Chronicles of an Old Inn; Or, A Few Words about Gray's InnHope, Andrée
History
Chronicles of an Old Inn; Or, A Few Words about Gray's Inn
Hope, Andrée
Gray's Inn; Inns of Court; Lawyers -- Great Britain
The next grand night was upon Twelfth Night, on which occasion there
was again a great company of lords, ladies, and knights; and at
Shrovetide the Prince and his company visited Queen Elizabeth at
Greenwich.
After the performance Her Majesty "willed the Lord Chamberlain that the
gentlemen should be invited on the next day, and that he should present
them to her," which was done, and Her Majesty gave them her hand to
kiss, with most gracious words of commendation to them, "particularly
and in general of Gray's Inn, as an house that she was much beholden
unto, for that it did always study for some sports to present unto her."
The same night there was fighting at "Barriers," at which the Prince
behaved so valiantly and skilfully that the prize, a jewel set with
seventeen diamonds and four rubies, was presented to him by the Queen.
The following order of Pension, to defray the expenses of the above
entertainment, was made on February 9th, 37th Elizabeth.
"At this Pension it is ordered that every Reader of this House, towards
the charges of the shows and sports before Her Majesty at Shrovetide
last year, shall pay ten shillings, and every Ancient six shillings and
eightpence, and every Utter Barrister five shillings, and every other
Gentleman of this Society, three shillings and sixpence before the end
of this term."
There is a tradition in Gray's Inn that the screen already mentioned
under the gallery in the Great Hall, as well as the dining tables now
used in the Hall, were given to the Society by that Queen as tokens of
Her Majesty's regard.
Queen Elizabeth's memory is still held in much affection by the ever
loyal subjects in Gray's Inn, and on the Grand Day of each term "the
glorious, pious, and immortal memory of good Queen Bess" is still
solemnly given in Hall.
In 1613, "the Maske of Flowers was presented by the Gentlemen of
Graie's Inn, in the Banqueting House, at the Court of Whitehall, on
the occasion of the marriage of the Earle of Somerset with the Lady
Frances, daughter of the Earl of Suffolk."
In "The Court and Times of King James I.," there is a letter from I.
Chamberlaine, dated 23rd December, 1613, in which he says:
"Sir Francis Bacon prepares a masque to honour their marriage which
will stand him in above £2,000, and, although he has been offered some
help by the House, and especially by Mr. Solicitor Sir Henry Yelverton,
who would have sent him £500, yet he would not accept it."
The story of this masque was published the following year, with a
dedication "to the verie honourable Sir Francis Bacon, His Majesty's
Attorney-General."
The dedication states:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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