INTRODUCTION 19 



of Horton brought it back to the old name. In their son, Sir 

 Pexall Brocas, there passes across the stage a ruffling spend- 

 thrift and a riotous braggart who seriously encumbered the 

 family estates, and brought the Mastership into such bad 

 repute that the beginning of the end drew nigh. The strange 

 nature and variety of his career, his habits and proclivities, may 

 be gathered from the facts that on January 18, 1603, a pardon 

 was granted by James to Sir Pexall Brocas, Knight, for all 

 riots and unlawful assemblies before March 20 last past ; that 

 six years later Sir Pexall conveyed by deed to trustees the 

 greater part of his estates, including Little Weldon and the 

 Mastership of the Buckhounds, for the purposes (1) of erect- 

 ing a tomb to his honour in Westminster Abbey, near to that 

 of his grandfather. Sir Eichard Pexall ; (2) of founding a 

 college at Oxford, to be called ' Brocas College ' ; and that in 

 little more than three years from the date of this pious con- 

 veyance ' he did open penance at Paul's Cross, where he 

 stood in a white sheet and held a rod in his hand, having 

 been formally convicted before the High Commissioners for 

 secret and notorious adulteries with divers women.' A touch 

 of picturesque assurance is added to this swashbuckler's 

 career by the tradition ' that he was attended by thirty 

 men in scarlet that waited upon him to the Lord Mayor 

 when he went to demand a dinner after doing penance.' It 

 need scarcely be added that on the expiration of his penitent 

 mood the conveyance above mentioned was promptly 

 revoked. This notorious Master entered upon his office and 

 manor without licence from Elizabeth, a trespass which was 

 pardoned ; but it was not until nearly the end of her reign 

 that his claim to the ancient salary of 50Z. per annum from 

 the Sheriffs of Surrey and Sussex was recognised by the 

 judges on appeal. To this petition Sir Pexall soon added 

 another, for among the claims made by hereditary- officers 

 for places at the ceremony and procession at King James's 



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