ye

and other necessary ornaments to the furniture of the same. Nowe shall understande that he had two crosse bearers and two pillar bearers. In his great chamber, and in his privy chamber all these persons; first the cheefe chamberlaine, and vice-chamberlaine; of gentlemen ushers, besides one in his privy chamber, he had twelve daily waiters; and of gentlemen waiters in his privy chamber he had six; and of lordes nine or tenne, who had each of them two men allowed them to attend upon them, except the earl of Darby', who had allowed five men. Then had he of gentlemen, of cupbearers, of carvers, of sewers bothe of the privy chamber, and of the great chamber, with gentlemen daily waiters there forty persons; of yeomen ushers he had six; of groomes in the chamber he had eight; of yeomen of his chamber he had five and forty dayly; he had also of almes men some more in number than other some time, there attending upon his borde at dinner. Of doctors and chaplens, beside them of his chapple, which I rehearsed before, he had in number dayly attending sixteen: a clerke of his closet. Then had he secretaries two; two clerkes of his signet; and four counsaillors learned in the lawe.

Forasmuch as he was chauncellor of England, it was necessary to have diverse officers of the chauncery there to attend dayly upon him, for the better furniture of the same. That is to say, first he had the clerke of the crowne, a riding clerke, a clerke of the hamper, a chafer of the waxe. Then had he a clerke of the checke, as well upon his chaplaines, as of his yeomen of his chamber; he had also fower foote men, which were garnished in riche running coates, whensoever he rode in any journey. Then had he an herald of armes, and a sergeaunt of armes; a physition, a poticary; fower ministreles; a keeper of his tentes, an armourer; an instructor of his wardes, two yeomen in the wardrobe of his robes, and a keeper of his chamber continually in the courte. He had also dayly in his house the surveyor of Yorke, and a clerke of the greene cloathe. All these were dayly attending downe lying and up-rising. At meales he kept in his great chamber a continual borde for the chamberleenes, and gentlemen

Earl of Darby.] Thomas Stanley, second earl of Derby, who had been present at the sieges of Therouenne and Tournay, and at the battle of Spurs. He died on the 23rd of May, 1521, (only ten days after his attendance at the trial of Edward Stafford, duke of Buckingham,) and left Wolsey one of the supervisors over the executors to his will.

officers, having with them a mess of the young lordes, and another of gentlemen. And besides all these, there was never an officer and gentleman, or any other worthy person, but he was allowed in the house, some three, some two, servauntes, and all other one at the least, which grew to a great number of persons. Nowe have I described the order according to the check roll of his house, and what officers and servauntes he had dayly attending to furnish the same, besides diverse retainers, and of other persons being suters, that most commonly dined in the hall. And when we shall see any more such subjects, that shall keepe the like noble house, I am content he be advanced above him in honour. But I feare, for my parte, never to see it; therefore here an end of his household. The number of the personages in his check roll were one hundred and eighty".

A mess of the young lordes.] Among whom, as we shall see below, was the eldest son of the earl of Northumberland. This was according to a practice much more ancient than the time of Wolsey; agreeably to which young men of the most exalted rank resided in the families of distinguished ecclesiastics, under the denomination of pages, but, more probably, for the purposes of education, than of service. In this way Sir Thomas More was brought up under cardinal Morton, archbishop of Canterbury; of whom he has given a very interesting character in his Utopia.- From Fiddes's Appendix to the Life of Wolsey, p. 19, it appears, that the custom was at least as old as the time of Grosthead, bishop of Lincoln, in the reign of Henry III., and that it continued for some time during the 17th century. In a paper, written by the earl of Arundel, in the year 1620, and entitled, Instructions for you my son William (afterwards lord Stafford) how to behave yourself at Norwich, the earl charges him, "You shall in all things reverence, honour, and obey my lord bishop of Norwich, as you would do any of your parents; esteeminge whatsoever he shall tell or command you, as if your grandmother of Arundell, your mother, or myself, should say it; and in all things esteem yourself as my lord's page; a breeding, which youths of my house, far superior to you, were accustomed unto; as my grandfather of Norfolk, and his brother, my good uncle of Northampton, were both bredd as pages with bishopps." See also Paul's Life of Archbishop Whitgift, p. 97.

It is not out of place to mention, what we are told by Sir George Wheeler, in his Protestant Monastery, p. 158, A.D. 1698. "I have heard say, in the times no longer ago than king Charles I., that many noblemen's and gentlemen's houses in the country were like academies, where the gentlemen and women of lesser fortunes came for education with those of the family; among which number was the famous Sir Beaville Granville and his lady, father and mother of our present lord of Bath."

6 One hundred and eighty.] The printed Life says eight hundred persons, which seems a more probable number. Mr. Singer's edition (1825), p. 39, says five hundred.

You have heard of the order and officers of his house; now I do intend to proceed further of his proceedings.

After that he was thus furnished, in manner as I have before rehearsed unto you, he was sent twice in an embassage unto the emperor Charles the fifth that now reigneth, and father unto king Philip now our soveraigne lord. Forasmuch as the old emperor Maximilian was deade, and for divers urgent causes touching the king's majesty, it was thought that in so weighty affaires, and to so noble a prince, the cardinal was most meete to be sent on this embassage. Wherefore he being ready to take upon him the charge thereof, was furnished in all degrees and purposes most likest a great prince, which was much to the high honor of the kings majesty, and of this realme. For first he proceeded forthe furnished like a cardinall' of high estimation, having all things there according. His gentlemen, being very many in number, were cloathed in livery coates of crimson velvet of the best, with chaines of gould about their neckes; and his yeomen and all his meane officers were in coates of fine scarlet, garded with black velvet an hand broade. Thus furnished he was twice in this manner sent unto the emperor into Flanders, the emperor

7 Twice.] In 1521 and 1527.

8 Divers urgent causes.] Nothing less than a mediation between Francis and the Emperor. Wolsey gave his decision in favor of the Imperial cause. He declared Francis to have been the aggressor in the late war, and that the king of England was bound to assist Charles. The negociations concluded in a league between Leo X., Charles V., and Henry VIII., against Francis I. The Pope was to act on the side of Italy, the Emperor on the side of Spain and the Low Countries at once, and the English monarch in Picardy. In the British Museum is preserved a full account of this embassy, under the title of "Relation de ce qui se traita à Calais, entre les deputés de Charles V. et ceux de François I., où présidoit le Cardinal d'York, légat, comme médiateur de la part du roy d'Angleterre, l'an 1521."

• Furnished like a cardinall.] Amongst the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum (Harl. MS. 620) is preserved the Steward's Account of the Embassy of 1521, thus described in Wanley's Catalogue. "The booke of Solucions in my Lord Grace's journey to Cales, Bruges, and other places; Mr. Robert Carter occupyinge the office of stewardship, anno 13mo r. R. Henrici VIII." "This journey is understood to commence on Monday, 29th of July, and to end on Sunday, the first day of December following, when Cardinal Wolsey, in his return, dined at Sittingbourne, in Kent. But, besides this journal, here is an account of the velvet, scarlet bonnets, &c. delivered to the cardinal's servants who attended him in his embassy, and of other expenses in his family during the time above-mentioned." The whole amount of the expenses is summed up at 23867. 14s. 6d.

lying then in Bruges; whome he did most highely entertaine1, discharging all his charges, and all his mens. There was no house within the towne of Bruges, wherein any gentlemen of the cardinalls were lodged or had recourse, but that the owners were commanded by the emperors officers, that they, upon paine of their lives, should take no money for any thing that the cardinalls servauntes did take of any kind of victualls, no although they were disposed to make any costly banquettes; commanding furthermore their said hostes, to see that they lacke no such things as they honestly required, or desired to have, for their honesty and pleasure. Also the emperors officers every nighte went throughe the towne, from house to house, whereas any English gentleman did repast or lodged, and served their liveries for all night; which was done in this manner: first the officers brought into the house a cast of fine manchet, and of silver two great pottes, with white wine, and sugar, to the weight of a pound; white lightes and yellow lightes; a bowle of silver, with a goblet to drinke in; and every night a staffe torch. This was the order of their liveries every night. And then in the morning, when the same officers came to fetch away their stuffe, then would they accompt with the hostes for the gentlemens costes spent in the daye before. Thus the emperor entertained the cardinall and all his traine, for the time of his embassage there. And that done, he returned home againe into Englande, with great triumphe, being no lesse in estimation with the kinge, than he was before, but rather much better.

Nowe will I declare unto you his order in going to Westminster Hall, dayly in the tearme season. First ere he came out of his privy chamber, he heard most commonly every day two masses in his closet: and as I heard one of his chaplains saye, which was a man of credence and of excellent learning, the cardinall, what business or weighty matters soever he had in the day, he never went to bed with any parte of his divine service unsaide, not so much as one collect; wherein I doubt not but he deceived the opinion of diverse persons. Then going againe to his privy

1 Most highely entertaine.] At Bruges, "he was received with great solemnity, as belongeth unto so mighty a pillar of Christes church, and was saluted at the entering into the towne of a merry fellow which sayd, Salve Rex regis tui, atque regni sui, Hayle both king of thy king, and also of his realme." Tindal's Works, p. 370, a.d. 1572.

' Fine manchet.] Bread of the finest flour.

3

chamber, he would demaund to some of his saide chamber, if his servauntes were in a readiness, and had furnished his chamber of presence, and waiting chamber. He being thereof then advertised, came out of his privy chamber, about eight of the clocke, apparelled all in red; that is to say, his upper garment was either of fine scarlet, or taffety, but most commonly of fine crimson satten engrained; his pillion of fine scarlet, with a neck set in the inner side with blacke velvet, and a tippet of sables about his necke; holding in his hande an orange, whereof the meate or substance within was taken out, and filled up againe with the parte of a spunge, wherein was vinegar and other confections against the pestilent aires; the which he most commonly held to his nose when he came among any presse, or else that he was pestered with any suiters. And before him was borne first the broade

3 Pillion.] Cap, from the Latin pileus.

4 Pestered with any suiters.] We have seen how rapid was the Cardinal's rise. It should seem, that very soon after his elevation, he contracted a demeanour and carriage, even towards persons of the highest rank, which was very likely, in its season, to contribute to his fall. Could a Talbot or a Dacre easily bear to hear of such neglect from an upstart ecclesiastic, as we have on record from unquestionable authority? George, earl of Shrewsbury, was at this time steward of the royal household: and he had a suit to the king, apparently connected with his official duties, which was to reach his sovereign through the mediation of the favourite, the time being within about two years from Wolsey's elevation to that dignity. Thomas Alen, a confidential servant of the Earl, writes thus to his master:

"Upon Monday was se'nnight last past, I delivered your letters to the Cardinal at Guilford; whereas he commanded me to wait upon him to the Court, and I should have precepts on them. . . . I followed him to the Court and there gave attendance, and could have no answer. Upon Friday last he came from thence to Hampton Court, where he lieth. The day after I besought his grace I might know his pleasure: I could have no answer then. Upon Monday last, as he walked in the Park at Hampton Court, I besought him I might know, if he would command me any service: he was not pleased with me that I spake to him. The Sunday before, I delivered the letter unto him which Ralph Leach brought: I can have no answer to neither of both. He that shall be a suitor to him may have no other business but give attendance upon his pleasure: he that shall so do is needful to be a wiser man than I am. I saw no other remedy, but come without answer, to pursue such things in London as your lordship commands to be done; except I would have done as my Lord Dacre's servant doth, which came with letters for the king's grace five months since, and yet hath no answer; and another servant of the Deputy of Calais in like wise, which came before he" (the Cardinal) "rode to Walsingham. I hear that he answered them; 'If ye be not content to tarry my leisure, depart when ye will.' This is truth; I had lever your