64 THE HISTORY OF THE EOYAL BUCKHOUNDS. 



at home, his mills were to be found at work in all parts of the 

 kingdom. Yet he was every inch a gentleman ; a dashing 

 horseman, an expert sportsman, a good scholar, a fine linguist, 

 a patron of literature, science, and art, and kept a company of 

 "poor players." With such a variety of discordant elements 

 before us, it is necessary to confine our brief memoir of this 

 Master of the Buckhounds to some of the leading incidents of 

 his remarkable career. 



No important preferment was conferred on Lord Robert 

 Dudley from the date of his appointment as Master of the 

 Horse until June 3, 1559, when, "to the admiration of all men," 

 he was installed a Knight of the Garter with great solemnity. 

 Up to this time he was by no means well off" in a pecuniary 

 sense, consequently he kept a sharp look-out for wardships, 

 monopolies, and similar accessories whereby he could put 

 money in his purse. His all-powerful influence with the Queen 

 was suflicient to secure him those advantages, and as such 

 pickings cropped up, his lordship carefully gathered them to- 

 gether without exciting that jealousy which was certain to 

 follow if he had flown at higher game. Little by little this 

 profitable mode of acquiring wealth and influence went on, 

 gradually increasing in magnitude, so much so, that shortly 

 after he was appointed Constable of Windsor Castle for life 

 (February 23, 1562), he obtained the exclusive monopoly of 

 exporting all sorts of wool and woollen cloths, wood, corn, and 

 minerals. His comparative poverty was apparently well known 

 to the Queen, as in the autumn of this year (October 22, 1562) 

 she gave him an annuity of 1,000^ for life. The following year 

 (June 9, 1563) he obtained a grant of the manor and castle of 

 Kenilworth, with other vast estates in Derbyshire, Lancashire, 

 Surrey, Rutland, Carmarthen, Yorkshire, Cardiganshire, and 

 Salop. About this time the projected marriage between Mary 

 Queen of Scots and the Archduke Charles was opposed on 

 political grounds by Elizabeth, who did not wish the alliance 

 to take place. Deeming that the bearing and the accomplish- 

 ments of Dudley would not fail to make a favourable impres- 

 sion on her Royal cousin, she despatched him in the following 



