(afterwards Lord Burleigh)—the astute, the most politic Cecil—whom she instantly appointed principal Secretary of State.” On the 23rd of November the Queen removed from Hatfield with an escort of more than a thousand persons, and made her progress by slow degrees to Somerset House. In 1587 Elizabeth had, it is recorded, been visited at Hatfield by Mary, whom she received with much state, and with great festivity, playing herself upon the virginals, to accompany a child who sang. It was at Hatfield, too, it is said, that Elizabeth received the proposals of marriage from the King of Sweden for his son Eric, which she turned to such profitable account with her sister by declaring that she would never listen to any overtures of this nature which had not previously received her Majesty’s sanction. It does not appear that after her accession to the throne Queen Elizabeth ever resided at Hatfield, although she had previously been much attached to the place, and had kept up Christmas revels and Shrovetide and other festivities in a liberal manner. At one of these, Sir Thomas Pope, her guardian, made “for the Ladie Elizabeth, alle at his own costes, a greate and rich maskinge, in the great hall at Hatfielde, where the pageauntes were marvelously furnished” with “banket of sweete dishes,” “a suttletie in thirty spyce,” and wonderful garnishings, but for which “folliries” Sir Thomas got “snubbed” by his queen, who ordered these mummeries to cease. [Illustration: _The Front View._] James I., in the third year of his reign, exchanged Hatfield for the house, manor, and park of Theobalds, with his minister, Sir Robert Cecil, afterwards created Earl of Salisbury, whose descendant, the Marquis of Salisbury, is the present owner, the estates passing in regular succession from that time to the present day, and continuing to be the principal residence of that noble family, about whom we now give some details.