Sir Thomas Lucy. 139 



land, and Charlecote House was the best specimen of 

 an Elizabethan mansion. It was built about 1558 by 

 the very Sir Thomas Lucy whom Shakespeare satirized 

 as Justice Shallow. The original family name was 

 Charlecote or Cherlcote, but about the end of the twelfth 

 century William, son of Walter de Cherlcote, assumed 

 the name of Lucy and took for his arms three luces 

 (pike fish) ; so Justice Shallow was warranted in affirming 

 that his was an " old coat." The poet's verses will stick 

 to him as long as the world lasts ; but judging from other 

 circumstances, Sir Thomas was a very good sort of a 

 man and no doubt a fair specimen of the English Squire 

 of the time. His efifigy may still be seen on his tomb 

 in Charlecote Church, beside that of his wife — a not un- 

 intelligent face, with moustache and peaked beard cut 

 square at the end, surrounded by the ruff then in fashion. 

 There is no epitaph of himself, but the marble bears a 

 warm memorial of his wife, who died five years before 

 him, concluding thus: 



" Set down by him that best did know 

 What hath been written to be true." 



Thomas Lucy. 



It is commonly said that Shakespeare was arrested 

 for poaching in this very park, but the antiquaries have 

 decided that it was the old park of Fulbrook on the 

 Warwick road, where Fulbrook Castle once stood. But 

 it makes little difference where the precise place was. 

 That is of interest only to the Dryasdusts. All we care 



