---

“Perhaps you would have the kindness, Sir,” said Mrs. Spencer, as she sat at work with her daughters, “to resume the conversation, which was interrupted this morning, and in which we were much interested. I observed written, under a painting in the gallery, ‘Funeral of Henry the Seventh;’ and as it was previous to the reformation, and consequently attended with some ceremonies fallen into disuse in a Protestant realm, I have no doubt we should be much interested in the recital.”

Mr. Wilmot waited not for a second request, but began as follows:

“After all things necessary for the interment and funeral pomp of the late king were sumptuously prepared and done, the corpse of the deceased was brought out of his privy-chamber, where it had rested three days; and every day had three dirges, and masses sung by a mitred prelate.

“From thence it was conveyed into the hall, where it also remained three days, and where a similar service was performed: the same ceremony was observed, for the like space of time, when it was moved into the chapel. In each of these places was a hearse of wax, garnished with banners, attended by nine mourners, who daily made their offerings. Every place where the procession stopped, was hung with black.

“Upon Wednesday, the ninth of May, the corpse was put into a chariot, covered with black cloth of gold, drawn with five coursers, covered with black velvet, garnished with cushions of fine gold; and over the corpse was an image or representation of the late king, apparelled in his rich robes of state, the crown on his head, and the ball and sceptre in his hands, laid on cushions of gold. The chariot was ornamented with banners, scutcheons, and arms, descriptive of the monarch’s titles, dominions, and genealogies.

“The king’s chaplain, and a number of prelates, led the way, praying. Then came the king’s servants in black, followed by the chariot, attended by nine mourners, and lighted by torches, amounting to the number of six hundred, which were carried on either side. In this order they proceeded from Richmond to St. George’s Fields. Here they were met by all the religious men, priests, clerks, &c. within and without the city, who took the lead. The mayor and his brethren, with many of the common council, met the corpse at London Bridge, and escorted it through the city.

“Long torches, placed on each side of the street, with young children standing on stalls, bearing tapers, lent to this funeral pomp additional solemnity; illuminating, with their flickering beams, the remains of him who had paid the debt of mortality, common alike to potentates and subjects.

“Arrived at St. Paul’s, the body was taken out, and conveyed into the choir, where it was placed under a hearse of wax, garnished as before; whilst a solemn dirge was sung, and a sermon preached on the occasion, by the bishop of Rochester.

“Here it rested for the night, and on the following day was removed towards Westminster; Sir Edward Howard bearing the king’s banner, on a courser, trapped in the arms of the deceased monarch. In Westminster was a curious hearse, composed of nine ‘principals^[7], all full of lights,’ which were lighted at the coming of the corpse.

“Six lords bore the coffin from the chariot, and placed it under the hearse, the image lying on the cushion, on a large pall of gold. The hearse was double-railed. Within the first rail sat the mourners; and within the second partition stood knights, bearing banners of saints; and without the same stood officers of arms.

“When the mourners were placed in order, garter king-at-arms cried, ‘For the soul of the noble prince, king Henry the Seventh, lately king of this realm;’ and immediately the choir began ‘plecabo,’ and a dirge was sung; which being finished, the mourners departed, and, after taking refreshment, reposed for the night.

“On the next day three masses were solemnly sung by three bishops: at the last was offered the king’s banner, courser, and coat-of-arms, his sword, target, and helm. At the conclusion the mourners made their offerings of rich palls of cloth of gold, and bauderkin, (or cloth of gold, with figures embroidered in silk:) ‘Libera me’ was then sung, and the body committed to the earth.

“At this part of the ceremony the king’s treasurer, lord steward, chamberlain, and comptroller of the household, broke their staves and cast them into the grave; garter king-at-arms exclaiming, with a loud voice, ‘Vive le roi Henri le huitiÈme, roi d’Angleterre et de France, sire d’Irlande.’

“The obsequies ended, the party returned to the palace, where a sumptuous feast was provided for them.”

“What a happiness it is,” said Mrs. Spencer, “that we are no longer under the burdensome ceremonies of popery—that we are not required to sing dirges for the dead, nor pay for masses, to deliver their souls from an ideal purgatory.”

“It is so,” replied Mr. Wilmot. “The ensuing coronation,” he continued, “of Henry the Eighth and Katherine, was conducted with circumstances of extraordinary pomp; but it is not my intention to enter into a minute description of it; and I shall only relate to you a few of the pageants that were exhibited on the occasion, and which mark the manners of the age. Amongst others, was a park, artificially constructed, with pales of white and green, wherein were fallow deer; and, in the park, trees, bushes, and ferns, very curiously constructed. The deer were hunted in the presence of the queen and court, and afterwards presented to them. Another device was a palace, in which was a curious fountain, and over it a castle, surmounted with a crown imperial, with battlements of roses and pomegranates, gilded; whilst, under and about the said castle, ran a vine, the grapes and leaves whereof were gilded with fine gold, with white and green lozenges strewed about the castle; and, in every lozenge, either a rose or a pomegranate, and a sheaf or arrows; or else the letters H. and K. in gold, with certain arches and turrets gilded, to support the same castle; whilst, from the mouths of certain beasts, ran white, red, and claret wine.

“Henry the Eighth was remarkably expert at the games then in practice; such as bearing off the ring, wrestling, casting the bar, &c. Shooting, singing, dancing, and music, seem likewise frequently to have engaged him; and it will afford you some idea of the mixture of simplicity and ostentation of the age, when I tell you, that, in the second year of his reign, he rose early on May-day, to gather hawthorn and green boughs. Richly dressed himself, and, accompanied by his knights, squires, yeomen, and guard, arrayed in white satin and sarcenet, with bows and arrows, he went shooting into the wood; and returned again to court, every man wearing a green bough in his cap. These rural festivities seem often to have been repeated, and accompanied with more or less splendour. Nor could the royal party have had far to ride, ere they could procure those symbols of the beautiful month they were about to commemorate. For it was only late in the preceding reign, that the gardens, which had been continued, time out of mind, without Moorgate, now called Moorfields, were destroyed, and a plain field made of them, for archers to shoot in. And a few years after the excursion of the youthful monarch, which I have just mentioned, the citizens of London, disliking the enclosures of the common fields about Islington, Shoreditch, Hoxton, and other places near the city, whereby they could not be suffered to exercise their bows, nor other popular games, as they had before been accustomed to, assembled themselves one morning, and went with spades and shovels into the said fields, and there worked so diligently, that all the hedges about town were cast down, and the ditches filled.”

“Another May morning was celebrated with far more variety than that before mentioned. The court lying at Greenwich, the royal party rode out for an airing. Passing by Shooter’s-hill, they observed a company of yeomen, amounting to about two hundred, clad in green, with hoods of the same colour. One of them, calling himself Robin Hood, stepped forwards, and addressing the king, begged permission to shoot before the sovereign. The request being of course granted, he whistled, and instantly the whole band discharged their arrows at once. A second signal called forth a similar proof of skill. These arrows, it seems, whistled as they flew, in consequence of some ingenious contrivance in the head; and the noise was so singular and great, that the illustrious spectators, and their train, expressed both astonishment and delight.

“Robin Hood then requested the company of the distinguished party into the green wood, that they might see how outlaws fared. And the horns were blown, until they came to a wood under Shooter’s-hill, where they found an arbour, composed of boughs, with a hall, a great and an inner chamber, very well made, and covered with flowers and sweet herbs. Robin Hood then addressed the king in these words: ‘Sir, outlaws’ breakfast is venison, and therefore you must be content with such fare as we use.’ Upon which Henry and his consort seated themselves, and were served with venison and wine, to their mutual gratification.

“On their return they were met by two ladies, in a rich chariot, drawn by five horses: a lady was seated on each steed, and they bore on their heads inscriptions, allegorically representing the peculiar attributes of the season; whilst lady May and lady Flora, splendidly attired, sat in the carriage, saluting the king with songs, until he arrived at Greenwich. A great concourse of people were assembled to view this celebration of the day, and appear to have entered fully into the amusement.”

“There is something extremely interesting,” said Mrs. Spencer, “in the sovereign of a great people thus affording himself and his subjects a simple and even elegant recreation.”

“Nor was Christmas a season of less festivity,” continued Mr. Wilmot. “Warlike knights and ‘peerless dames,’ issuing from castles, erected in the royal halls, with sham fights, music, and dancing, seem to have constituted a prominent feature of entertainment. One of these pageants, exhibited at Greenwich, on Twelfth-night, was an artificial garden, called the garden of ‘Esperance.’ This garden was towered at every corner, and railed with gilt rails; whilst the banks were adorned with artificial flowers, composed of silver and gold, with green satin leaves. In the midst of the garden stood a pillar of antique work of gold, set with pearls and stones; and on the top of this pillar was an arch, crowned with gold, in which was placed a bush of white and red roses, and a bush of pomegranates, both made of silk and gold. Six knights, with an equal number of ladies, descended from this fanciful parterre, who, after dancing many dances, stepped up again into it, and were wheeled out of the room. The whole, as usual, concluded with a banquet.

“The birth of Henry’s first son, who died in his infancy, was celebrated with even more than usual gaiety. But it would be fatiguing, both to you and to me, were I to relate to you the almost endless devices enumerated; though, as you have probably heard of the ancient jousts, or combats on horseback, which were a favourite diversion with our forefathers, I shall give you an account of one, in order that you may be able to form some idea of this species of recreation.

“On this occasion it commenced with a forest, in which were interspersed rocks, hills, and dales, with a variety of trees and flowers, hawthorn, fern, and grass, composed of green velvet, damask, satin, and sarcenet, of a variety of colours. Within the wood were seen six foresters, attired in green, and by their sides lay a number of spears. In the middle stood a golden castle, before the gate of which was a gentleman, gaily dressed, wreathing a garland of roses for the prize. This pageant appeared to be drawn by a lion and an antelope. The lion was covered with damask gold, and the antelope wrought all over with silver damask, his tusks and horns gilt.

“These animals were led by men, attired so as to represent wild men, or, as they were styled, ‘woodhouses:’ their heads, faces, hands, legs, and whole body being covered with green flossed silk. On either side of the lion and unicorn, sat a lady in splendid attire; whilst the beasts were tied to the car with huge golden chains. When the pageant rested before the queen, the foresters blew their horns, and the device opening, disclosed four knights completely armed, bearing magnificent plumes on their heads, and spears in their hands; the housing of their horses, on which were embroidered their names, being composed of gold. To combat with these, a swell of trumpets and drums announced on the field the entrance of the earl of Essex and the lord Thomas Howard, with their friends, and a gallant train, well armed; the trappings and bases of their horses being composed of crimson satin, embroidered with branches of pomegranates of gold and posies. After the usual display of feats of address and skill, the jousts, for that day, were closed.

“On the morrow, after dinner, they were re-renewed, with this difference in their attire, that the noblemen and their hordes wore cloth of gold and russet tinsel: the knights, cloth of gold and russet velvet: the gentlemen on foot, russet satin and yellow; and the yeomen, russet damask and yellow; all of them garnished with scarlet hose and yellow caps.

“The entrance of the king, under a pavilion of cloth of gold and purple velvet, sumptuously embroidered, with a superb plume glittering with spangles of gold, and his three aids or supporters, each under a pavilion of crimson and purple damask, studded with their sovereign’s initials in gold, gave an additional splendour to this day’s entertainments.

“Gentlemen and yeomen, to the number of one hundred and sixty-eight, attired in their peculiar colours, and twelve children on horseback, each differing from the other, but all richly dressed, were ranked on this side of the lists. The opposite party were preceded by Sir Charles Brandon, habited as a recluse, in a long robe of russet satin, and unattended by music, bearing a petition to the queen, to licence him to run in her presence. Assent was, of course, granted; when he was instantly armed cap-À-piÈ^[8], and, crossing the tilt-yard at full gallop, was received by a company in russet satin, who awaited him.

“Alone came young Henry Guildford; himself and horse clad in his squire’s robe of russet cloth of gold, and cloth of silver, closed in a device or pageant, made like a castle or a turret, wrought of russet Florence satin sarcenet, set out in gold, with his word or posie. He also demanded leave of the queen to run; which being granted, he took his place at the tilt end. A number of his servants, dressed in his colours, russet, satin, and white, with hose of like colour, then made their appearance, and followed their master.

“The marquis of Dorset, and Sir Thomas Bullen, clothed as pilgrims, from St. James’s, in tabards of black velvet, with palmers’ hats on their helmets, and with long Jacob’s staves in their hands, followed. Their horses’ trappings were of black velvet; and these, together with their own dresses, were strewed with scallop-shells. Their servants also wore black satin, with scallop-shells of gold on their breasts.

“They were, soon afterwards, succeeded by lord Henry Buckingham, earl of Wiltshire, himself and his horse apparelled in cloth of silver, embroidered with his posy or word, and arrows of gold, in a posy, called, “La maison de refuge,” made of crimson damask, bordered with roses and arrows of gold; on the top, a greyhound of silver, bearing a pomegranate of gold, the branches whereof were so large, that they overspread the whole pageant. Sir Giles Capell, Sir Rowland, with many other knights richly armed and accoutred, entered also on this side of the lists.

“When all was ready, the trumpets sounded a flourish, and the combatants rushed together. Adroitness and skill in unlacing the antagonist’s helmet, and in unhorsing him, seem to have formed a prominent part of these martial exercises, in which the king and his aids were, as usual, distinguished, and to whom, on this occasion, the prize was adjudged.

“I shall close this account with the description of one more pageant, running upon wheels, which was introduced at this period, and which, to use the words of Holinshed, was ‘curiously made, and pleasant to behold, being solemn and rich; for every post thereof was covered with friezed gold, wherein were trees of hawthorn, eglantine, roses, vines, and other pleasant flowers of divers colours, with gilly-flowers, and other herbs, all made of satin, damask, silver, and gold, according as the natural trees, herbs, and flowers ought to be.’

“These festivals were soon followed by the death of the young prince, who expired on the twenty-second of February, at Richmond, and was buried at Westminster.”

“Nothing,” said Mrs. Spencer, “marks more distinctly the progress of national taste, than its public amusements. England, at the time you have been speaking of, was gradually emerging from her rusticity; and the ludicrous mixture displayed in the pageants exhibited, of refinement and grossness, prove that the luminous era which was to follow, was but just dawning upon her. But put up your work, my dears: tea is waiting, and Mr. Wilmot appears exhausted.”