16 A KOYAL PURVEYANCE IN THE ELIZABETHAN AGE. 



It m that thirtie good f att stirtes * of the adge of one yeare 

 and upwards shalbe deliuered at the courte gate t the 

 ffirste of November at iij viii d the peece. 



It m that three hundred good and fatt lambes shalbe 

 deliuered the courte gate the xth of June at xijd the 

 peece. 



It m to be deliuered at Odiham, Alton, and Basingstoke 



within x dayes after warninge given to the Constables 



of the Towne and hundred of Odiham: of Q-eese 



corse twenty dozen ; Capons corse twenty dozen : 



pullets corse ffiftie dozen and hens corse thirty dozen. 



(The warninge would be given 20 dayes at the leaste to the 



Constables of the hundred that shalbe assigned to deliver at eache 



of the severall places and no reason to trouble the townes aforesaid 



but only for ther owne ptes : this may be done by certifying the 



officers what hundreds shalbe assigned to every place. 



It m that ready money shalbe paide for all the p' r evissen 

 upon the receipt therof . 



It m if there be iusta cause of mislicking of any of the 

 previssen 3 and the same declared by iiij indifferent 

 men in writing under the handes wherof ij to be 

 named on the behalf e of the Queene and some of her 

 household and of ij of the bringer or bringers of the 

 same ; that then they shall forfeite to the Queenes 

 Maties use for every such quarter of wheate iiis. iiijd. 

 for any stirte ij, vjd. for any lambe xijd. ffor every 

 goose capon pullett and henn iiijd. to be defaulted by 

 the Cofferer for the time being of the price or prizes 

 of the reste of these kindes that shalbe licked and 

 receved, and the wantes of every kinde to be supplyed 

 within xiiij dayes at the furtheste. 



* Stirtes or Stirks. Young Steers. 



t The Court Gate of Reading Abbey. At the dissolution of monastic 

 houses King Henry determined to maintain the Abbey of Reading as a royal 

 palace ; and, though it was not often occupied in that capacity, yet we find 

 King Edward VI. lodged there, as " the Kinges Place," in his visit to the 

 town in 1552, and King Philip and Queen Mary in 1554. Camden says, 

 " The monastery wherein King Henry the First was interred, has been con- 

 verted into a royal seat ; adjoining to which stands a fair stable stored with 

 noble horses of the king's." It was an account of Sir Francis Knollys holding 

 the office of steward of the abbey estates that he resided at the mansion 

 formerly the Abbey. 



J Corse or Corsey, i.e. fat. 



