CVrteous Reader, for the better vnderstanding of this discription following, especially to whom the scituation of the place is either lesse knowne or not at all; they are therefore to note that Theobalds vvhether the Kings Magestie came vpon Tuesday, being the third of May, accompanied with his whole traine, is a Princely Mannor belonging to the right Honorable Sir Robert Cecill, principall Secretarie to his Magestie, and one of his Highnes Priuie Counsell, seated in the countie of Essex, twelue miles distant from London, directly by North, neere to an ancient towne called Walton-crosse. This house is not placed adjoy­ning to the high way side, as manie sumptuous buildings are in that countrie, and thereabouts, but especiallie betweene that place and London, the most part whereof belong to the cittie Marchants; but hath a most statelie walke, from the common street way whereby passengers trauaile vp to the Pallace, by the space of one furlong in length, beset about either side with yong Elme and Ashe trees, confusedly mixt one for another, from the high-way to the first court, belonging to the house, contayning in breadth three rods, which amount to some fif­teene yards, in fashion made like a high ridge land, or the mid­dle street way without bishops gate. His Magestie hauing di­ned [Page]vpon that same day with Sir Henrie Cocks at Broxburne, foure miles distant from Theobalds, about halfe an houre after one a clocke in the afternoone, his Highnesse proceeded forward toward Theobalds, accompanied with Sir Edward Dennie then shriefe of Essex, hee had followers an hundred and fiftie in parti-coloured hats, red and yellow bands, round rould, with a feather in euerie one of them of the same colour, besides two trumpeters all which were in blew coates gallantly moun­ted. There did accompanie his Magestie from Broxburne, ma­nie of the Nobilitie of England & Scotland. As his Highnesse was espied comming toward Theobalds, for very ioy many ran from their carts, leauing their teame of horse to their owne vn­reasonable direction.

After his approach nigh vnto Theobalds, the concourse of people was so frequent, euery one more desiring a sight of him, that it were incredible to tell of. And it was wonderfull to see the infinit number of horsemen and footemen that went from the cittie of London that day thetherwards, and likewise from the counties of Kent, Surry, Essex, & Middlesex, besides many other countries: There were in my companie two more, who after I had put it into their mindes, what infinit numbers of horse and foote passed by vs, after our breakfast at Edmunton, at the signe of the Bell, wee tooke occasion to note how many would come downe in the next houre, so comming vp into a chamber next to the street, where wee might both best see and likewise take notice of all passingers, wee called for an houre-glasse, and after wee had disposed of our selues who should take the number of the horse, and who the foote, wee turned the houreglasse, which before it was halfe runne out, we could not possiblie truelie number them, they came so exceedinglie fast, but there wee broke off, and made our account of three hundred▪ and nine horse, and an hundred thirtie seauen foot­men, which course continued that day from foure a clocke in the morning, till three a clocke after noone, and the day be­fore also, as the host of the house told vs, without intermission; now whether euerie equall space did equall the number of [Page]these I cannot justly say, therefore I forbeare to set it downe. When we were come to Theobalds, wee vnderstood his Ma­gestie to bee within the compasse of three quarters of a mile of the house, at which tidings wee deuided our selues into three parts, each one taking a place of speciall note, to see what me­morable accidents might happen within his compasse, one standing at the vpper end of the walke, the second at the vp­per end of the first court, the third at the second court dore; and we had made choice of a gentleman of good sort, to stand in the court that leads into the hall, to take notice what was done or said by his highnesse to the Nobilitie of our land, or saide or done by them to his Magestie, and to let vs vnderstand of it, all which accidents as they hapned in their seuerall places, you shall heare in as few words as may be. Thus then for his Ma­gesties comming vp the walke, ther came before his Magestie some of the Nobilitie, some Barons, Knights, Esquires, Gen­tlemen and others, amongst whom was the Shriefe of Essex, and the most of his men, the trumpets sounding next before his highnesse, sometimes one sometimes another, his Magestie riding not continually betwixt the same two, but sometimes one sometimes another, as seemed best to his highnesse, the whole Nobilitie of our land and Scotland round about him, obseruing no place of superiotie, all bare-headed, all whom a­lighted from their horses, at their entrance into the first court, saue onely his Magestie alone, who rid along still, foure No­ble men laying their hands vpon his steed, two before and two behind, in this manner hee came, till hee was come to the court dore where my selfe stoode, where hee alighted from his horse, from whom hee had not gone ten princely paces, but there was deliuered him a petition by a yong gentleman, his Magestie returning him this gracious answere, that he should bee heard and haue justice.

At the entrance into that court stood many noble men, a­mongst whom was Sir Robert Cecil, who there meeting his Magestie conducted him into his house, all which was prac­tised with as great applause of the people as could bee, hartie [Page]prayer and throwing vp of hats. His Magestie had not staied aboue an houre in his chamber, but hearing the multitude throng so fast into the vppermost court to see his highnesse, as his grace was informed, hee shewed himselfe openly, out of his chamber window, by the space of halfe an houre together, after which time hee went into the Laberinth-like garden to walke, where hee recreated himselfe in the Meanders compact of Bayes, Rosemarie, and the like, ouershadowing his walke to defend him from the heate of the sunne, till supper time, at which was such plentie of prouision for all sorts of men, in their due place as struke mee with admiration, and first to be­gin with the ragged regiment, and such as were debarred the priueledge of any court, these were so sufficientlie rewarded with beefe, veale, mutton, bread and beere, that they sung holli­day euery day, & kept a continual feast; as for poore maimed & distressed souldiers which repaired thether for maintenance, the wine, mony, and meat which they had in verie bounteous sort, hath beene a sufficient spur to cause them blaze it abroad since their comming to London, whose thankefulnesse is not altogether vnknowne to my selfe, whom some of them hea­ring that I was about to publish this small remembrance, made meanes to mee to giue mee true information of such princelie exhibition as they daily receiued, during the time of his Ma­gesties aboade at Theobalds.

But let vs a litle looke back, into the mirrour of Magestie, our soueraignes owne selfe, who in his princely wisdome, (con­sidering the multitude of people assembled together, had that prouident care ouer vs his louing subiects, foreseeing that vic­tualls would be deere, both for horse and man, had it bene per­mitted to haue bene disposed of, according to the insatiable de­sire of the towne inhabitats, ratified a deposition to that effect taken before the Clark of the market, for such and such vic­tualls, meale, bread, butter, egges, cheese, beefe, mutton, veale, & the like, with lodging, and many moe such necessarie matters, that they should not be out of measure deare, beyond ordinary course and custome, within the Verge of his Magesties court, [Page]so long as it continued at Theobalds, what his princely inten­tion was in this towards the publick good of all his faithfull subiects, then and there assembled together, meerely drawne with the bonds of loue and bounden dutie, may easily be ga­thered by the publication of the same, by his Magesties priui­ledge; but how effectually this was obserued by all estates of people, within the Verge of his Magesties court, at the sayd tyme, I referre it to the censure of them, that are assured of the certaintie of it.

Vpon wednesday morne, being the fourth of May, his Ma­gestie rid very earely in the morning into Enfeeld chace, ac­companied with many of the nobilitie, his retourne was short­er then was expected by a great deale, by reason the morning seemed to promise a shower, but did not performe it, I could haue wished that either it had neuer lou'red at all, so we should haue enioyed the presence of his Magestie the longer, at that present, or else that the middle region would haue giuen vs iust cause to haue rayld against it, by vrging his highnesse retourne into the house before his full recreation; he rid the most part of the way from the chace betwene two honourable persona­ges of our land, the Earle of Northumberland vpon his Ma­gesties right hand, the Earle of Nothingham vpon his left hād. Now one word concerning his Magesties proceding towards London vpon satterday being the seauenth of May, and so wil end. For the number of people that went forth of the cittie of London to see his Magestie that day, doubtles they were con­tained in a number, but without all doubt not to be numbred. I heard many gray heads speake it, that in all the meetings they haue seene or heard of, they neuer heard or saw the tenth man was there to be seene that day, betwixt Enfeeld and London, euerie place in this space so clogd with companie, that his high­nesse could not passe without pausing, oft-times willingly en­forced, though more willing to haue proceeded, if conuenient­ly he could without great perill to his beloued people. After our retourne to our houses, in our recreating pratle, a gentle­man then soiourning in my house, one master Th: Pa: a man [Page]vpon my owne knowledge of sufficient wealth, yet he would haue bene content to haue exchanged his state, so he might but haue had actually for euerie reasonable creature was ther that day, a Bee, and a hiue to put them in. Another (more reasona­ble then he) would aske no more liuing, then for euerie one a pin, which according to an Arithmeticall proporcion, by the iudgement of two or three martiall men, who had seene great companies together, as neere as they could gesse, by their see­ming show, would haue amounted to an hundred and fiftie pound, receaiuing but of euery one a pin. His Magestie com­ming to Stanford hill, ther was an oration made vnto his high­nesse, the effect whereof I could not truely learne, and heare it I could not, by reason of the croud, for euen there being three miles from London, the people were so throng, that a ca [...]man let his cart for eight groats to eight persons, whose a­boad was not in it aboue one quarter of an houre. From Stam­ford hill to London, was made a traine with a tame deare, with such twinings and doubles, that the hounds could not take it faster then, his Maiestie proceeded, yet still by the industrie of the huntsman, and the subtilitie of him that made the traine, in a full-mouthed crie all the way, neuer farther distant then one close from the high way, whereby his highnesse rid, and for the most part directly against his Magestie, whom together with the whole companie, had the lee winde from the hounds, to the end they might the better perceue and iudge of the vniformi­tie in the crie. After his Magestie was come from Kings-land, there begun a diuision amongst the people which way his Highnesse would take when he came at Islington, but in fine, he came the higher way, by the west end of the Church, which street hath euer since, & I gesse euer wilbe called Kings street, by the enhabitants of the same. When his highnes had passed Islington and another place called New-rents, and entred into a close called woods close, by a way was cut of purpose through the banck, for his Magesties more conuenient passage into the Charterhouse garden, the people that were there assembled, I can compare to anothing more conueniently then to imagine [Page]euery grasse to haue bene metamorphosed into a man, in a mo­ment, the multitude was so maruelous, amongst whome were the children of the hospital singing, orderly placed for his Ma­gesties comming along through them, but all displaced, by rea­son of the rudenesse of such a multitude. After his Magestie was come amongst the presse of the people, the shouts and clamours were so great, that one could scarce heare another speake, and though there were no hope to finde what was lost especially by the looser, notwithstanding in token of excessiue ioy, inwardly conceaued in the hart, many threw vp their hats; Now at last he is entred into the garden, from which time till his going to the Tower, mine eies were neuer blest with his encounter. Now he is amongst vs, God long preserue him ouer vs, whose presence makes old men sing, Satis se vixisse se viso.