78 THE HISTOEY OF THE KOYAL BUCKHOUNDS. 



A few days after he returned to rejoin his friend in London, 

 and after a further sojourn of three days the travellers returned 

 to France — Biron to lose his life on the scaffold, and Bassom- 

 pierre to risk his in the field, and hardly less often in the 

 intrigues of the Court. However, after many vicissitudes, he 

 lived to represent his country at the Court of Charles I. This 

 incident is important, as it establishes an irrefutable authority 

 that the chase was patronised by the fair sex nearly three 

 hundred years ago, and, as we shall have occasion to record 

 hereafter, many ladies, fair and famous, continued to follow 

 the Royal Buckhounds in the days of yore as they do in our 

 own times. 



On March 23, 1603, Queen Elizabeth died at Richmond, 



Court for that time spent at Basing. And one day he attended her at Basing 

 Park at hunting, where the Duke stayed her coming, and did there see her in 

 such Royalty, and so attended by the nobility, so costly furnished and mounted, 

 as the like had seldom been seen." However, we get the official account of 

 this royal hunting progress in the subjoined extracts from the returns of the 

 Lord Chamberlain for the time being : " To Richard Conningesby for the 

 allow'nce of himselfe, one yeoman vsher, three yeomen, and twoe gromes of 

 the chamber, twoe gromes of the wardrobe, and one grome porter, viz., for 

 makeinge readie a standinge in the little P'ke at Windsor against y^ huntinge 

 there, for two dales, mense Augusti 1601, xxxis^ iiij''. For makinge readie 

 M''. Meredithe's house at old Wyndsor for her Ma"<^ to dyne at when she hunted 

 in the foreste, by like tyme eod. mense, xxix^ iiij'i. . . . For makinge readie 

 Sir Robert Kennington's house at Barraper for a dynninge place by the space 

 of twoe dales, mense Septembris 1601, xxix^ iiij'i. For makinge ready 

 a^ Humphrey Foster's house at Aldermanton by the space of x<=" dayes, mense 

 Augusti 1601, ix". xvj^ viij*!. For makinge readie the Lord Marques [of 

 Winchester] his house at Basynge by the space of xiiij"' dayes mense Septembris 

 1601, xiij". x^ iiij''. For mukeinge ready the Lorde Sandes' house at the Vyne 

 for the french Amhassadd'^ by like tyme mense ])red\(j^xiif\ xv^. iiij^. For 

 makinge readie a standinge in Basynge P'ke for two dayes dco menseooxxiv^ 

 iiij''. For makinge readie a chamber ouer the gate there for her highnes to 

 dyne w'*' the Frenchmen by the space of iiijo"' dayes, mense Septemberis 1601,c« 

 Ixxviii^. viij*^. For alteracons at Basynge in the presence and p'vie chambe''^ 

 to retyre into after dinner by like tyme and in the same moneth,coxxxix^ iiij'i. 

 For makinge readye the Ladye Marquesse, her house at Basynge for the 

 Frenchmen to dyne by the space of twoe dayes, mense Septembris,col601 

 xxxix^. iiij*. For makinge readie the Chappie at Basynge by the like time,oo 

 xxxix^ iiij*. For makinge readie S"" George More's house at Losley by the 

 space of x<=° days, mense Septembris,ool601, ix". xxvj^ viij'^."— Accounts of the 

 Treasurer of the Chamber of the Household. E. L. T. R. Series 1, Box F, 

 Bundle 3, m. 67fZ. MS. P.R.O. 



