Nooks and Corners of English Life, Past and Present

Name: Nooks and Corners of English Life, Past and Present
Author: Timbs, John

Timbs, John

England -- Social life and customs

for several articles: namely, for a girdle of silk, studded with
silver, 20_s_.; three hundred doublets (rubies), at twentypence the
hundred; 1,800 pearls, at twopence each; and a circlet of gold, of the
price of 16_l_. bought for the marriage of Katharine Brouart; and
another of a pair of tablets of gold, enamelled with divers histories,
of the price of 9_l_.

The division of Dona, besides entries of simple presents and gratuities,
contains notes of gifts to messengers, from acquaintances; and others,
giving us further insight into the connexions maintained by the Queen.
Notices of messengers bringing letters from the Countesses of Warren and
Pembroke, are very frequent. Under the head of Prestita, moreover, is an
entry of a sum of 230_l_. given to Sir Thomas de la March, in money,
paid to him by the hands of Henry Pikard, citizen of London (doubtless
the magnificent Lord Mayor of that name, who so royally entertained King
John of France, the King of Cyprus, and the Prince of Wales, at this
period), as a loan from Queen Isabella, on the obligatory letter of the
same Sir Thomas: he is known as the victor in a duel, fought at Windsor,
in presence of Edward III., with Sir John Viscomte, in 1350. To the
origin of Isabella's interest in him we find no clue. Several payments
to couriers refer to the liberation of Charles, King of Navarre, and are
important, as proving that the Queen was not indifferent to the events
passing in her native country, but that she was connected with one who
was playing a conspicuous part in its internal history--Charles of
Navarre, perhaps the most unprincipled sovereign of his age, and known
in his country's annals under the designation of "the Wicked."

Among the remaining notices of messengers and letters, we have mention
of the King's butler coming to the Queen at Hertford, with letters of
the King, and a present of three pipes of wine; a messenger from the
King, with three casks of Gascon wine; another messenger from the King,
with a present of small birds; John of Paris, coming from the King of
France to the Queen at Hertford, and returning with two volumes of
Lancelot and the Sang Réal, sent to the same King by Isabella; a
messenger bringing a boar's head and breast from the Duke of Lancaster,
Henry Plantagenet; William Orloger, Monk of St. Albans, bringing to the
Queen several quadrants of copper; a messenger bringing a present of a
falcon from the King; a present of a wild boar from the King, and of a
cask of Gascon wine; a messenger, bringing a present of twenty-four
bream from the Countess of Clare; and payments to messengers bringing
new year's gifts from the King, Queen Philippa, the Countess of
Pembroke, and Lady Wake.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Nooks and Corners of English Life, Past and PresentTimbs, John

History

Nooks and Corners of English Life, Past and Present

Timbs, John

England -- Social life and customs

for several articles: namely, for a girdle of silk, studded with
silver, 20_s_.; three hundred doublets (rubies), at twentypence the
hundred; 1,800 pearls, at twopence each; and a circlet of gold, of the
price of 16_l_. bought for the marriage of Katharine Brouart; and
another of a pair of tablets of gold, enamelled with divers histories,
of the price of 9_l_.

The division of Dona, besides entries of simple presents and gratuities,
contains notes of gifts to messengers, from acquaintances; and others,
giving us further insight into the connexions maintained by the Queen.
Notices of messengers bringing letters from the Countesses of Warren and
Pembroke, are very frequent. Under the head of Prestita, moreover, is an
entry of a sum of 230_l_. given to Sir Thomas de la March, in money,
paid to him by the hands of Henry Pikard, citizen of London (doubtless
the magnificent Lord Mayor of that name, who so royally entertained King
John of France, the King of Cyprus, and the Prince of Wales, at this
period), as a loan from Queen Isabella, on the obligatory letter of the
same Sir Thomas: he is known as the victor in a duel, fought at Windsor,
in presence of Edward III., with Sir John Viscomte, in 1350. To the
origin of Isabella's interest in him we find no clue. Several payments
to couriers refer to the liberation of Charles, King of Navarre, and are
important, as proving that the Queen was not indifferent to the events
passing in her native country, but that she was connected with one who
was playing a conspicuous part in its internal history--Charles of
Navarre, perhaps the most unprincipled sovereign of his age, and known
in his country's annals under the designation of "the Wicked."

Among the remaining notices of messengers and letters, we have mention
of the King's butler coming to the Queen at Hertford, with letters of
the King, and a present of three pipes of wine; a messenger from the
King, with three casks of Gascon wine; another messenger from the King,
with a present of small birds; John of Paris, coming from the King of
France to the Queen at Hertford, and returning with two volumes of
Lancelot and the Sang Réal, sent to the same King by Isabella; a
messenger bringing a boar's head and breast from the Duke of Lancaster,
Henry Plantagenet; William Orloger, Monk of St. Albans, bringing to the
Queen several quadrants of copper; a messenger bringing a present of a
falcon from the King; a present of a wild boar from the King, and of a
cask of Gascon wine; a messenger, bringing a present of twenty-four
bream from the Countess of Clare; and payments to messengers bringing
new year's gifts from the King, Queen Philippa, the Countess of
Pembroke, and Lady Wake.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Nooks and Corners of English Life, Past and Present

Nooks and Corners of English Life, Past and Present

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