網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

His Majefty was pleased to constitute Anthony St. Leger,* Efq; one of the Commiffioners to fettle the Affairs of Ireland, and in 1539 he was appointed Lord Deputy, and afterwards made Knight of the Garter: He died in 1542, and was buried in Kent among his Ancestors.

In his Time (Anno 1541) an Act of Parliament paffed for erecting Ireland into a Kingdom, and from thence the King of England was ftiled King of Ireland; whereas before he was only called Lord of Ireland. This Act was afterwards confirmed by an Act passed in England.

land.

1528. The Cardinal

prefents Hamp

ton-court to the King.

THE Cardinal, notwithstanding his Affairs of Eng- close Attention to Business, enjoyed at convenient times the Pleasure of a Retreat at his Palace at Hampton-court,+ (now compleatly finished, and elegantly furnished) where the King often vifited him, being much taken both with the Situation and Beauty of the Structure. Upon this Wolfey, ever ftudious to please his Royal Master, very generously prefented it to him, who as readily accepted of it, and, in Return, gave his Minifter Richmond Palace to refide in: And Rapin allows, "That this grand Prefent of Hampton-court was a stately Palace, and outshined all the King's "Houses."

[ocr errors]

In those Days it was esteemed one of the most magnificent Structures in Europe; and Cambden, upon this Occafion, is pleased to give Wolfey this Character: "That he built it out of Oftentation to fhew "his great Wealth, and that he was on all Ac

*From this Lord Deputy the Right Honourable Arthur St. Leger, Viscount Donerayle, is defcended.

66

counts

The Ground, whereon the Cardinal built this famous Palace, was purchased of the Lord St. John.

[ocr errors]

N. Pair Sculp

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

To her Grace MARY DUTCHESS of MONTAGUSE

in her Graces most obedient Serv. Joseph Grove.

"counts exceeding prudent, but Infolence had carried "him beyond himself." But if there is any Confiftency in it, we wifh our Readers may discover it.

No fooner was this Palace in the King's Hands, but he enlarged the Buildings, which were fo exceeding curious, that Leland celebrates them in the following Lines.

A Palace which Nature's choiceft Gifts adorn,
Where Thames' kind Streams in gentle Currents run,
The Name of HAMPTON hath for Ages borne.
Here fuch a Palace fhews great HENRY's Care,
As Sol ne'er views in his exalted Sphere,
In all his tedious Stage.

} }

And on the Marriage of the Thames and Ifis thus:

TO HAMPTON runs, whofe State and Beauty fhews,.
A City here contracted in a House.
This the grave Prelate WOLSEY's Care begun
To whom blind Fortune's Arts were fully known,
And all her Smiles dafh'd in one fatal Frown.

[ocr errors]

}

This Royal Palace is environed on three Sides with the River Thames, and confequently enjoys as pleafant a Situation as the Prudence of its Founder could felect; for it was indeed, as our Author fays, a Work of great Magnificence, for the Age it was built in. *

* Whoever knew HamptonCourt before it was begun to be rebuilt, or even altered by the late King William, must acknowledge it was a very complete Palace, and fit for a King; and though it might not, according to the modern Tafte of Building or Gardening, pafs for a Thing exquifitely fine; yet it fhewed a Situation exceedingly capable of further Embelishments, and of

It

being made one of the most delightful Palaces in Europe; as that fagacious Prince well knew, and his penetrating Queen was fo fenfible of, that, when the King had ordered the old Apartments to be pulled down, in order to be built in the most beautiful Form we fee them now appear in, her Majefty, impatient of enjoying fo agreeable a Retreat, fixed upon a Building, formerly

made

It is a juft Obfervation, from the Situations of the old Abbies and Monafteries, that the Clergy were excellent

made ufe of chiefly for landing from the River, called the Water-gallery; and here, as if her Mind had fuggefted fhe had but a few Years to enjoy the fame, fhe ordered all the neat and curious Things to be done, which fuited her own Conveniency, and made it the pleasantest Place, within Doors, that poffibly could be imagined; though, its Situation being fuch as that it could not be allowed to ftand after the great Building was finifhed, we now fee no Remains of it.

;

The Queen had her Gallery of Beauties, being the Pictures at full Length of the principal Ladies attending her Majefty, or that were frequently in her Retinue and they were the more agreeable Sight, as the Originals were all in being, and often to be compared with their Pictures. The Queen had here a fine Apartment, with a Set of Lodgings for her private Retreat, most curiously furnished; particularly a fine Chints-bed, then a great Curiofity; another of her own Work, while in Holland, very magnificent, and feveral others. Here also was her Majefty's Collection of Delf Ware, very large and fine, together with a vaft Stock of the finest China Ware, the like not then in Europe, the long Gallery, and every other Place, where it could be lodged with Advantage, being filled with it.

Her Majefty had also here a fmall Bathing-room, made very fine, and fuited either for hot

or cold Bathing, as the Season fhould invite; alfo a Dairy with all its Conveniencies, in which fhe took great Delight. All these Places and Offices were finished with great Expedition, that their Majefties might repose thither while they faw the main Building go forward. And the Gardens were now laid out, the Plan of them being devifed by the King himfelf; and especially the Amendments and Alterations were made by the King, or Queen, or by both their particular Directions; for their Majefties agreed well in their Fancy in that Respect, and had both good Judgment in the juft Proportion of Things. Here the fine Limes, which form the Semicircle in the South Front of the Houfe by the Iron Gates, looking into the Park, were by the dexterous Hand of the head Gardner removed, after fome of them had been almost thirty Years planted in other Places, though not far off, which thrive perfectly well.

a

While the Gardens were thus laying out, the King alfo directed the Pipes for the Fountain and Jetted Eau's; and particularly their Dimensions, and what Quantity of Water they should caft up, the Number of which were increased after the firft Defign.

The Ground, on the Side of the other Front, has received fome Alterations fince the taking down of the Water-gallery; but not that Part immediately next the Lodging.

The

« 上一頁繼續 »