By the Rev. Canon J. EB. Jackson, F.8.A. 59 
dresses, &c., in large folio volumes, beautifully written. All bills 
were duly examined, and payments registered. Among many of 
similar kind I show one which is simply a butcher’s account : but it 
is drawn out almost with the solemnity of a State paper, and signed 
by five of the household officers. (Appendix, VIII.) 
The Earl was remarkable for his costly wardrobe. The practise was, 
for the materials to be supplied to the taylor, or embroiderer, by the 
mercer or other tradesman. The orders to the tradesmen were all 
issued by the chief officer of the wardrobe: and I now exhibit to 
you out of a box at Longleat a bundle of such orders, filed exactly 
as they were left by Mr. Forster. (Appendix,IX.) Every one of 
these is signed by Anthony Forster, in the year 1566, 2.¢., six years 
after the said Tony had been starved to death and had been found 
in the very uncomfortable position of a skeleton stretched upon an 
iron chest in a secret cell at Cumnor Hall. 
I have also an original letter (Appendia, X.) from the Earl of 
Leicester to A. Forster, relating to furniture at Kenilworth Castle: 
containing special orders about costly hangings for the dining- 
chamber, specifying the very width;and height ; with directions for 
- sufficient store of spicery and fireworks against “ my chiefest day :” 
also instructions for a banqueting room to be got up quickly, with 
peremptory orders for all to be on the alert. It ends: “ So fare you 
well, Antony; in much haste, your loving Master, R. Leycester.” 
I thought at first this letter referred to the preparations for the great 
reception of Queen Elizabeth ; but that was in 1575: and A. Forster 
had died in 1569. It refers to a visit of Sir Nicholas Bacon, the 
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. The precise year is not important, 
but whenever it was, here we have our skeleton Tony alive and well, 
and clothing his bare bones with the good things of Kenilworth 
Castle, several years after, to our great satisfaction, we had heard 
him screaming himself to death in the dungeon at Cumnor Hall! 
Having now shewn you in a few instances how widely the current 
belief differs from the real facts, I come to grapple with the main 
part of the story. I must ask you to dismiss from your minds alto- 
‘gether the title of Earl of Leicester, and the name of Kenilworth, 
