1616.] ICHTHYOPHAGY. 179 



To John Hebborne for thallowaunceof himselfe one yeoman 

 vsher three yeomen hangers twoe groomes of the Chamber 

 twoe groomes of the wardrobe and one groome porter for 

 makinge ready Certaine roames at Newmarkett for the 

 Venetian Ambassader the space of twoe daies And for 

 makinge ready certen roomes there twoe severall tymes for 

 the Chauncello'' of Scotland the space of twoe daies And 

 for making ready certayne roomes at Royston for a Comedie 

 the space of faur daies In all the space of tenne daies menss 

 Februar et Martij 161 5 ix" xvj^ viij''. — "Accounts of the 

 Treasurer of the Household, sub dato (m. 58), M.S., P.R.O. 



On or about the ist of February, 1616, the king 

 and court arrived at Newmarket, and a few days after- 

 wards his Majesty was on horseback, " and igie. 

 bore it well." Tidings from London were February, 

 to the effect that the council very properly decided to 

 supply the North-Sea fishing fleet with two small war- 

 vessels to secure them from the Dutch and other 

 pirates, but this necessary precaution was, in the 

 opinion of the king, "a needless and unprecedented 

 charge." Nevertheless the council adhered to their 

 resolution, and humbly submitted rhyme and reason 

 for taking such action in that behalf; still the king 

 persisted in his opinion, and, of course, had his way. 

 The result was that the voyage had to be abandoned, 

 to the great loss of the fishermen and many other 

 adventurers therein. Curiously enough, this New- 

 market ukase was issued on Ash Wednesday, a day 

 of all others in the calendar favourable to ichthy- 

 ophagy and ichthyology, and at a period when the 

 observance of Lent was ordered to be enforced by all 

 law-abiding lieges throughout the realm. The follow- 



