§ ii

Between this affair and the date of his succession to his brother Richard, Edward Sackville was employed on various missions: he sat in the House of Commons, he was twice sent as ambassador to Louis XIII, and he travelled in France and Italy. He was thus, when he succeeded, an experienced man of thirty-four, and he pursued, uninterruptedly, the sober path of office, now Lord Chamberlain, now Lord Privy Seal, now a Commissioner for planting Virginia, always in the confidence of the King, and his name affixed to State documents of the day in noble company. The disgraces and follies of his predecessors and of his descendants were not his lot, if that murderous duel is to be excepted. My flaming Cavalier, flamberge au vent, was in reality a sober and consistent gentleman; loyal, but not impetuous; prejudiced, but not blinded; devoted, but not afraid to speak his mind in criticism; and in support of this claim I shall presently quote from one of his speeches in which he argues against a continuance of the Civil War and pleads for a prompt reconciliation between the King and his Parliament. His judgment is acute, and his attitude remarkably sound and broad-minded. Yet at the same time his devotion to the King was such, that after Charles’ execution Lord Dorset never passed beyond the threshold of his own door.

There are a few papers at Knole relating to the years before the war began, and from them one may gather some idea of the then manner of life, always remembering that Lord Dorset was much impoverished by the extravagance of his brother. The total income for the year 1628 from Knole and Sevenoaks was £100 18s. 6d.—a fifth part of which was derived from the sale of rabbits. Some details of expenses are given in the account-books, besides those which I have already given in connection with the park in the second chapter:

Money spent on the pale in Knole Park for one year (£8 9s. 6d.) as follows:

£s.d.
For filling, cleaning, and making six loads of pale rails, posts, and shores, two men080
Setting up panels of pales, blown down by the wind against Riverhill, 10d. day each man050
Paid a labourer for spreading the mole hills in the meads and for killing moles043

The steward of Sevenoaks was paid ten shillings a year, the bailiff of Sevenoaks £10, the steward of Seal £2 10s., the bailiff of Seal £4.

£s.d.
Four hundred nails for the pales020
Paid for setting up pales at mock-beech gate008
Paid toward repairing the market cross in
Sevenoaks684

Portions of the park, such as were not already under cultivation of hops, were leased out to farmers for grazing:

£s.d.
The joistment[[6]] of Knole Park, May 1629.
Of William Bloom for 3 yearlings100
Of George Dennis for keeping 20 runts[[7]]0134
Of Richard Wicking for his kines’ pasture0130
Of Richard Fletcher for summering 2 colts0160

There were other sources of revenue. Letters patent granted an imposition of 4s. per chaldron on all coal exported, to be divided among the Earl of Dorset, the Earl of Holland, and Sir Job Harby:

COAL IMPOSITIONS

£s.d.
6th May, 16344312130
Deduction for expenses507114
Rest to be divided into thirds380518

That is to say, Dorset’s share would be £1268 7s. 8d., or more than £10,000 of modern money.

He obtained also £100 a year by devising to Richard Gunnel and William Blagrave for four and a half years a piece of land at the lower end of Salisbury Court, Fleet Street, 140 feet in length and 42 feet in breadth, on condition that they should at their own expense put up a play-house. What would be the rent of such a piece of land now in Fleet Street? Certainly not £100.

In spite of the fact that he complained constantly of his reduced income, Lord Dorset added considerably to the park. He obtained a long lease of Seal Chart, and “all woods and under-woods of the waste or common of the Manors of Seal and Kemsing, viz., upon Rumshott Common, Riverhill Common, Hubbard Hill Common, and Westwood Common ... in all at least 500 acres.”

More entertaining is the acquisition of an overseas estate—no less than that part of the east coast of America which to-day includes New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. Those little manors in the neighbourhood of Sevenoaks, those 500 acres of common land, dwindle suddenly beside this formidable tenure. “An island called Sandy [Hook]” the petition casually begins:

An island called Sandy, lying near the continent of America, in the height of 44 degrees, was lately discovered by one Rose, late master of a ship, who suffered shipwreck, and, finding no inhabitants, took possession. The Earl of Dorset prays a grant of the said island for thirty-one years, and that none may adventure thither but such as petitioner shall license.

A second petition takes one’s breath away with its magnificent insolence:

The Earl of Dorset to the King. Certain islands on the south of New England, viz: Long Island, Cole Island, Sandy Point, Hell Gates, Martin’s [? Martha’s] Vineyard, Elizabeth Islands, Block Island, with other islands near thereunto, were lately discovered by some of your Majesty’s subjects and are not yet inhabited by Christians. Prays a grant thereof with like powers of government as have been granted for other plantations in America.

Underneath this is scribbled:

Reference to the Attorney-General to prepare a grant. Whitehall, 20th Dec., 1637.

One would wish to evoke for a brief hour the spectres of those of his Majesty’s subjects who found these localities uninhabited by Christians.

Returning to Knole after this seems paltry; yet even there Lord Dorset was conducting his affairs on a proportionately large scale. He said himself that he spent £40,000 after his son’s marriage, and one can believe it when one reads a sample of the bill of fare provided for a banquet. At the top is written:

To perfume the room often in the meal with orange flower water upon a hot pan. To have fresh bowls in every corner and flowers tied upon them, and sweet briar, stock, gilly-flowers, pinks, wallflowers and any other sweet flowers in glasses and pots in every window and chimney.

BANQUET at KNOLE 3rd July 1636

1 Rice Pottage 2 Barley broth 3 Buttered pickrell 4 Butter and burned eggs 5 Boiled teats 6 Roast tongues 7 Bream 8 Perches 9 Chine of Veal roast 10 Hash of mutton with Anchovies 11 Gr. Pike 12 Fish chuits [sic] 13 Roast venison, in blood 14 Capons (2) 15 Wild ducks (3) 16 Salmon whole, hot 17 Tenches, boiled 18 Crabs 19 Tench pie 20 Venison pasty of a Doe 21 Swans (2) 22 Herons (3) 23 Cold lamb 24 Custard 25 Venison, boiled 26 Potatoes, stewed 27 Gr. salad 28 Redeeve [sic] pie, hot 29 Almond pudding 30 Made dishes 31 Boiled salad 32 Pig, whole 33 Rabbits

Another Menu

1 Jelly of Tench, Jelly of Hartshorn 2 White Gingerbread 3 Puits [peewits] 4 Curlew 5 Ruffes [sic] 6 Fried perches 7 Fried Eels 8 Skirret Pie 9 Larks (3 doz.) 10 Plovers (12) 11 Teals (12) 12 Fried Pickrell 13 Fried tench 14 Salmon soused 15 Soused eel 16 Escanechia [sic] 17 Seagulls (6) 18 Ham of bacon 19 Sturgeon 20 Lark pie 21 Lobster pie 22 Crayfishes (3 doz.) 23 Dried tongues 24 Anchovies 25 Hartechocks [artichokes] 26 Peas 27 Fool 28 Second porridge 29 Reddeeve pie [sic] 30 Cherry tart 31 Laid tart 32 Carps (2) 33 Polony sasag [sic]

There is also a list of “household stuff” dated the year of Lord Dorset’s succession.

“A Note
of household stuff sent by SYMONDES to KNOLE the 28th of July 1624.”
Packed up in a fardel, viz.: in ye black bed chamberIMPRIMIS. A fustian down bed, bolster and a pair of pillows, a pair of Spanish blankets, 5 curtains of crimson and white taffeta, the valance to it of white satin embroidered with crimson and white silk and a deep fringe suitable; a test and tester of white satin suitable to the valance. A white rug. All these first packed up in 2 sheets and then packed in a white and black rug and an old blanket.
Packed in another fardel, viz.: next ye chapel chamberIT: A feather bed and bolster, a pair of down pillows, 2 mattrasses, 5 curtains and valances of yellow cotton trimmed with blue and yellow silk fringes and lace suitable, a tester to it suitable, a cushion case of yellow satin, a pair of blankets to wrap these things in, there is also in the fardel a yellow rug, and a white and black rug.
In ye black bedchamberIT: Two bedsteads whereof one of them is gilt, which with the posts, tests, curtains, etc., are in all 11 parcels whereof 4 are matted.
In ye black bedchamberIT: Packed up in mats 2 high stools, 2 low stools, and a footstool of cloth of tissue and chair suitable.
Next ye Chaplain’s chamberIT: There goes a yellow satin chair and 3 stools, suitable with their buckram covers to them. All the above written came from Croxall.
IT: Packed in mats my lady’s coach of cloth of silver, and 2 low stools that came from Croxall, and a said bag, wherein are 9 cups of crimson damask laid with silver parchment lace, and 6 gilt cups for my lord’s couch bed and canopy, and 8 gilt cups for the bed that came from Croxall.
IT: In a wicker trunk, 2 brass branches for a dozen lights apiece; and 2 single branches with bosses and bucks heads to them, also a wooden box with screws for the said 2 bedsteads, a dozen of spiggots to draw wine and beer, a bundle of marsh mallow roots, and 2 papers of almonds.
IT: A round wicker basket, wherein are 9 dozen of pewter vessels of 9 sorts or sizes.
IT: 4 back stools of crimson and yellow stuff with silk fringe suitable, covered with yellow baize.
IT: 6 pairs of mats to mat chambers with gt 30 yards apiece.
IT: 2 walnut tree tables to draw out at both ends with their frames of the same.
IT: A round table and its frame.
IT: 2 green broad cloth chairs, covered all over, laced, and set with green silk fringe and a back stool suitable, covered with green buckram.
IT: A box containing 3 dozen of Venice glasses.
IT: A basket wherein are 20 dozen of maple trenchers.

And finally, for I fear lest the detailing of these old papers should grow wearisome, there is a letter which so well illustrates the humour, the coarseness, and the difficulties of life at that time, that I make no apology for including it:

Letter

from ELIZA COPE to her sister the COUNTESS of BATH

19th Jan. 1639. Brewerne

Dear Sister,

I am glad to hear of your jollity. I could wish myself with you a little while sometimes. I have played at cards 4 or 5 times this Christmas myself, after supper, which makes me think I begin to turn gallant now. Some of my neighbours put a compliment upon me this Christmas, and told me the old Lady Cope would never be dead so long as I was alive, they liked their entertainment so well, when my gilt bowl went round amongst them, which saying pleased me very well, for she was a discreet woman and worthy the imitating. I am as well pleased to see my little man make legs and dance a galliard, as if I had seen the mask at Court. I am glad you got well home for we have had extreme ill weather almost ever since you went, but now I will take the benefit of this frost to go visit some of my neighbours on foot to-morrow about seven miles off, but I will have a coach and 6 horses within a call, against I am weary. You know the old saying, it is good going on foot with a horse in the hand.

Commend my service to your lord, and wishing to hear you were puking a-mornings I bid ye good-night in haste.

Your faithful sister,

ELIZA COPE.