206 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



Park and Garden, surroundings which she loved, 

 and in the society of cultured and intellectual people, 

 with whom she could converse when tired of reading 

 Greek, "embroidering in gold and silver," or playing 

 on the virginal. The part of " Sweet Sister 

 Temperance," given to her by King Edward, was 

 acted by her to perfection during those last days at 

 Hatfield. Elizabeth, like Edward VI., first heard 

 of Her succession to the Crown while at Hatfield ; 

 and tradition points out the very Oak under 

 which she was sitting in the Park, when, among 

 others, the Earl of Pembroke and Sir Richard 

 Sackville informed her that she was their Queen ; 

 and it was here that she held her first Privy Council. 

 Whether Elizabeth often returned to Hatfield after 

 she became Queen is very doubtful, but that she 

 did so once on a grand progress into Essex is 

 certain. On her ascent to the throne, however, her 

 glory ceased to shine on the old place, though the 

 memory of her presence ever abides there. As an 

 old writer remarks : "It will be for ever famous, 

 for that it first offered forth our most worthy 

 Elizabeth to the Regal Diademe and to receive 

 the triumphant cepter of the Realme, happie in 

 her Royal Maiestie, and therefore let Hautfeyld be 

 ever famous." A new and very different splendour 

 was shortly to burst over Hatfield a splendour that 

 was the comment of all. The man who wrought 

 this change was thus described by one of his 



