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Throne of his renowned Ancestors, and to give Affurances of his Majefty's Defire to live in Peace with all his Neighbours.

Archbishop Bayn bridge made Ambajador at Rome.

Chriftopher Baynbridge, Archbishop of York, who was then at Rome, had a Commiffion fent him to take upon himself the Title of Ambaffador from England, which was very acceptable to the Pope; and we shall presently fee the Reason why the King appointed him as fuch, it not being ufual for his Predeceffors to have ever a one refiding at that Court.

Rapin's Account of the young King.

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Rapin obferves, "That the King in the beginning of his Reign willingly left to "his Council and Minifters the Care and Management of his Affairs: As he was at Peace "with his Neighbours, what paffed in his Kingdom "could not keep him much employed; he thought 66 more of fuch Pleafures and Diverfions as were fuit"able to his Years, than of Application to Business "and

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The SECRET HISTORY of the CARDINAL,

CHAP. VIII.

Of the Cardinal's Magnificence in his Houfe.

E lived a long Season,

Hruling all Things in this

ruling all Things in this

Realm appertaining to the
King, by his Wisdom, and all

'ation refort unto the Cardinal's Houfe, against whofe coming there wanted no Preparation of goodly Furnitures,

with

other vatters of Foreign Re-Victuals of the finest fort that

gions, with whom the King had any Occafion to meddle. • All Ambaffadors of foreign Potentates were ever disposed by 'the Cardinal's Wifdom, to whom they had continual Access for ⚫ their Dispatch.

His Houfe was always reforted unto like a King's House, with Noblemen and Gentle· men: And when it pleased the King's Majefty (as many times 'it did) he would for his Recre

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could be had for Money or Friendship.

Such Pleasures were here devifed for the King's Delight

S as could be invented or imagined; Banquets set with Mafquers and Mummers, in fuch coftly Manner, that it was glorious to behold, there want6 ing no Damfels meet to dance with the Mafquers, or to garnifh the Place for the Time, with Variety of other Paftimes. • Then

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" and, as he was naturally liberal, his Entertainments "at Court were very expenfive. The Bishop of "Winchester could not help murmurring to fee the Money lavished without any Neceffity, which his "deceafed Mafter had amaffed with fo much Care, Pains, and Injustice,* in which he had himself been "employed; he threw all the Blame upon the Earl "of Surry, Lord Treasurer, who was his Rival in "Favour under the late King, and continued to be "fo under the prefent King, by gaining the Affec"tion of his new Mafter, by a blind Compliance to "his Will. During Henry the VIIth's Life he was more close, and harder to part with Money than "the King himfelf: However exprefs the Orders were for Payment, he found Difficulties to evade it, "and by that Means he made his Court admirably to his Master. Being continued in his Poft in the present Reign, he became quite another Man; he

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66 not Then was there divers Kinds ing they were discharged,

By GEORGE CAVENDISH, Efq;

' of Mufick, and many choice • Men and Women-fingers appointed to fing, who had ex'cellent Voices. I have seen 'the King come fuddenly thi'ther in a Mafk, with a dozen Mafquers all in Garments like Shepherds, made of fine Cloth of Gold and Silver-wire, and 'fix Torch bearers, befides their • Drummers, and others at'tending on them with Vizards,

and clothed all in Sattin. And 'before his entering into the 'Hall, you shall understand, that he came by Water up to the Waterr-gate without any Noife, where were laid divers 'Chambers, and Guns charged ' with Shot; and at his LandVOL. II.

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which made fuch a rattling Noife in the Air, that it was like Thunder; it made all the Noblemen, Gentlemen and Ladies to mufe, what it fhould mean coming fo fuddenly, they fitting quietly at a Ban" quet. In this fort you shall understand, that the Tables were fet in the Chamber of • Prefence, covered, and my • Lord Cardinal fitting under his • Cloth of State, and there having all his Service alone. And then was there fet a Lady and a Nobleman, a Gentleman and a Gentlewoman, throughout all the Tables in the Chambers on the one fide, which were made ⚫all joining as if it were but one

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Table,

Very kind of Monfieur Rapin, in thus charging a King and

a Bishop with Injuftice in the fame Breath,

દ not only paid, without Examination, what ever was "ordered, but alfo put the King upon fpending ex

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travagantly; this gained himself the Favour of the "young Prince, who was naturally addicted to Prodigality: But the Bishop of Winchester openly "blamed this Conduct, as highly prejudicial to the King's Intereft. But he was little regarded in a "Court where every one was ftriving to make an Advantage of the Sovereign's liberal Temper. "Mean while his Difcourfes exafperated more and "more more the Earl of Surry and the young Courtiers against him, who never ceased to do him ill Offices "with the King. Thus the Bishop, who was in fo great Credit in the late Reign, gradually loft it in "this. His Difgrace, which fat heavy upon his Mind, "threw him upon devifing Means to fupplant his "Rival, by introducing, at Court, Thomas Wolfey, whofe Qualifications he was no Stranger

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The SECRET HISTORY of the CARDINAL,

⚫ Table. All which Order was ⚫ done by my Lord Sands, then Lord Chamberlain to the King, and by Sir Henry Guilford, then Comptroller of the King's • Houfe.

Then immediately after this great Shot of Guns, the Cardinal defired the Lord Cham⚫berlain to see what it did mean,

as though he knew nothing of the Matter: They then looked out of Window into the Thames, and, returning again, told him, that they thought they were Noblemen and Strangers ar⚫rived at the Bridge, and coming as Ambaffadors from fome Foreign Prince: With that faid the Cardinal,I defire you, because you can speak French,

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to take the Pains to go into 'the Hall, there to receive them

into the Chamber, where they 'fhall fee us, and all those no⚫ble Perfonages being merry at

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our Banquet, defiring them to 'fit down with us, and take part of our Fare.

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Then went they incontinently into the Hall, where they were received with twenty Torches, and conveyed up into the Chamber, with fuch a Number of Drums and Flutes, as I have seldom feen together at one Time and Place.

Then, at their Arrival into the Chamber, they went two and two together directly be"fore the Cardinal, where he fat, and faluted them very re⚫ verently;

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Bishop Fox reWolfey to the King.

commends Mr.

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Hiftorians agree, that, the Bishop of Winchester could not fee, without great Uneafinefs, the Courfe the young King was purfuing in the beginning of his Reign, which made him think of retiring from Court but then he forefaw, he should, by so doing, foon lofe all his Intereft there, in cafe he could not fall on a Method to check the Design of his Rival,the Earl of Surry ; therefore he (feeing the young King from time to time received Mr. Wolfey with great Distinction) waited on his Majefty, and in a handfome Speech begged he might be excufed from a conftant Attendance at Court, on Account of his Age and Infirmities; which the King was pleafed to grant. He next took the Opportunity of recommending to his Royal Mafter, in the most effectual Manner, Mr. Wolfey, as a Minifter of great Abilities, and fitly qualified for the moft important Services, which Advice his Majefty was pleased to receive very graciously; expreffing at the fame time, that

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By GEORGE CAVENDISH, Efq;

⚫ verently; to whom the Lord Chamberlain for them said, Forafmuch as they are Strangers, ⚫ and cannot speak English, they ⚫ have defired me to declare unto "you,that they, havingunderstanding at this your triumphant Banquet were affembled fuch a Number of fair Dames, they could do no lefs (under the Supportation of your Grace) than to view as well their incomparable Beauties, as to accompany them to the Mumchance, and after that to dance with them, fo to beget their better Acquaintance.

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And furthermore, they require of your Grace Licence to accomplish this Caufe of ⚫ their Coming.

• When the Cardinal faid he was willing, and very well content they should do fo.

Then went the Mafquers, and firft faluted all the Dames, and then returned to the most worthieft, and there opened the great Cup of Gold filled with Crowns, and other Pieces • to cast at.

Thus perufing all the Gentlewomen, of fome they won, and to fome they loft. And, having viewed all the Ladies, they returned to the Cardinal ⚫ with great Reverence, pouring down all their Gold, which I was above two hundred Crowns. At all, quoth the Cardinal, and cafting the Dye he won it, whereat was made great Joy. Then

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that it was agreeable to his own Sentiments. Thus the Contention, between the Bishop and the Earl, was one Means of furthering the Promotion of Wolfey fooner than it could be expected; and by this last Act the Bishop retained his Credit at Court; and, tho' he afterwards fpent a pretty deal of his Time in the Country, yet no Affairs of Importance were for feveral Years afterwards refolved on, without firft confulting this great Prelate and Statesman.

Ireland. 1509.

As to Ireland, there was nothing very reAffairs of markable this Year, except, that the King was pleafed not only to continue the Earl of Kildare in the Government thereof, but to grant him a new Patent to constitute him Lord Juftice; and in the Year 1510 he was made Deputy. He erected, at his own Expence, a Chapel in Trinity Church, Dublin, and the People every Day felt the Benefit of his wife and prudent Administration.

Emanuel

The SECRET HISTORY of the CARDINAL.

Then, quoth the Cardinal to my Lord Chamberlain, I pray you go tell them, that to

me it feemeth that there fhould ⚫ be a Nobleman amongst them that better deferves to fit in this Place than I, to whom I fhould gladly furrender the fame, according to my Duty, if I knew him.

• Then spake my Lord Chamberlain to them in French, declaring my Lord Cardinal's Words, and they rounding him again in the Ear, the Lord • Chamberlain faid unto my Lord Cardinal:

Sir, (quoth he) they confefs, that among them is fuch a noble Perfonage, whom if your Grace can point out from

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