 1568, the Earl of Shrewsbury, writing from Hampton Court to his countess, says, ”The Plage is disposed far abrode in London, so that the Queene kepes hur Kyrsomas her, and goth not to Grenwych as it was mete.” Meet or not, Elizabeth kept many Christmases at Hampton Court, banqueting, dancing, and dicing--the last being a favourite amus.e.m.e.nt with her, because she generally won, thanks to her dice being so loaded as to throw up the higher numbers. Writing from Hampton Court at Christmas, 1572, Sir Thomas Smith says: ”If ye would what we do here, we play at tables, dance, and keep Christma.s.se.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: Coat of Arms.]
QUEEN ELIZABETH'S SINGERS AND PLAYERS.