And the next morning, as is aforesaid, she died. Immediately after her death, as well of the Council as other noblemen that were at the Court, came from Richmond to White-hall by six o’clock in the morning, where other noblemen that were at London met them; but as they began to sit in council in the privy chamber at White-hall, the Lord Keeper, Sir Thomas Egerton, and the rest of the Council that were no barons, offered to sit at the lower end of the council table, and not above any of the meanest nobility; but the noblemen, in respect of their former authority, called them to the higher end of the table, and wished them to keep their places, whereunto the Lord Keeper answered, viz. “If it be your Lordships’ pleasures, we will do so; but that is more of your courtesies than we can demand of duty”; and so they sat down, every man according to his degree in Council; touching the succession, where after some speech had of divers competitors and matters of State, at length the Lord Admiral rehearsed all the aforesaid premisses, which the late Queen had spoken to him and to the Lord Keeper and Mr. Secretary, with the manner thereof; which they, being asked, did affirm to be true upon their honours.
APPENDIX
THE ENTERTAINMENT OF QUEEN ELIZABETH (1575).
Source.—The Princely Pleasures at the Courte at Kenelwoorth. Imprinted at London by Richard Jhones, 1576. Reprinted in Nichols’ Progresses of Queen Elizabeth, vol. i. These revels were also described, more vividly, but at greater length, in West Country dialect, by Laneham in his Letter, reprinted by Nichols and also by the Early English Text Society.
A brief Rehearsal, or rather, a true Copy of as much as was presented before her Majesty at Kenilworth during her last abode there, as followeth:
Her Majesty came thither, as I remember, on Saturday, being the ninth of June last past: On which day there met her on the way, somewhat near the Castle, Sibylla, who prophesied unto Her Highness the prosperous reign that she should continue, according to the happy beginning of the same. The order thereof was this: Sibylla being placed in an arbour in the park, near the highway where the Queen’s Majesty came, did step out, and pronounced as followeth:
“All hail, all hail, thrice happy Prince, I am Sibylla she,
Of future chance and after hap foreshewing what shall be.
* * * * *
And so pass forth in peace, O Prince of high and worthy praise:
The God that governs all in all increase your happy days!”
This device was invented, and the verses also written, by Mr. Hunnis, Master of her Majesty’s Chapel.
Her Majesty passing on to the first gate, there stood in the leads and battlements thereof six trumpeters hugely advanced[66] much exceeding the common stature of men in this age, who had likewise huge and monstrous trumpets counterfeited, wherein they seemed to sound: and behind them were placed certain trumpeters, who sounded indeed at Her Majesty’s entry. And by this dumb show it was meant that in the days and reign of King Arthur men were of that stature; so that the Castle of Kenilworth should seem still to be kept by Arthur’s heirs and their servants. And when her Majesty entered the gate, there stood Hercules for Porter who, seeming[67] to be amazed at such a presence upon such a sudden, proffered to stay them. And yet at last, being overcome by view of the rare beauty and princely countenance of Her Majesty, yielded himself and his charge, presenting the keys unto her Highness, with these words: [Verses.]
These verses were devised and pronounced by Master Badger of Oxenford, Master of Art and Bedell in the same University.