THE BEAR. 27 
their amusement, with which, it is said, “their 
highnesses were right well content.” Queen Eliza- 
beth, on the 25th of May, 1559, soon after her 
accession to the throne, gave a splendid dinner to 
the French Ambassadors, who were afterwards en- 
tertained with the baiting of Bulls and Bears, the 
Queen herself remaining to witness the pastime until 
six in the evening. The day following, the same 
ambassadors went by water to Paris Garden, where 
they saw some more Bear-baiting. Some years 
afterwards, as we learn from Holinshed, Elizabeth 
received the Danish Ambassador at Greenwich, and 
entertained him with the sight of Bear-baiting, 
“tempered with other merry disports.” Laneham, 
referrmg to some Bear-baiting which took place 
before the Queen at Kenilworth, in 1575, says 
that thirteen Bears were provided for the occasion 
and that they were baited with a great sort of 
ban-dogs.* In these accounts we find no mention 
made of a ring put through the Bear’s nose, which 
certainly was the more modern practice ; hence the 
expression by the Duke of Newcastle in ‘ The 
Humorous Lovers,” printed in 1617: “I fear the 
wedlock ring more than the bear does the ring in 
his nose.” 
The office of Chief Master of the Bears was held 
under the Crown, with a salary of sixteen pence a 
day. Whenever the Sovereign chose to be enter- 
* “ A Letter: whearin part of the entertainment vntoo the Queenz 
Maiesty at Killingworth Castl, in Warwick Sheer in the Soomerz 
Progress 1575 is signified.” 
