Leicester’s entertainment began on Saturday, the 9th
of June. Dugdale’s account informs us that “ the Earl of Leicester gave the
Queen a glorious Entertainment at Long Ichington, erecting a tent of
extraordinary largeness for that purpose, the ruins belonging whereto amounted
to seven cart-loads, by which the magnificence thereof may be guessed at.”[1]
Ichington is about eight miles from Kenilworth Castle. Presumably, it was
chosen as especially suitable for such a large gathering.
History has been particularly generous and has preserved an
eyewitness letter describing the events by Robert Laneham, a retainer of the
Earl. At Kenilworth, that evening, the
Queen crossed “a goodly pool of rare beauty”[2]
by way of “a beautiful bracelet of a fair timbered bridge, that is of fourteen
feet wide and six hundred feet long; railed on both sides, strongly planked for
passage, reaching from the chase to the Castle.”[3]
All along her route to get there, we can be sure, she was addressed by various
speakers belonging to various factions in the adjoining village, each acclaiming
her unmatched virtues and presenting a gift.
Over the Castle-gate
was there fastened a table beautifully garnished above with
her Highness's arms, and featly with ivy wreaths bordered about, often feet
square[4]
Every host along every progress was careful to prominently
display the Queen’s arms. Her servants made sure to load her various personal
hangings, also displaying her arms, carefully onto the baggage carts in order
to drape them over every surface against which she might be observed.
As Elizabeth passed along the bridge, various pageants were
played that had been carefully prepared for her by the finest writers of Leicester’s
and the Royal Court. The crossing must have required nearly an hour.
At the end of the bridge and entry of the gate, was her
Highness received with a fresh delicate harmony of flutes, in performance of Phoebus
presents.
So passing into the inner court, her Majesty (that never
rides but alone) there, set down from her palfrey, was conveyed up to her
chamber: When after did follow so great a peal of guns, and such lightening by
fire-work a long space together, as though Jupiter would have shown himself to
be no further behind with his welcome than the rest of his Gods : and that he
would have all the country to know, for indeed the noise and flame were heard
and seen twenty miles off.
Every day would pass like this — continuously busy with entertaining the queen — except Sunday. As she aged, events were more likely to be cancelled due to fatigue, or would go on without her, all parties deeply disappointed that their show wasn’t seen by the queen.
Sunday mornings were passed at religious services. The
evenings might involve general recovery and wandering musicians, Tumblers, etc.
On Sunday the 17th, on this occasion, however, a
couple from the area was to have the astonishing honor of having the Queen watch
them practice a rustic wedding celebration for her sake.
At afternoon, in worship of this Kenilworth Castle, and of
God and Saint Kenelm, whose day, forsooth, by the Calendar this was, a solemn
bridal of a proper couple was appointed: Set in order in the tilt-yard, to come
and make their show before the Castle in the great court, where was pight a
comely Quintain for feats at arms, which when they had done, to march out at
the northgate of the Castle homeward again into the town.[5]
Laneham has a fine sense of the whimsy of the scene.
And thus were they marshalled. First, all the lusty lads and
bold bachelors of the parish, suitably habited every wight, with his blue buckram
bride-lace upon a branch of green broom (because rosemary is scant there) tied on
his left arm, for on that side lies the heart; and his alder pole for a spear
in his right hand, in martial order ranged on afore, two and two in a rank:
Some with a hat, some in a cap, some a coat, some a jerkin, some for lightness
in doublet and hose, clean truss'd with points afore; Some boots and no spurs, this
spurs and no boots, and he again neither one nor other: One had a saddle,
another a pad or a pannel fastened with a cord, for girths were geazon[6]:
And these, to the number of sixteen wights, riding men and well beseen: But the
bridegroom foremost in his father's tawny worsted jacket, (for his friends were
fain that he should be a bride-groom before the Queen) a fair straw hat with a
capital crown, steeple-wise on his head; a pair of harvest gloves on his hands,
as a sign of good husbandry; a pen and inkhorn at his back, for he would be
known to be bookish: lame of a leg that in his youth was broken at foot-ball;
well-beloved of his mother, who lent him a new muffler for a napkin, that was
tied to his girdle for losing it. It was no small sport to mark this minion in
his full appointment, that, through good tuition, became as formal in his
action as had he been a bride-groom indeed;…[7]
All the actors looked forward to participating in the Morris Dance to follow.
[1]
Nichols, John. The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth
(1823). I, 419. Citing Dugdale, William.
Antiquities of Warwickshire (1656).
[2] Merridew, John. Kenilworth
Festivities (1825), 3.
[3]
Ibid. 5.
[4]
Ibid. 14.
[5]
Ibid. 29.
[6]
geazon] scarce.
[7]
Ibid. 28-9.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
1 comment:
Laneham was not a Leicester retainer but secretary of the privy council and a London guild master. He strenuously me objected when the account was published in his name. It is most likely that either Philip or Mary Sidney or both wrote the account making fun of the earnest self important Laneham and is strong accent. Mary was 14 and just summoned to court as a maid of honor. Philip had returned from his grand tour and was cup bearer for the Queen
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