THE BEAR. 27 



their amusement, with which, it is said, "their 

 highnesses were right well content." Queen Eliza- 

 beth, on the 25th of May, 1559, soon after her 

 accession to the throne, gave a splendid dinner to 

 the French Ambassadors, who were afterwards en- 

 tertained with the baiting of Bulls and Bears, the 

 Queen herself remaining to witness the pastime until 

 six in the evening. The day following, the same 

 ambassadors went by water to Paris Garden, where 

 they saw some more Bear-baiting. Some years 

 afterwards, as we learn from Holinshed, Elizabeth 

 received the Danish Ambassador at Greenwich, and 

 entertained him with the sight of Bear-baiting, 

 "tempered with other merry disports." Laneham, 

 referring to some Bear-baiting which took place 

 before the Queen* at Kenil worth, in 1575, says 

 that thirteen Bears were provided for the occasion 

 and that they were baited with a great sort of 

 ban-dogs.* In these accounts we find no mention 

 made of a ring put through the Bear's nose, which 

 certainly was the more modern practice ; hence the 

 expression by the Duke of Newcastle in " The 

 Humorous Lovers," printed in 161 7: "I fear the 

 wedlock ring more than the bear does the ring in 

 his nose." 



The office of Chief Master of the Bears was held 

 under the Crown, with a salary of sixteen pence a 

 day. Whenever the Sovereign chose to be enter- 



* "A Letter : whearin part of the entertainment vntoo the Queenz 

 Maiesty at Killingworth Castl, in "Warwick Sheer in the Soomerz 

 Progress 1575 is signified." 



