Itm for the writyng of the diagloge, and makyng in 'ryme, bothe in inglishe and Latin, 3s. 4d.'

It is possible that John Redeman was only employed as a scribe, to write out the parts, the piece being in dialogue, which may account for the smallness of the sum he obtained; but then the additional phrase of making in rhyme' would hardly have been used. The document is signed by the hand

of Sir Henry Guildford, in the following manner,

to attest its correctness; and the accountant acknowledges the receipt, during the progress of the work, of £660., so that there remained due £101. 4s. 7d., less £43. 3s. 4 d., allowed for materials obtained out of the King's own store *.

* Hall usually enters into more minute particulars of the court revels than other chroniclers, and the following is his description of the preparations and performances on this occasion. Chron. 1550. ii. fo. clvi.

****

'Sonday the fyft daye of Maye was a solempne Masse songe at 'Grenewich, the Cardinall and the Archebyshop of Canterbury with x 'prelates mitered beyng present, and there the Frenche Ambassadours, ' in the name of the Frenche kyng there master, sware to observe the peace For the more enterteining of the Frenche Ambassadours, the kyng caused a solempne Justes to be done **** The kyng against that night had caused a banket house to be made, on one syde of the tylte yarde at Grenewyche, of an hundreth foote of length, and xxx_foote bredth; the roofe was purple clothe full of roses

At Christmas, 1527-8, a play was performed at Gray's Inn; and although this is the first time we have met with any notice of theatrical exhibitions

' and pomgarnettes: the windowes were all clere stories with currious 'monneles strangely wrought; the jawe peces and crestes were carved 'with vinettes and trailes of savage worke, and rychely gilted with gold and byse: this worke carbolyng bare the candelstyckes of antyke 'woorke, whiche bare little torchettes of white waxe: these candelstickes 6 were polished like aumbre. At the one syde was a haute place for 'herawldes and minstrelles. This house was richely hanged, and therin was raised a cupbord of seven stages high and xiii foote long, set with standyng cuppes, bolles, flaggons and greate pottes, all of fyne golde, some garnyshed with one stone, and some with other stones and " perles: on the other syde was a nother cupbord of ix stages high, set 'full of high pottes, flagons and bolles, all was massy plate of sylver ' and gilte, so high and so brode that it was marvaile to beholde. At 'the nether ende were two broade arches upon thre antike pillers of 'gold burnished, swaged and graven full of cargills and serpentes, sup'portyng the edifices. The arches were vawted with armorie all of byce and golde, and above the arches were made many sondri antikes and devises *** The hole supper was served in vessel of gold; 'to reherse the fare, the straungenes of the dishes, with the devises of 'beastes and fowles, it were to long, wherefore I will let passe over the supper with songes and minstrelsie. When supper was done the kyng, 'the quene, and the ambassadors washed and after talked at their plea'sure; and then thei rose and went out of the banket chambre bi the 'forsaid arches, and when they were betwene the uttermoste dore and 'the arches, the kyng caused them to turne backe and loke on that syde 'of the arches, and there they saw how Tyrwin was beseged, and the 6 very maner of every mans camp very connyngly wrought, whiche 'woorke more pleased them then the remembryng of the thyng in dede. 'From thens they passed by a long galerie richely hanged into a 'chambre faire and large *** the rofe of thys chambre was con'ningly made by the kyuges astronimer, for on the grounde of the rofe was made the hole earth environed with the sea, like a very mappe or

there, as the piece then acted had been written many years prior by a member of that Society, there is reason to suppose that it had been represented soon after it was completed *. Cardinal Wolsey was present in 1527-8, and Warton conjectures that, as the author, John Roo, was degraded and imprisoned,' the piece contained some free reflections on the clergyt.' Holinshed was Warton's authority on the

carte, and by a conning makyng of a nother cloth, the zodiacke with the xii signes, and the five circles or girdelles, and the two poles apered on the earth, and water compassýng the same *** After a solempne 'oracion in the Latin tongue *** then entred eight of the kinges " chappel with a song, and brought with theim one richely appareled; ' and in likewyse at the other side entred eight other of the saied 'chappel bringyng with theim a nother persone likewise appareled: 'these two persones plaied a dialog, theffect wherof was whether riches " were better then love, and when they could not agre upon a conclusion, 'eche called in thre knightes all armed. Thre of theim would have 'entred the gate of the arche in the middel of the chambre, and the ' other iii resisted, and sodenly betwene the six knightes out of the arche 'fell downe a bar all gilte, at the whiche barre the six knightes fought

a fair battail, and then thei were departed, and so went out of the 'place. Then came in an olde man with a silver berd, and he con'cluded that love and riches both be necessarie for princes (that is to 'saie) by love to be obeied and served, and with riches to rewarde his 'lovers and frendes, and with this conclusion the dialogue ended.'

* Dugdale (Origin. Jurid., 285) informs us, that at a pension held here [Gray's Inn] in Michaelmas Term, 21 H. 8, there was an order 'made, that all the fellows of this House, who should be present on any Saturday at supper betwixt the feasts of All Saints and the Purification of our Lady, or upon any other day at dinner or supper, when there are Revells, should not depart out of the Hall until the said 'Revells were ended, upon penalty of 12d.'

Hist. Engl. Poet., iii. 223.

point; but Hall* is very explicit, and inserts the plot of the Moral (for such it was), and shows precisely the ground of offence to the cardinal, who, although the play had been written twenty years before, applied it personally to himself. Hall tells us: This Christ'mas was a goodly disguysing plaied at Greis Inne, whiche was compyled for the moste parte by Ihon Roo, Sarjant at the law, 20 yere past, and long ' before the Cardinall had any authoritie: the effecte of the plaie was, that Lord Governaunce was ruled by Dissipation and Negligence, by whose misgovernaunce, and evil order, Lady Publike-wele was 'put from Governaunce; which caused Rumor-populi, " Inward-grudge, and Disdaine of wanton Sovereegntie 'to rise with a great multitude to expell Negligence ❝ and Dissipation, and to restore Publike-welth again 'to her estate, which was so done. This plaie was so set foorth, with ryche and costly apparell, with straunge devises of masks and morishes, that it was highly praised of all menne, saving the Cardinall, whiche imagined the play had been devised of hym.' Hall further informs us, that in consequence Wolsey sent Roo, the author, and Thomas Moyle, of Kent, 'one of the young gentlemen that played,' to the Fleet; but upon subsequent representation, that the performance had been misapprehended, they were released.

We now come to a remarkable event, which, independent of its connexion with the progress of the

*Chron. 1550, ii. fo. cliv. b.

drama, is important as a piece of history. It is, I believe, new as regards both.

In Cavendish's Life of Wolsey* we read a long and interesting narrative of the splendid manner in which the Maréchal Montmorency, the Bishop of Bayonne, the President of Rouen, and Monsieur d'Humières, Ambassadors from France, who arrived on the 20th of October, 19th of Henry VIII., were received and entertained, first by the Cardinal at Hampton Court, and afterwards by the King at Greenwicht. Among

* Mr. Singer's edition, p. 188 et seq. It is a mistake by Warton (H. E. P., iii., 263, edit. 8vo.) when he states, that the interlude, spoken of by Cavendish, was represented before the French Ambassadors who came to England to ratify peace in 1514: it was performed, as has been shown, in 1528, on a similar occasion; and Stow, with reference to it, nearly quotes the words of Cavendish. Warton cited the edition of Cavendish's Life of Wolsey of 1708, where it is said expressly that the interlude was made in Latin:' the MS. from which Mr. Singer printed his edition varies from the others, and states that it was made in Latin and French.' That any part of the performance was in French is not confirmed by other authorities.

6

In a contemporary MS. in my hands we have a very minute account of the costly presents of plate then made to the Ambassadors: it is the original bill of Robert Amadas, the King's goldsmith; and it is unfortunately considerably mutilated by damp and carelessness. It is thus entitled:-' Md that I Robt Amadas have delivˇd by the Kings graces commaundement to the Ambassators of Fraunce these per'cells of plate as here after foloweth, the 19th day of May, Anno xixno' This date was the time, probably, when Amadas sent in his bill. According to this account, the Bishop of Bayonne received,―

'Furst a payer of greatte potts, waying 202 oz.

'Itm vj Bollis with a cover gilt, waying 261 oz.

'Itm ij Flagons gilt, chassed with water flowers, waying 207 oz.