Palace of Westminster."* The adjoining Gallery also, both in that and the succeeding reigns, was frequently occupied by the Sovereign and Court during the tournaments, justings, and other martial diversions in the Tilt-yard. Henry the Eighth signed his Will in the "Palays of Westminster (Whitehall), on the 30th of December, 1547; and he died there on the 28th of January, 1547-8. In Queen Elizabeth's reign, Whitehall was the very focus of regal splendour ;† but perhaps it never shone with more radiancy than on the coming of the noble *Holinshed's "Chronicle," vol. iii. p. 810, edit. 1808. The citizens were mustered in the fields about Mile End, Bethnal Greene, Stepney, and Radcliffe. Each ward was led on by its proper Alderman, and the whole by Sir William Forman, the Lord Mayor. "The foremost capteine, at nine of the clocke in the morning, by the Little Conduit, came and entered into Paules Church-yard, and from there directlie to Westminster, and so through the Sanctuarie, and round about the Parke of St. James's, and vp into the field, coming home through Holborne; and as the first capteine entered again to the Little Conduit, the last of the muster entered Paules Church-yarde, which was then about foure of the clocke in the afternoon. The number, beside the wiflers, and of other waiters, was fiftéene thousand."-Ibid. + Holinshed, speaking of the first Parliament in Elizabeth's reign, anno 1559-60, says, "On Wednesdaie, the five and twentieth of Januarie, the parlement began, the Queenes Maiestie riding in hir parliament robes, from hir palace of Whitehall,vnto the Abbeie Church of Westminster, with the Lords Spirituall and Temporall attending bir, likewise in their parlement robes." Commissioners from France, to treat of a marriage between the Queen and the Duc d'Anjou, in the Spring of 1581. On that occasion a new Banquetting House was erected for their reception, which is thus described by Holinshed : : "This yeere (against the coming of certain Commissioners out of France into England), by hir Maiesties appointment, on the sixth and twentith daie of March, in the morning (being Easter daie), a Banketting House was begun at Westminster, on the south-west side of hir Maiesties palace of Whitehall, made in manner and forme of a long square, three hundred thirtie and two foot in measure, about thirtie principals made of great masts, being fortie foote in length a peece, standing upright; betwéne euery one of these masts, ten foot asunder and more. The walles of this house were closed with canuas, and painted all the outsides of the same most artificiallie, with a worke called rustike, much like stone. This house had two hundred, ninetie and two lights of glasse. The sides within the same house were made with ten heights of degrées for people to stand vpon, and in the top of this house was wrought cunninglie vpon canuas, works of iuie and hollie, with pendants made of wickar rods, garnished with baie, iuie, and all manner of strange flowers garnished with spangles of gold, as also beautified with hanging toseans made of hollie and iuie, with all manner of strange fruits, as pomegranats, orenges, pompions, cucumbers, grapes, carrets, with such other like, spangled with gold, and most richly hanged. Betwixt these workes of baies and iuie were great spaces of canuas, which was most cunninglie painted, the clouds with starres, the sunne and sunne-beams, with diuerse other cotes of sundrie sorts belonging to the Quéenes Maicstie, most richlie garnished with gold. There were of all manner of persons working on this house, to the number of three hundred seventie and fiue; two men had mischances, the one broke his leg, and so did the other. This house was made in thrée weeks and three days, and was ended the eighteenth daie of Aprill; and cost one thousand seuen hundred fortie and foure pounds, nineteene shillings, and od monie, as I was crediblie informed by the worshipfull maister, Thomas Graue, surucior vnto hir Maiesties workes, who serued and gaue order for the same, as appeareth by record."* The French Embassy arrived in London about the 20th of April, and shortly after, " being accompanied of the nobilitie of England, they repaired to the Court and Banketting House, prepared for them at Westminster, where her Maiestie, (decus illæ Britannûm, Gemmáque non alijs inuenienda locis,) ] with amiable countenance and great courtesie received them, and afterward in that Place most roiallie feasted and banketted them."+ On the following Whit-Monday and Tuesday, a most gorgeous Pageant and Tournament, or Triumph, as it was denominated, was exhibited in the tilt-yard, for the entertainment of the foreign visitors. The gallery at the end of the tilt-yard, where the seated, was called," says Holinshed, 66 Queen was " and not without cause, the Castelle or Fortresse of perfect Beautie, for as much as her Highnesse should be there * Holinshed's " Chronicles," vol. iv, p. 434. + Ibid. included." This was assaulted by the four FosterChildren of Desire, after being summoned by a "delectable song," of which the first verses were as follow: Yield, yield, O yield, you that this Fort do hold, Yield, yield, O yield-trust not to Beauty's pride; Wooden guns (cannon), charged with sweet powder and sweet waters, "verie odoriferous and pleasant," were then "shot off" against the Fortress of Beauty, from a "rowling trench, or mound of earth," that was wheeled up to the walls, and an attack was made with "pretie scaling ladders," and "flowers, and such fancies and devices," were thrown in, "as might seem fit shot for Desire." Whilst the challengers, viz. " the Earle of Arundel, the Lord Windsore, Maister Philip Sidneie, and Maister Fulke Greuill," were thus engaged, each at the head of his band of partizans, in very sumptuous apparel, the Defenders of Beauty entered the tilt-yard, and a regular "tourneie" and "justing" took place, in the course of which the renowned Sir Harry Lee, K. G., the Queen's devoted knight, brake "his D* six staves," and many others justed "right valiantly" until the approach of night separated the combatants. sat " On the following day, the four Foster-children of Desire entered "in a brown chariot (verie finelie and curiouslie decked), as men sore wearied and halfe overcome," whilst "verie doleful musicke" was played by a concealed band, within the chariot, in which also Desire herself, represented by "a beautiful ladie," upon the top," in company with the knights. On approaching the Queen, an "herald at arms,” expressed the challengers' "despair of victory," yet, as "their soules should leave their bodies rather than Desire should leave their soules," they besought her Highness" to vouchsafe the eies of her peerless their death or overthrow."* beauty, upon "Then went they to the tournie, where they did verie noblie, as the shiuering of the swords might verie well testifie; and after that to the barriers, where they lashed it out lustilie, and fought couragiouslie, as if the Greeks and Troians had dealt their deadlie dole. No partie was spared, no estate excepted, but ech knight induced to win the golden fleece that expected either fame or the fauor of his mistresse, which sporte continued all the same daie. And towards the euening the sport being ended, there was a boie sent vp to to the Quéene, clothed in ash coloured garments, in token of humble submission, who having an olive branch in his hand, and falling downe prostrate on his face, and then kneeling vp, concluded this noble exercise," by requesting her Highness to admit the challengers *Holinsheu's "Chronicles," vol. iv, pp. 435-445. |