magistrates with 6 turkes archers the torch-berers ; a mask of women like goddesses, huntresses, with Turkey menne, the torche-berers, made against Shrovetide (1st and 2a Philip and Mary); a maske of 6 Hercules or men of war comynge from the sea with 6 maryners to ther torche-berers, prepared at St. Androe's tyde, against the brekyng up of the terme ; a mask of covetus men with long noses; a mask of men like Argus; a mask of women Mores; a mask of Amazons; a triumph of Cupide, with pageants of Mars and Venus, their torche-berers and attendants; a mask of black and tawney tinsell, with babuns (baboons) faces; a mask of Pollenders (Polanders), a mask of soldiors to ther torche-berers; a maske of women like Diana hunting, a maske of matrons to their torche-bearers. The total of two years expenses of the Revels in the 4th and 5th of Edward VI. was £865. 12s. 8d.; that of the 6th year £406. 1s. 10d.; the grand total of 18 pay books, from the 4th of Edward VI. to the 1st and 2d of Philip and Mary, both inclusive, is £1622. 13s. 4d. evidently very considerable sums, according to the value of money in the sixteenth compared with the nineteenth century. On a dateless paper found among Sir Thomas Cawarden's Accounts, is a memorandum to the following effect. "Item, for a peynted boke of Mr. Hans Holby's making, 6li.”* * A book illuminated by Hans Holbein, the great painter employed by Henry VIII. It is said that the Earl of Arundel, returning from Italy through Basil, saw some of the productions of Holbein's pencil, and advised him to go to England. He was first employed by Sir Thomas More, and subsequently taken into the service of Henry VIII. Holbein died in London of the plague in 1554, in the 56th year of his age. It may be remarked, as a circumstance coincident with the above entry, that one of Holbein's earliest works is recorded to be the illuminating the margin of the "Moriæ Encomium" of Erasmus, with the characters described in the book. (38.) STATUTES OF THE KING'S REVELLS. Constitucions howe the King's Revells ought to be usyd: Fyrst, an Invyntory to be made by the Clarke controwller and Clarke, by the Survey and apowentinge of the mastyr of the Revells,* Aswell of all and singular masking garments wthall thear furnyture, as allso of all bards for horsis, coveryng of bards and bassis of all kynds, wtball and singular the appurtenances, wch Invytory, subscribyd by the yoman and clarke, ought to remayne in the custody of the Master of the Offyces and the goodes for the saeffe kepyng. It'm, that no kynd of stuff be bowght, but at the apowyentment of the Master or his depute Clarke controwler, being counsell therin, and that he make menc'on therof, in his booke of recept w'ch ought to be subscribyd as afor seyd by the Master. It'm, that the Cla'ke be privey to the cutting of all kynds of garments, and that he make menc'on in his booke of thyssuing owt howe moche it takyth of all kynds to ev'y maske, revelle, or tryumphe, w'ch boke ought to be subscrybyd as afforseyd by the Master. It'm, that the Clarke kepe check of all daye men work ing on the p'misses, and to make two lyger boks of all wags * The officers of the Revells and their pay, from another document: Master, Thomas Cawarden, at 4s. per diem ; yeoman, John Bridges, at 2s. do. ; Clerk Comptroller, John Bernard, at 28. do.; Clerk, John Colyer, at 1s. 6d. do.; Groom, Thomas Hale, at 1s. 6d. ditto. and provisions of all kynd whate so ev', th'one for the paye master and th' other for the Master. It'm, that no garments forseyd, bards, cov'ying of bards, bassis, or suche lyck, be lent to no man wthout a specyall comaundment, warrant, or tokyn, from the Kyng's Matie, but that all be leyd up in feyr stonderds or pressis, and every presse or stonderd to have two locks a pece, wth sev'all (i. e. distinct) wards, wh two keys, th' one for the Master or Clarke, and th' other for the yoman, so that non of them cum to the stuff without th'other. (39.) Tents, Toyles, Banquetting Houses of Boughs, and other erections in the field. The Council, from the Palace at Oatlands to Sir Thomas Cawarden, as Master of the Tents and Toiles, "certain banquetting houses and other devices of pleasure, are to be made of green boughs, and his assistance is required. As he cannot for the sickness* (the plague) approach the Court, he is to send some fit person in his room. These diversions of the Court in the open field, it will be seen by the date of the paper, were projected in midsummer. Stow tells us of a rural banquetting house made in the year 1581, for the reception of certain Ambassadors out of France on the south-west side of the Queen's palace at Whitehall, which must have been in the garden, near the river, 332 feet in circumference (therefore a circular pavilion or tent). "The top of this house was wrought most cunningly" over the canvas work "with ivy and holly, with pendants made of wicker rods, garnished with bay, rue, and all manner of strange flowers garnished with spangles of gold," an ingenious device to produce the effect of drops of golden dew; it was also " beautified with teasons (festoons) "made of ivy and holly, with all manner of strange He was then probably at his house in London, at the Blackfriars. fruits, as pomegranates, oranges, pompions, cucumbers, grapes, with such like, spangled with gold and most richly hanged; betwixt these works of bays and ivy was great space of canvas, which was most cunningly painted with the clouds, stars, the sun beams, with divers coats of sundry sorts belonging to the Queen's Majesty, most richly garnished with gold." The cost of this "Hall" thus decorated with ornaments from the vegetable kingdom, was £1745, a most enormous sum for that day. See Stow's Annals, 4to. edit. p. Ì179. After o' verye hartie comendac'ons, where as there be certaine banquiting houses of Bowes (boughs) and other devises of pleasure to be gon in hand withall very shortly; fforasmuch as we consider ye have had good experience heretofore in lyk things, albeit we understande ye cannot, by reson of the sicknes, repaire presently h'ither yo'selfe, yet have we thought good to pray you to send suche pson hither furthw'th as ye shall thinke meate and handsom, therfore (if ye cannot cum yo'self) to th’ende he may go in hande therewth, whereof we praie you not to faile. And so we bid you fare well. ffrom Otelandes the xviiith of June Miscellaneous Entries from the books of the Revels, relative to temporary banquetting houses erected in the field (4th Edward 6th.)-Banketing howses two, the one in Hyede parke, conteynenge in length 57 feet, and in bredth 21 feet of assize with a halpace staier,* conteining in bredth the one way 60 foote, and the other way 30 foote, and over the same a type or turret garnished. One other house in Marybone parke, conteyninge in lengthe 40 foote The same adjoined, framed, made and wrought of tymber, brick, and lyme, with their raunges and other necessary utensyles therto insident, and to the like accustomed. And 6 standinges whereof were in either of the said parkes, 3, all of tymber, garnished with boughes and flowers, every of them conteynenge in length 10 foote, and in bredth 8 foote, which houses and standinges were so edified, repaired, garnished, decked, and fynyshed against the Mar shall Saint Andrewes comynge thethere by speciale and straight comandement as well of the late King as his Counsell to Sir Thos Cawarden, Knt. Mr of the said office of Revels, and Lawrence Bradshaw, surveior of the King's works exhibited for the same, wt earnest charge done, wrought, and attended betweene the 27 of June and the 2 of August in the said year. Examples of wages paid to different artificers employed on the above works, for 22 days "at all hours, a space to eat and dryncke excepted."-Carpenters at one penny the hour, bricklayers ditto, labourers a halfpenny the hour, plasterers eleven pence the day, painters seven pence and six pence the day. Charges for cutting boughs in the wood at Hyde Park for trimming the banquetting house, gathering rushes, flags, and ivy; payment to the Lady Daunsye for 2 loads of scaffold poles; Robert Venardo, for turning 6 great bases |