46 THE HISTORY OF THE EOYAL BUCKHOUNDS. 



assisted by Lord Hussey, Lord William and Lord Thomas 

 Howard, he bore the canopy over the future good Queen Bess 

 at that interesting ceremony. Early in October we find the 

 Master of the Buckhounds coursing with his royal brother- 

 in-law, and winning a large sum from him at that sport ; 

 and ten days later he set up his household in the royal Manor 

 of Beaulieu, Essex, which the king ordered his eldest daughter, 

 the Princess Mary, to quit to make room for him. 



On January 15, 1534, Viscount Rochester was summoned 

 with other peers to attend at the opening of Parliament at 

 Westminster. He continued in attendance at the court until 

 the end of March, occasionally taking an active part in 

 pai'liamentary and cognate affairs of State. Early in April 

 he obtained the reversion of the lieutenancy of Guisnes Castle, 

 then held by Lord Sandes ; and on the 12th of this month 

 he was appointed, with Sir William Fitzwilliam junior, Envoy 

 Extraordinary to Francis I., concerning certain proceedings of 

 Charles V. and other potentates which were deemed prejudicial 

 to British interests. The ambassadors arrived at Boulogne on 

 the 17th of that month, and soon after reached the locale of 

 the French court at Coucy, where they had an immediate 

 audience with Francis. The negotiations that then and there 

 took place resulted in Henry and Francis being united by 

 closer ties " as friends to friends and enemies to enemies." 

 Having thus accomplished their mission, the ambassadors 

 immediately returned to England. They arrived at Dover 

 on May 5th, where they spent a short interval in fowling 

 dotterels,* and with the contents of the bag proceeded to 

 London, where the young envoys presented nine brace of the 

 silly (but savoury) birds to the queen, who ordered three brace 

 to be served for her dinner, three for her supper, and the other 

 three brace for breakfast on the following morning. Lord 

 Rochester now resumed his ordinary duties, and we find him 

 in attendance on the king and queen at Hampton Court during 

 the leafy month of June. On or about the 11th of that month 



* The novel method pursued in fowling dotterels in those days is described 

 in " The History of Newmarket and the Annals of the Turf," vol. ii., p. 281. 



