ANTIQUITIES. 



409 



round aboutj that no man could 

 come nigh it, for there was none of 

 all this plate touched in this ban- 

 quet, for there was sufficient be- 

 sides. The plates that did hang on 

 the walls to give light were of silver 

 and guilt, having in them great 

 pearchers of waxe burning, a great 

 lire burning in the chimney, and all 

 other things necessary for the furni- 

 ture of so noble a feast. Now was 

 all things in a readiness, and supper 

 tyme at hand, the principal officers 

 caused the trumpetters to blow to 

 warne to supper: the officers dis- 

 creetly went and conducted these 

 noblemen from their chambers into 

 the chambers where they should 

 suppe, and caused them there to sit 

 downfi, and that done their service 

 came up in such abundance both 

 costly and full of suttleties, and with 

 such apleasantnoyse of instruments 

 of musicke, that the Frenchmen (as 

 it seemed) were rapt into a heavenly 

 paradise. You must understand that 

 my lord cardinall was not yet co- 

 men thither, but they were merry 

 and pleasant with their fare and de- 

 visied suttleties. Before the second 

 course my lord came in, booted and 

 spurred, all sodainely amongst them, 

 and bade them prvjace;* at whose 

 coming there was great joy, with 

 rising every man from his place, 

 whom my lord caused to sit still and 

 keep their roomes, and being in his 

 apparell as he rode, called for a 

 chayre and sat down in the middest 

 of the high parade, laughing and 

 being as merry as ever I saw hym in 

 all my lyff". Anone came up the 

 second course, with so many dishes, 

 suttleties and devices, above a hun- 

 dred in number, which were of so 



goodly proportion and so costly, that 

 I thinke the Frenchmen never saw 

 the like, the wonder was no less 

 than it was worthy indeed. There 

 was castles with images, in the same 

 Paul's church, for the quality as 

 well counterfeited as the painter 

 should have painted it on a cloth or 

 wall. There were beasts, birds, 

 foules, and personages, most likely 

 made and counterfeited, some fight- 

 ing with swords, some with guns 

 and cross-bows, some vaughtingand 

 leaping, some dauncing with ladies, 

 some on horses in complete harnesse, 

 justing with long and sharp speares, 

 with many more devices. Among 

 all, one I noted was a chesse-boord, 

 made of spiced plate, with men there 

 of the same, and for the good pro- 

 portion, and because the French- 

 men be very cunning and expert in 

 that play, my lord cardinall gave 

 the same to a gentleman of France, 

 commanding there should be made 

 a goodly case for the preservation 

 thereof in all hast, that he might 

 convey the same safe into his coun- 

 trey. Then tooke my lord a bole 

 of golde filled with ipocrasse, and 

 putting off his cap, said, I drinke 

 to the king, my soveraign lord, 

 and next unto thekingyour master, 

 and therewith did dryncke a good 

 draught J and when he had done, 

 he desired the graund maisire to 

 pledge hym, cup and all, the which 

 was well worth 500 markes, and so 

 caused all the boords to pledge these 

 two royal princes : then went the 

 cups so merily about, that many of 

 the Frenchmen were faine to be led 

 to their beds. Then rose up my 

 lord, and went into his privy cham- 

 ber to pull of his bootes, and to 



• An obsolete French tenn of salutation, abridj;ed from hon prou vous/aee, i. e. 

 iTiMcli Rood may it do you. See Cotgiavc under the wordp-oK. The Italians had 

 prujuccia from iuun pru vifuceia. 



