FISHES AND FISHING. 239 



and ostensibly the owner of it. An anecdote is told* 

 and I believe it of him, that Mr. Scott, when Attor 

 ney-General, wrote a note to Mr. Gee : " Mr. Attor 

 ney-General presents his compliments to Mr. Gee, 

 and will feel obliged to Mr. Gee, if he will give Mr. 

 Attorney-General a day's fishing in Beddington 

 Park." To which the following answer was re 

 turned : " Mr. Gee's compliments to Mr. Attorney- 

 General, and if he was Lord Chancellor, he would 

 not give him a day's fishing in Beddington Park." 



It is singular that this, and other immense property 

 formerly belonging to the monks, was obtained by a 

 courtier from Henry VIII. ; that this courtier then 

 was detected in conspiring with Cardinal Pole to re 

 establish the Catholic religion, was punished by 

 decapitation, and forfeiture of his estates. His son 

 proved himself to Mary so good a Catholic, who had 

 not only lost his father by that father's attachment 

 to the " true religion," but also had been reduced to 

 beggary in consequence, that she granted to him 

 above thirty manors in Surrey, and other counties, 

 together with advowsons, &c., a copy of which grant 

 I have. When Elizabeth became queen, he professed 

 himself to her a most ze alous protestant, and by his 

 courtly, insinuating manners, and good personal 

 appearance, induced the virgin queen to honour him 

 with a visit at Beddington, during a day or two at a 



