S8 General History of Bath. 



and she was attended by a very large suite of courtiers. 

 After the second visit was over there was a difficulty in 

 raising the funds to meet the expenses incurred, and we 

 read in the Council minutes — 



" A resolution concerning the arrearages for the collection towards 

 the cup and other charges given to the Queen's most excellent 

 Majesty. It is resolved that the rate, as it is sett heretofore, 

 be collected presently, and if any person do refuse to pay the 

 same then to be forthwith committed till he do pay it." 



The Queen's visit cost the Royal exchequer ;^3o,ooo in 

 addition to the sums levied in Bath. Yet, in a contem- 

 porary letter, we read that the counties through which the 

 route lay petitioned "to be spared this year in respect 

 of the hard winter and hitherto extreme hot and dry 

 summer, whereby cattle are exceeding poor and like to 

 perish everywhere.'' 



It is curious to notice the survival of the mediaeval idea 

 that records should always be written in Latin. A monk 

 from the Priory had been the prothonotary of the city, and 

 the older council minutes, not now alas extant, contained 

 the ordinary formulae of civic life in the learned language. 

 These were religiously copied in so far as they could be 

 made to apply to more modern requirements. Thus the 

 council minutes for very many years always commenced 

 " Civitas Bathon. In camera concilii ibm tent ° Sep-% 

 tembris Anno . Coram Ricardo Jones maiore," and the 

 officials would be dubbed " Justiciarii Ballivi, Gubernatores 

 Balnese, Supervisores carnis," and so forth. But the Latin 

 of the citizens was not of a kind which could be adapted to 

 passing events, and so, after a pompous introduction, they 

 presently glided into the vernacular. 



