(167.) Inventories of the Earl of Somerset's effects. A warrant was addressed by the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Edward Coke, to Sir Henry Fanshaw, and others, dated 19 wryghtinge, sent to Sir George More, Liftennant of ye Tower, (beinge putt in to that place by his owne apoyntment, without ye privitie of any mann,) concerninge my Lorde of Sommersett, whoe beinge in the Tower, and heringe that he showld come to his arayngment, begann to speak bigg wordes touchinge on ye Kinges reputation and honnour. The Kinge therefore desired, as mutch as he cowld, to make him confes the poysoninge of Sir Thomas Overberry, and so not to come to his arrayngement, but to cast him selve on his mercy. But beinge a courtiour and beaten to these courses, woold not; ffully imagininge that the Kinge durst not or woold not bryng him to his tryall. The gentlema' ye Kinge sent in one of ye lettors to my Lord wase Walter James, somtime my Lorde's secretarye. But ye Kinge, althoughe he was the wisest to woorke his owne endes that ever wase before him, for all that cowld not woorke on Somersett. But that he ever stoode on his inocency, and wold never be brought to confes that he had any hand with his wyfe in ye poysoninge of Overberye, knewe not of it, nor consented unto itt. And I have often taulked with Mr. James, his chyfe servant, about it, who ever wase of opinion yt my Lord was cleere, and his Ladye only guiltie, for one time Mrs. Tournour tolde him, that litell did my Lord knowe what she had adventured for his ladye: but ye trueth is, King James wase wearye of him; Buckinghame had supplied his place." In another part of the envelope were added these words, which shew how highly these royal documents were prized by the family of More of Loseley: "Sir George More's my ffather-in-lawe's legacie, who in his life time made mutch account of these letters, being every word King James his own wryghtinge." November, 1615, for the examination of the Earl of Somerset's papers and effects; and a return was made by the parties delegated for the purpose, under the head of "An Inventory of the Goods and Evidences of the Earl of Somerset, shewn to them by Mr. Walter James, his servant, at his lodgings at Whitehall." Among other things, were enumerated letters patents in a box, of the creation of Sir Robert Carre to be Viscount Rochester, Baron of Brancepeth, and Earl of Somerset; title deeds, and other documents relating to lands in the counties of Dorsetshire, Devonshire, Surrey, Northampton, Westmorland, and Essex, the fruits of the bounty lavished on the Earl by royal favour; a general account of all the manors, lordships, tenements, and hereditaments of the Earl of Westmorland, among these the manors of Brancepeth, Durham, Raby, Staindrop, Bywell, Bolbec, in the county of Northumberland, &c. About sixty manors in all are enumerated, besides patents for the Constableship of Rochester Castle, &c. We specify some articles of the furniture: "A bedstead with gilt pillars, the furniture purple velvet, lined with yellow damask, trimmed with lace, fringes, and cawl-work of gold; another furnished with white velvet, lined with carnation velvet, trimmed with silver; another bed of green velvet; another of crimson damask, trimmed with gold; a pavilion of cobweb lawn, embroidered with silk flowers; large Persian, Turkey, and Egyptian carpets; tapestry hangings representing the wars of Troy; two of Roman story, thirteen feet deep; two Irish harps; a theorbo in a case; a lute, said to be my lord's man's. In the bowling-alley* were the following pictures: the * This must therefore have been a gallery inclosed from the weather, as places set apart for the diversion sometimes we believe were, or an apartment taking its name from the former appropriation of its site. story of the Shepherds, a little long piece; three Wise Men, a great table; Sampson and Dalilah; the Woman taken in Adultery; the story of Lazarus; of the Creation; Venus and Cupid; Susannah and the Elders; Isaac blessing Jacob; Queen Sheba coming to Solomon; Bacchus, Ceres, and Venus; Venus and Adonis; (all these are also specified as great tables*;) Christ and the Woman of Samaria; a great Labyrinth; a piece of St. Lawrence on the gridiron." 66 In another inventory of the Earl's furniture are found, a dozen pictures of a yard broad, or thereabouts; ninetynine of lesser size; five whole-length portraits." Among the items of apparel, his "Parliament robes of scarlet; his robes for an Earl, of velvet; his robes of St. George, as a Knight of the Garter; doublets and hose, of cloth of gold, laced all over with black sattin lace, of tawney velvet, embroidered with gold and bugles; a doublet and hose of silk grogram, laid with two gold laces; a pair of green sattin bullion hose, laid with open gold lace; a doublet and long hose of black taffata, cut upon tinsel, with two embroidered laces; a riding-coat of scarlet, lined with velvet; a doublet of black silk mockadoe; a jerkin and hose of tawney uncut velvet; a doublet of white cloth of tissue, with gold flowers; a doublet and bullion hose, embroidered with seagreen silk; an ashcoloured sattin doublet, pinked; a scarlet coat embroidered, crimson lined; a cloak of ashcoloured velvet uncut, embroidered and tissued with gold and silver, and lined with plush of gold and silver." These are but a few specimens of the Court favourite's wardrobe, which presents nearly fifty doublets and hose, *This is the usual term for pictures at this period, from the French tableau. twenty-five cloaks, some dozen of jerkins, riding-coats, hose not attached to the doublet, &c.;* a gredaline (qu. Geraldine?) cloth of gold doublet, embroidered with silver, a nightgown of tawney velvet, embroidered with gold, and lined with unshorn velvet; a tawney sattin waistcoat, embroidered with gold. A return was made of his stud, and stable equipage, by Mr. Edward Moule, who I conclude was the chief groom of his stable, and who appears to have been commanded by his Majesty to present several of the horses to his courtiers. The following is a transcript of the document, headed "Mr. Moule's Note. Imprimis, Bay Minion, which by his Majesty's command I am to deliver to the Prince's highness; Black Denny to Lord Danvers; Pied Burleigh to Lord Norris; White Steward to Sir Charles Howard; Grey Stallion to Sir Robert Carr; Grey Barbary to + To the servants such horses * The following note is attached to the inventory of such things as were said to be Mrs. Turner's (see p. 382), “In the chamber at Whitehall over the little parlour. An ashcoloured sattin nightgown; another of changeable taffata; a black taffata strait-bodiced gown; others of sattin, watered sattin, &c.; a black shag nightgown; an old taffata petticoat; three waistcoats; a gown of wrought grogram; six smocks ; two laced aprons; a square of needlework pearls. + We would supply the hiatus in the MS. by giving the horse to Villiers the King's new minion, who supplied the place of unhappy Somerset. Well might the latter then have been supposed to exclaim, like Shakspeare's second Richard: "Rode he on Barbary? Tell me, gentle friend, How went he under him? Groom. So proudly, as if he disdained the ground! This as they usually rode on. A coach lined with scarlet; a black velvet embroidered coach-cloth; a foot-cloth of the same; a saddle of watchet velvet, embroidered with gold and silver; another of crimson velvet, laced with silver." The residue of the stud was given to Mr. Moule, in compensation for money laid out by him, to defray charges of horses, tradesmen's bills, &c. Of jewels, and other costly ornaments in the custody of Sir George More, the following is a list, entitled, "A Note of the Jewells in my custody. 18 buttons, each having 4 table diamts and 9 small diamts. 16 buttons, each having 8 small diamts, that cirkles a a space for a great diamt. A hatband of black velvet, having 20 peeces wth diamts. Two other garters of the order. A large agot George, composed round wth diamts. A George wth an agot having a Roman head, composed on the one side wth diamts, the other wth rubies. A small white agot duble George. A duble George, wth stones, diamts, and rubies. A great George with stones. The coller of the order, wth a George at it, set wh diamts. The Earle's coronet. A knife, a spoone, and forke, of a greene and white stone garnished wh gold. A chaine of 60 round peeces, each having 3 small dia This hand hath made him proud with clapping him! |