It's All In the Cards.

The Tudor nobility were great card players. Playing cards had been introduced to the kingdom in the mid-15^th century, by all appearances. We learn from Strutt that

The privy purse expenses of Henry VII. show his losses at cards on several occasions.¹

While rare examples of the cards themselves survive, the rules by which they were played were only hinted at. Edmond Hoyle would not publish his famous rules for another century and a half.

When the sixteenth century is reached the references to card-playing in England, and the proofs that it was popular among all classes, are most abundant. Losses at cards occur in Henry VIII. privy purse expenses; whilst those of his daughter Mary, afterwards Queen, from 1536 to 1544, show that card-playing was her constant habit.

As for commoners, they were forbidden dicing and card-playing except during Christmas.

A statute of 1541 forbids card-playing by the working-classes.²

Not that all obeyed.

Whole chapters could be filled with the notices of cardplaying that occur in the poems and plays of this century. One must suffice. In the comedy of Gammer Gurtons Needle, first printed in 1551, old Dame Chat thus invites two of her friends to a game of cards :—

What, Diccon ? Come nere, ye be no stranger,

We be fast set a trump, man, hard by the fire ;

Thou shalt set on the king, if thou come a little nyer.

Come hither, Dol; Dol, sit down and play this game,

And as thou sawest me do, see thou do even the same,

There is five trumps besides the queen, the hindmost thou shalt find her,

Take hede of Gim Glover's wife, she hath an eye behind her.

The kingdom's need for archers was the first motive for laws forbidding other types of gaming than archery competitions. The need for able-bodied infantry allowed for wrestling matches.

With the rise of the influence of the spoil-sport Puritans, the focus turned to the evil effects of most other means of having fun. Claims of pagan origins (in this instance, the Tarot) were highlighted.

Minister Northbrooke was most strenuous in his condemnation of cardplaying in Elizabeth's reign, stating that— "The plaie at Cardes is an invention of the devill, which he founde out, that he might the easilier bring in idolatrie amongest men: For the Kings and Coate cardes that we use nowe were in olde time the images of idols and false Gods, which since they that woulde seeme Christians have chaunged into Charlemaine, Launcelot, Hector, and suchlike names, because they would not seeme to imitate their idolatrie therein, and yet mainteine the plaie itselfe, the verie invention of Saban the Devill and woulde so disguise this mischiefe under the cloak of suche gaie names."

The knaves of that date, in English and French packs, were usually known as Lancelot, Hogier, Rolant, and Valery; the kings bore the names of David, Alexander, Caesar, and Charlemagne ; and the queens, Rachael, Argine, Pallas, and Judith.³

As the quote from Gammer Gurton informs us, any given group of players might have its own names for the face-cards.

So then, we know far more about the evil effects of card-playing on the Christian soul than we do about the rules of the games during the 16th century.

Primero and Maw.—Queen Elizabeth was fond of taking a hand at Primero which was then the fashionable game of cards. The favourite game of James I. was Maw which took the place of Primero during his reign ; it afterwards became popular under the name of Five Cards.⁴

A page called “Primero: A Renaissance Cardgame” seems to have had some success in giving us the rules of the most popular card game of the century, Primero.

Four cards are dealt, face down, to each player in the standard manner.... Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player has three options: bid, stake, or pass.... Staking, or "covering" a previous bid involves putting money down. No other action is necessary or required.⁵

My limited reading in the primary sources confirm both the description and the fact that 16^th century Europeans were constitutionally unable to simply state a set of rules without cloaking them in all the mystery of an alchemical text.

Shamelessly having endangered the reader's mortal soul, I further quote Northbrooke, from Taylor's History of Playing Cards, in hopes of overcoming the effect:

John Northbrooke, in his Treatise against Dicing, Dauncing, &c., published about 1577, writes thus: “ And therefore to conclude, I say with that good father, St. Cyprian, the playe at cardes is an invention of the deuill, which he found out that he might the easier bring in ydolatrie amongst men. For the kings and coate cardes that we vse nowe were in old times the images of idols and false gods, which they that would seeme Christians, have changed into Charlemaine, Launcelot, Hector, and such lyke names, bicause they would not seeme to imitate their idolatrie therein, and yet maintaine the playe itselfe the very inuention of Satan, the deuill, and woulde so disguise the mischeife vnder the cloake of such gaye names.”⁶

Still, having balanced my accounts somewhat, I cannot resist the temptation to quote once more from Taylor on the sinful side of the ledger where we learn that King James's

favourite game appears to have been Maw, which is alluded to in a passage quoted by Mr. Chatto, from a satirical pamphlet of this reign, called Tom Tell-troath, and re-printed in the Harleian Miscellany; “They say you have lost the fairest game at Maw that ever king had, for want of making the best advantage of the five-finger, and playing the other helps in time. That your owne card-holders play bootie, and give the signe out of your owne hand, that hee you played withal hath ever been knowne for the greatest cheater in Christendome....”

Even without knowing the rules, the picture is wholly recognizable. It seems that card-playing is, indeed, a temptation too powerful to resist.

1 Strutt, Joseph. Sports and Pastimes of the People of England (1801). 260-1.

2 Ibid.

3Ibid.

4Ibid.

5Suzuki, Jeff. “Primero: A Renaissance Cardgame” https://math.bu.edu/INDIVIDUAL/jeffs/primero.html

6Taylor, Edward S. The History of Playing Cards (1865). 143-4.

Also at Virtual Grub Street:

• Invention in a Noted Weed: the Poetry of William Shakespeare. September 21, 2024. “The coward conquest of a wretches knife,...”

• The Sonnets of Shakespeare: Sonnet 108. Edward de Vere to his son, Henry. “That may expresse my love, or thy deare merit?”

• Sonnet 130: Shakespeare's Reply to a 1580 Poem by Thomas Watson. September 7, 2024. “Interesting to see our Derek Hunter debating with Dennis McCarthy, at the North group,...”.
• Rocco Bonetti's Blackfriars Fencing School and Lord Hunsdon's Water Pipe. August 12, 2023. “... the tenement late in the tenure of John Lyllie gentleman & nowe in the tenure of the said Rocho Bonetti...”

• Check out the Shakespeare Authorship Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.

• Check out the Letters Index: Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford for many letters from this fascinating time, some related to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.

Mr. Beal to Lord Burghley, 1578.

John Strype gives us, in the appendix to his Annals¹, a calendar of documents (largely letters). Document Number 59² is from a Mr. Beal, sometime agent to Queen Elizabeth. Beal is defending his bill for services rendered over some two years. Such defenses were not uncommon as the Queen resisted paying her servants and agents as the rule. Many more than one courtier, even, served at a financial loss or waited for extended periods of time hoping to receive at least payment enough to recover their expenses.

Beal surely knew that Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, was the son-in-law to Burghley, when he headed the list of his services with having recovered “ some of his stuff” and apprehended three of the pirates who had robbed him on his way across the Channel. The reference is to the taking by pirates of the ship upon which Oxford was a passenger, returning, in 1576, from a tour of France, Germany and (mostly) Italy.

The reader may recall that among Oxford's possessions were the famous scented gloves he was bringing back from Italy. Mr. Beal may be the means by which the Earl was said to have been robbed of all yet presented the gloves to the Queen at some time after his arrival back in England.

Shortly after this, Beal seems to have interceded with the Dutch authorities in behalf of the English merchants. At any given time the issues could be access to the Dutch and Flemish ports by English ships, piracy in Dutch and Flemish waters, increases in port fees, altered currency exchange rates, commodity price fixing, etc. The last three would have been handled by Thomas Gresham and his operatives. Beal must have been representing the English court in matters of access and/or security.

In the process of this second voyage, Beal, too, was waylaid by pirates. The waters were periodically infested with marauders. Queen Elizabeth, herself, informally hired their services from time to time.

Number LIX. 84

Mr. Beals voyages and embassies: which he writ and sent to the lord treasurer, to manifest his public services and good deserts.

A VOYAGE to the prince of Orange; carried with him seven persons [attendants] with him, and had allowance of her majesty 40s. per diem. Then he solicited the merchants' causes [against the pirates.] One of his businesses was to prosecute the injury done to my lord of Oxford; whereof three were found, and one imprisoned, and some of his stuff recovered. He was then in danger of drowning, and taken by the Spaniards, who lay at Brewershaven, by which he ventured to pass.

He went a second voyage to Holland, being abroad six months, and had with him eight men; and his allowance was 40s. per diem. Passing the seas, he and his company were spoiled of 250l. ready money, besides all their apparel and other furniture.

He made a long and winter journey, making a circuit to and fro of 1400 English miles at the least; repairing personally to nine princes, and sending her majesty's letters to three others.

“Although I never desired to be employed, yet being put into it, my endeavour hath been to discharge the credit committed to me, as might be for her majesty's honour. And as for her highness's sake great honour was in sundry places shewed me, so could I not but by some remembrance requite the same. And I protest upon my allegiance, that the gifts that I gave at the duke of Brunswick's and the landgrave's in ready money, and money's worth, for her majesty's honour, being her gossips, and having had nothing to my knowledge sent unto them, (and in other places,) came to better than 100l. And whoso knoweth the fashions and cravings of those princes' courts may well see, that, having been at so many places, I could not escape with less. My charges came in this voyage to 932l. one ways or other.

Before my going over I sold a chain, which I had of the queen of Scots, for 65l. The duke and duchess of Brunswic gave me a present of 1500 dollars, which is at the least in current money 340l.”

Strype informs us that these journeys into Holland and Germany were about the years 1577 and 1578.

In a second letter to Burghley, of April 1578³, Beal makes his case at greater length:

Besides the losses of money and other things I sustained upon the seas, I would not be in like danger to be assaulted, and so violently taken hurt, kept under hatches, menaced with killing and drowning, in so terrible a sort, as it amazeth me to think of it: and after left without bread, drink, money, or other furniture, to the mercy of the seas, for ten times the charge her majesty hath been at being appointed to take the charge in hand, [that of an ambassador from the queen,] although I bear low sail in court; yet was I not in that service forgetful of her majesty's honour and my duty, but so far forth as my allowance and ability could stretch, I omitted not to do that became me.

Besides my six years continual attendance and service, I will not report the good-will I had to serve her majesty's ambassador in France, since the year 1564, and in Germany; as Mr. Henry Knowles and Mr. Killigrew can witness, without any charge to her highness.

Collecting one's wages from the Queen was clearly not an easy task.

1 Strype, John. Annals of the Reformation... During Queen Elizabeth's Happy Reign (1842).

2 Ibid. IV.117-8.

3 Ibid. 119.

Also at Virtual Grub Street:

• Invention in a Noted Weed: the Poetry of William Shakespeare. September 21, 2024. “The coward conquest of a wretches knife,...”

• The Sonnets of Shakespeare: Sonnet 108. Edward de Vere to his son, Henry. “That may expresse my love, or thy deare merit?”

• Sonnet 130: Shakespeare's Reply to a 1580 Poem by Thomas Watson. September 7, 2024. “Interesting to see our Derek Hunter debating with Dennis McCarthy, at the North group,...”.
• Rocco Bonetti's Blackfriars Fencing School and Lord Hunsdon's Water Pipe. August 12, 2023. “... the tenement late in the tenure of John Lyllie gentleman & nowe in the tenure of the said Rocho Bonetti...”

• Check out the Shakespeare Authorship Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.

• Check out the Letters Index: Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford for many letters from this fascinating time, some related to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.

The Famous Christmas Celebration at Gray's Inn, 1594: the Coronation of the Prince of Purpoole.

In the Famous Christmas Celebration at Gray's Inn, 1594 series:

• Letters go out under Privy Seal.
• Getting the Money and the Guest List Right.
• the Coronation of the Prince of Purpoole.

Here, in the third installment of The Famous Christmas Celebration at Gray's Inn, 1594, we will spare the reader the looong list and order of officers in the procession to crown His Highness the Prince of Purpoole and begin at the end.

Upon the 20th. Day of December, being St. Thomas's Eve, the Prince, with all his Train in Order, as above set down, marched from his Lodging, to the great Hall; and there took his place in his Throne, under a rich Cloth of State: His Counsellors and great Lords were placed about him, and before him; below the Half-pace, at a Table, sate his learned Council and Lawyers; the rest of the Officers and Attendants took their proper Places, as belonged to their Condition.

Upon the performance of the coronation ritual, the also ritual announcements were made attendant upon the coronation feast. As was the tradition, after the coronation of every English monarch, the king's champion would enter the hall in full armor on horse-back

Then the Trumpets were commanded to sound thrice; which being done, the King at Arms, in his rich Surcoat of Arms, stood forth before the Prince, and proclaimed his Style as followeth.

By the sacred Laws of Arms, and authorized Ceremonies of the same (maugre the Conceit of any Malecontent) I do pronounce my Sovereign Liege Lord, Sir Henry, rightfully to be the high and mighty Prince of Purpoole, Arch-Duke of Stapulia [Staple Inn] and Bernardia [Barnard Inn], Duke of the High and Nether Holborn [Streets], Marquis of St. Giles's [Parish] and Tottenham, Count Palatine of Bloomsbury and Clerkenwell, Great Lord of the Cantons of Islington, &c. Knight of the most honourable Order of the Helmet, and Sovereign of the same.

After that the King at Arms had thus proclaimed his Style, the Trumpets sounded again; and then entred the Prince's Champion, all in compleat Armour, on Horse-back, and so came riding round about the Fire; and in the midst of the Hall, stayed, and made his Challenge in these Words following.

If there be any Man, of high Degree, or low, that will say that my Sovereign is not rightly Prince of Purpoole, as by his King at Arms right-now hath been proclaimed, I am ready here to maintain, that he lieth as a false Traitor; and I do challenge, in Combat, to fight with him, either now, or at any time or place appointed: And in token hereof, I gage my Gauntlet, us the Prince's true Knight, and his Champion.

The challenge was followed by facetious speeches featuring sarcastic Latin mottos.

When the Champion had thus made his Challenge, he departed; then the Trumpets were commanded to sound, and the King at Arms blazoned the Prince his Highness's Arms, as followeth.

The most mighty Prince of Purpoole, &c. beareth his Shield of the highest Jupiter. In Point, a Sacred Imperial Diadem, safely guarded by the Helmet of the great Goddess Pallas, from the Violence of Darts, Bullets and Bolts of Saturn, Momus, and the Idiot; all environed with the Ribband of Loyalty, having a Pendant of the most heroical Order of Knighthood of the Helmet; the Word hereunto, Sic virtus honorem [Thus would I trick out virtue]. For his Highness's Crest, the glorious Planet Sol, coursing through the twelve Signs of the Zodiack, on a Celestial Globe, moved upon the two Poles, Artick and Antartick; with this Motto, Dum totum peragraverit orbem [He has wandered through each orbit]. All set upon a Chaphew: Mars turned up, Luna mantelled, Sapphire doubted Pearl, supported by two anciently renowned and glorious Griffyns, which have been always in League with the honourable Pegasus.

The Conceit hereof was to shew, that the Prince, whose private Arms were three Helmets, should defend his Honour by Vertue, from Reprehensions of Male-contents, Carpers and Fools. The Ribband of Blue, with an Helmet Pendant, in intimation of St. George. In his Crest, his Government for the twelve Days of Christmas was resembled to the Sun's passing the twelve Signs, though the Prince's Course had some odd degrees beyond that time: But he was wholly supported by the Griffyns; for Grays-Inn-Gentlemen, and not the Treasure of the House, was charged. The Words, Sic virtus honorem, that his Vertue should defend his Honour, whilst he had run his whole Course of Dominion, without any either Eclipse or Retrogradation.

The challenge was followed by further facetious speeches and a pageant and dancing.

Then His Highness called for the Master of the Revels, and willed him to pass the time in Dancing: So his Gentlemen-Pensioners and Attendants, very gallantly appointed, in thirty Couples, danced the Old Measures, and their Galliards, and other kind of Dances, revelling until it was very late; and so spent the rest of their Performance in those Exercises, until it pleased His Honour to take his way to his Lodging, with Sound of Trumpets, and his Attendants in order, as is above set down.

There was the Conclusion of the first grand Night, the Performance whereof increased the Expectation of those things that were to ensue; insomuch that the common Report amongst all Strangers was so great, and the Expectation of our Proceedings so extraordinary, that it urged us to take upon us a greater State than was at the first intended: And therefore, besides all the stately and sumptuous Service that was continually done the Prince, in very Princely manner; and besides the daily Revels, and such like Sports, which were usual, there was intended divers grand Nights, for the Entertainment of Strangers to our Pass-times and Sports.

Source: Gesta Grayorum, or, The history of the high and mighty prince, Henry Prince of Purpoole (1688).

Also at Virtual Grub Street:

• The King's License to Eat Meat. September 4, 2024. “Henry VIII and prior parliaments had not been overwhelmingly protestant. That was about to change...”

• The Inventory of John Hosear's Humble Life, 1463. August 18, 2024. “These are the goods of John Hosear assigned values by the undersigned men,”

• Batman upon Barthelme: On Dragons. April 30, 2024. “The Elephant séeing the Dragon upon a tree, busieth him to break the tree to smite the dragon...”

• Rocco Bonetti's Blackfriars Fencing School and Lord Hunsdon's Water Pipe. August 12, 2023. “... the tenement late in the tenure of John Lyllie gentleman & nowe in the tenure of the said Rocho Bonetti...”
• Shakespeare CSI: Sir Thomas More, Hand-D. April 22, 2023. “What a glory to have an actual hand-written manuscript from the greatest English writer of all time!”
• Check out the English Renaissance Hyperlinked Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
• Check out the Queen Elizabeth I Hyperlinked Biography Page for many other articles.

The Famous Christmas Celebration at Gray's Inn, 1594: Getting the Money and the Guest List Right.

In the Famous Christmas Celebration at Gray's Inn, 1594 series:

• Letters go out under Privy Seal.
• Getting the Money and the Guest List Right.
• the Coronation of the Prince of Purpoole.

After the first round of “Royal letters,” demanding tribute from the fellow members, reprinted in the previous installment of “The Famous Christmas Celebration at Gray's Inn,” a second was sent to recalcitrant subjects.

WHereas upon our former Letters to you, which required your Personal Appearance and Contribution, you have returned us Answer that you will be present, without satisfying the residue of the Contents for the Benevolence,...

They have accepted the invitation to join in the festivities but haven't made the suggested contribution “as may express your good affection to the State, and be answerable to your quality [social rank].”

The result of this, we learn, was more satisfactory. England's Lord Great Treasurer, and Queen Elizabeth's most trusted advisor, sent along a contribution worth mentioning individually.

By this means the Prince's Treasure was well increased; as also by the great Bounty of divers honourable Favourers of our State, that imparted their Liberality, to the setting forward of our intended Pass-times. Amongst the rest, the Right Honourable Sir William Cecill, Kt. Lord Treasurer of England, being of our Society, deserved honourable Remembrance, for his liberal and noble Mindfulness of us, and our State; who, undesired, sent to the Prince, as a Token of his Lordship's Favour, 10l. and a Purse of fine rich Needlework.

It is not for the quality of the present alone that William Cecil, the Baron Burghley, is mentioned, however. Since shortly after he entered Gray's Inn as a student in 1541 he became a special advocate for it at the actual Royal Court that the Prince of Purpoole and his courtiers were mimicking.

One of the principal goals of Burghley's government, since the ascension of Elizabeth, was to replace unskilled headstrong young noblemen, such as traditionally held office, and their haunch-men subordinates, with men well-trained in law and accounting. Toward this end he sent many a young man — common and noble — to his alma mater for training.

Who received the “ Purse of fine rich Needlework” we can only guess. The 10l. Surely went into the party fund.

The next order of business was to invite their ally, the Inner Temple, to join the festivities.

To the most Honourable and Prudent, the Governors, Assistants and Society of the Inner Temple.

Most Grave and Noble,

WE have, upon good Consideration, made choice of a Prince, to be predominant in our State of Purpoole, for some important Causes that require an Head, or Leader: And as we have ever had great Cause, by the Warrant of Experience, to assure our selves of your unfeigned Love and Amity, so we are, upon this Occasion, and in the Name of our Prince Elect, to pray you, that it may be continued; and in Demonstration thereof, that you will be pleased to assist us with your Counsel, in the Person of an Ambassador, that may be Resident here amongst us, and be a Minister of Correspondence between us, and to advise of such Affairs, as the Effects whereof, we hope, shall sort to the Benefit of both our Estates. And so, being ready to requite you with all good Offices, we leave you to the Protection of the Almighty.

Your most Loving Friend and Ally Grays-Inn.

Dated at our Court of Graya, this 14th. of December, 1594.

Henry Edward Duke, informs us, in his 1912 lecture on Gray's Inn,¹ that it is probable that the concept of Inns of Court and Chancery began to be realized during the reign of Edward I, in the late 13^th century.

The Inner Temple was so named because it was constructed around the New Round Temple (with chancel added) that replaced the Old built by the Knights Templar during the reign of Henry II. In order to confiscate to the crown the vast sums the Templars had come to store on the grounds of the various Temples in Britain and Europe the order was outlawed in 1312.

Hugh H. L. Bellot informs us² that by 1337 two halls on the Temple grounds were in possession of lawyers. By the middle of the 15^th century, several Inns of Court, including Lincoln's Inn, the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple, are referred to in letters as already being “ancient” (then a term of respect). The consecrated Temple grounds inside the city of London became known as The Inner Temple, the unconsecrated as The Middle Temple.

Bellot continues, stating that the Temple Round (temple and grounds) appear

to have been used by both Houses in common, and continued after [1638] to be one of the customary places where rents could be paid, mortgages discharged, and other contracts completed, and to be used as a place for lounge and conversation, for conferences between the two Houses,...³

He cites examples of doing business in the Temple in the works of Ben Jonson and Samuel Butler. He does not think of one other. The reader may remember this from Shakespeare's 1 Henry IV.

Iacke, meete me to morrow in the temple haule

At two of clocke in the afternoone,

There shalt thou know thy charge, and there receive

Money and order for their furniture,

The land is burning, Percy stands on high,

And either we or they must lower lie. [III.iii]

Curiously enough, being immediately next door, it is also likely where the young Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, resident at Gray's Inn, met to do the same business with his retainer Thomas Churchyard before sending him off to the Low Countries as his representative.

Doing business on the Round was forbidden a decade or so after Vere departed only to become the practice again sometime around the mid-1590s. Exactly when the practice resumed is not clear but a row of stalls and shops running from the south wall of the church to its eastern extent dubbed “Cloister Court” existed in 1596.

Surely, the famous Paul's Walk, at London's St. Paul's Cathedral, was inspired by the round. It can genuinely be said to have been England's first shopping mall. For decades, beginning sometime in the 1590s, anyone with public business or information strolled along the aisles of the cathedral and pasted notices up on the columns. Along the walls, inside and out, were stalls fit up as shops for every kind of ware. The place was a mass of shoppers, and weddings, funerals and other religious services were performed in side-chapels while the crowd went about its business and pleasure in the main body of the church.

Like any mall, we may picture it, about now, gaily decorated for the holy days.

1 Duke, Edward Henry. “Gray's Inn.” Six Lectures on the Inns of Court and of Chancery (1912). 186-219.

2 Bellot, Hugh H. L. The Inner and Middle Temple (1902).

3 Ibid., 223.

Also at Virtual Grub Street:

• The King's License to Eat Meat. September 4, 2024. “Henry VIII and prior parliaments had not been overwhelmingly protestant. That was about to change...”

• The Inventory of John Hosear's Humble Life, 1463. August 18, 2024. “These are the goods of John Hosear assigned values by the undersigned men,”

• Batman upon Barthelme: On Dragons. April 30, 2024. “The Elephant séeing the Dragon upon a tree, busieth him to break the tree to smite the dragon...”

• Rocco Bonetti's Blackfriars Fencing School and Lord Hunsdon's Water Pipe. August 12, 2023. “... the tenement late in the tenure of John Lyllie gentleman & nowe in the tenure of the said Rocho Bonetti...”
• Shakespeare CSI: Sir Thomas More, Hand-D. April 22, 2023. “What a glory to have an actual hand-written manuscript from the greatest English writer of all time!”
• Check out the English Renaissance Hyperlinked Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
• Check out the Queen Elizabeth I Hyperlinked Biography Page for many other articles.

The Famous Christmas Celebration at Gray's Inn, 1594: Letters go out under Privy Seal.

Gray's Inn (bottom right)

In the Famous Christmas Celebration at Gray's Inn, 1594 series:

• Letters go out under Privy Seal.
• Getting the Money and the Guest List Right.
• the Coronation of the Prince of Purpoole.

Henry Edward Duke's 1912 lecture on Gray's Inn¹ provides us with a bit of the history of the place. Among the information that the Inns of Court were instituted during the reign of Edward I and that Gray's Inn was established on an “ancient manor, which was called the Manor of Portpoole... an endowment of one of the prebends of St. Paul's Cathedral, and then 600 years or more ago passed into the possession of a Chief Justice of Chester, Reginald Le Gray” Duke quotes Lady Bacon, “Nicholas Bacon's second wife”:

In 1594 Lady Bacon, who was a great Puritan, wrote to her son Anthony, who was suspected of not having been a strict Puritan, "I trust they will not mum nor sinfully make revel at Gray's Inn."

What could have possessed her, neither we nor the members of Gray's Inn court of the newly elected Prince of Purpoole might guess. Of course, they intended to do nothing so much and with such abandon as that.

After many consultations had hereupon by the youths and others that were most forward herein, at length, about the 12th of December, with the consent and assistance of the Readers and Ancients, it was determined, that there should be elected a Prince of Purpoole, to govern our state for the time; which was intended to be for the credit of Gray's Inn, and rather to be performed by witty inventions than chargeable expences.

The members of the Inn were generally young sons of wealthy families, therefore expected to pitch-in considerable sums toward making the prince's court respectable.

Whereupon, they presently made choice of one Mr. Henry Holmes, a Norfolk gentleman, who was thought to be accomplished with all good parts, fit for so great a dignity; and was also a very proper man of personage, and very active in dancing and revelling.

Then was his Privy Council assigned him, to advise of state-matters, and the government of his dominions: his lodging also was provided according to state; as the Presence Chamber, and the Council Chamber. Also all Officers of State, of the Law, and of the Household. There were also appointed Gentlemen Pensioners to attend on his person, and a guard, with their Captain, for his defence.

Towards this end, “royal letters” were issued under the prince's privy seal. It is with these that we begin our description of the famous Christmas festivities at Gray's Inn.

The next thing thought upon, as most necessary, was, provision of Treasure, for the support of his state and dignity. To this purpose, there was granted a benevolence by those that were then in his Court abiding; and for those that were not in the House, there were letters directed to them, in nature of Privy Seals, to enjoin them, not only to be present, and give their attendance at his Court; but also, that they should contribute to the defraying of so great a charge, as was guessed to be requisite for the performance of so great intendments.

The Form of the Privy Seals directed to the foreigners, upon occasion as is aforesaid:

"Your friends of the Society of Gray's Inn now residing there, have thought good to elect a Prince, to govern the state of the Signiory, now by discontinuance much impaired in the ancient honour wherein heretofore it hath excelled all other of like dignity. These are therefore, in the name of the said Prince, to require you forthwith to resort to the Court there holden, to assist the proceedings with your person ; and withal, upon the receipt hereof, to make contribution of such benevolence as may express your good affection to the State, and be answerable to your quality. We have appointed our well-beloved Edward Jones our foreign collector, who shall attend you by himself, or by his deputy.

" Dated at our Court at Graya, Your loving friend, the 13th of December, 1594. GRAY'S-INN."

Duke's lecture describes the daily routine in the Inn:

'...the men must be in Commons and keep their chapels; there was daily chapel, morning and afternoon ; there were the meals in common, dinner at 12 o'clock and supper at 6 or 7 o'clock; there were moots and bolts and exercises day in and day out and week in and week out throughout great part of the year. 

*

There were moots in term time, and then on the first Monday in Lent and the first Monday after Lammas there began the learning vacations. In term time there were moots in which the Benchers were seated as judges and an Outer Barrister and an Inner Barrister were assigned on each side as advocates. An Outer Barrister of the Society stated a case and thereupon the Inner Barrister, who was the junior, stated, of course in Norman French, the appropriate pleading for the plaintiff, and the Inner Barrister who was on the other side stated the appropriate pleading for the defendant. Thereupon issue was joined and the two men who were the leaders, and were practising in anticipation of the time when they should take charge of people's interests in Westminster Hall, set to and conducted an argument before the Bench of the Society.

Those were the exercises of the more advanced students ; but when the Outer Barrister was not engaged in that way he was conducting what were called bolts for the Inner Barristers. I suppose he was "bolting," that is sifting, the knowledge of the Inner Barristers. He set questions for argument, and it was the business of every man from time to time to propound a "case." '

This was the regimen of six days a week, every week. Chapel, breakfast, legal exercises; chapel, lunch, legal exercises; supper, burning the midnight oil, bed. Repeat. Working vacations passed with the Vacation Reader daily reading law text to students who generally remained at the Inn.

This was the regimen of six days a week, every week. Of course, they were going to attend chapel twice daily and to do the 1594 version of Animal House the rest of the day during the high holidays.

And this Christmas season (2024) we will follow along and enjoy watching the fun.

1 Six Lectures on the Inns Of Court And Of Chancery (1912). 186-219.

Also at Virtual Grub Street:

• The King's License to Eat Meat. September 4, 2024. “Henry VIII and prior parliaments had not been overwhelmingly protestant. That was about to change...”

• The Inventory of John Hosear's Humble Life, 1463. August 18, 2024. “These are the goods of John Hosear assigned values by the undersigned men,”

• Batman upon Barthelme: On Dragons. April 30, 2024. “The Elephant séeing the Dragon upon a tree, busieth him to break the tree to smite the dragon...”

• Rocco Bonetti's Blackfriars Fencing School and Lord Hunsdon's Water Pipe. August 12, 2023. “... the tenement late in the tenure of John Lyllie gentleman & nowe in the tenure of the said Rocho Bonetti...”
• Shakespeare CSI: Sir Thomas More, Hand-D. April 22, 2023. “What a glory to have an actual hand-written manuscript from the greatest English writer of all time!”
• Check out the English Renaissance Hyperlinked Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
• Check out the Queen Elizabeth I Hyperlinked Biography Page for many other articles.