did appear, in rich dress, Hope, Faith, and Charity. Hope did assay to speak, but wine rendered her endeavours so feeble, that she withdrew, and hoped the king would excuse her brevity. Faith was then all alone; for I am certain she was not joined to good works; and left the court in a staggering condition. Charity came to the king's feet, and seemed to cover the multitude of sins her sisters had committed in some sort she made obeysance, and brought gifts; but said she would return home again, as there was no gift which Heaven had not already given to his majesty. She then returned to Hope and Faith, who were both sick and in the lower hall. Next came Victory, in bright armour, and presented a rich sword to the king, who did. not accept, but put it by with his hand; and, by a strange medley of versification, did endeavour to make suit to the king: but Victory did not triumph long; for, after much lamentable utterance, she was led away as a silly. captive, and laid to sleep in the outer steps of the antichamber. Now did Peace make entry, and strive to get foremost to the king: but I

grieve to tell how great wrath she did discover unto those of her attendants; and, much contrary to her semblance, made rudely war with her olive branch, and laid on the pates of those who did oppose her coming.

"I have much marvelled at those strange pageantries, and they do bring to my remembrance what passed of this sort in our queen's days; of which I was some time an humble presenter and assistant: but I ne'er did see such lack of good order, discretion, and sobriety, as I have now done. I have passed much time in seeing the royal sports of hunting and hawking, where the manners were such, as made me devise the beasts were pursuing the sober creation, and not man in quest of exercise and food. I will now, in good sooth, declare to you, who will not blab, that the gunpowder fright hath got out of all our heads, and we are going on hereabouts, as if the devil was contriving every man to blow up himself, by wild riot, excess, and devastation of time and temperance. The great

ladies do go well masked; and, indeed, it be the only shew of their modesty, to conceal their

countenance: but, alack! they meet with such countenance to uphold their strange doings, that I marvel not at aught that happens. The lord of the mansion is overwhelmed in preparations at Theobalds, and doth marvellously please both kings, with good meat, good drink, and good speeches. I do often say (but not aloud) that the Danes have again conquered the Britons, for I see no man or woman, either, that can command herself. I wish I was at home-O rus, quando te aspiciam ?—And I will, before the Prince Vaudemont cometh."*

Exhibitions of the above description, however fantastic and trifling they might be, were, at least, harmless; they involved nothing cruel in them; and no part of the pleasure which they afforded to the spectators was derived from the sufferings of the animal creation. But this was not the case with another of the popular amusements of Elizabeth's reign, bearbaiting, patronised by majesty, enjoyed by the court, and affording to the multitude the most intense gratification. The account which

Nuge Antiquæ, v. i. p. 384.

Robert Laneham has given us of the great bear-baiting that made a part of the diversions at Kenilworth, sufficiently proves the barbarity of this sport. We have adopted a modern idiom, in lieu of his barbarous language.

"Well, sir, the bears were brought forth into the court; the dogs were set to them, to argue the point, face to face. They had learned counsel, also, on both parts. Very fierce, both one and the other, and eager in argument. If the dog, in pleading, would pluck the bear by the throat, the bear, with traverse, would claw him again by the scalp. Confess if he pleased, but avoid he could not, that was bound to the bar. Therefore, thus, with defending and proving, with plucking and tugging, scratching and biting, by plain tooth and nail, on the one side and the other, such expense of blood and leather was there between them, as a month's licking, I think, will not recover.

"It was a sport very pleasant of these beasts, to see the bear, with his pink eyes, leering after his enemy's approach; the nimbleness and waiting, too, of the dog to take

his advantage; and the foresight and expe rience of the bear, again, to avoid the assault. If he were bitten in one place, how he would pinch in another, to get free; if he were taken once, then what shift with biting, with clawing, with roaring, tossing, and tumbling, he would work to wind himself from them; and, when he was loose, to shake his ears twice or thrice, with the blood and slaver about his physiognomy, was a matter of goodly relief."*

It is due, however, to Elizabeth, to remark, that the barbarous pastime of bear-baiting did not originate in her reign, though her patronage gave additional popularity to it. She found it on the list of those amusements which had solaced her predecessors on the throne; and, as it suited the fierce and masculine turn of her character, she gave it her marked and constant encouragement.

Richard III., we find, numbered this sport among those with which he amused his few hours of relaxation. On the 6th January, 1484, he issued an order to all mayors and sheriffs in England, commanding them not to * Kenilworth Illustrated.