First before the maiors barge was a foist or waf|ter full of ordinance,The maiors barge with the conceits and deuises thereof. in which foist was a great dra|gon continuallie moouing and casting wild fire: and round about the said foist stood terrible monsters and wild men casting fire, and making hideous noi|ses. Next after the foist a good distance came the ma|iors barge: on whose right hand was the bachelors barge, in the which were trumpets and diuerse other melodious instruments; the deckes of the said barge and the sailyards, with the top castels were hanged with rich cloth of gold and silke: at the foreship and the sterne were two great banners rich, beaten with the armes of the king and the quéene, and on the top castell also was a long streamer newlie bea|ten with the said armes. The sides of the barge was set full of flags and banners of the deuises of the companie of the haberdashers and merchants ad|uenturers, and the cords were hanged with innu|merable pensel [...]es, hauing little belles at the ends, which made a goodlie noise and a goodlie sight, waue|ring in the wind. On the outside of the barge were thrée dozen scutchions in mettall of arms of the king and the queene, which were beaten vpon square bucram diuided, so that the right side had the kings colours, and the left side the queenes, which scutchi|ons were fastened on the clothes of gold and siluer, hanging on the decks on the left hand.

On the left hand of the maior was another foist,A foist with [...] mount and o|ther deuises. in the which was a mount, and on the same stood a white falcon crowned, vpon a roote of gold inuiro|ned with white roses and red, which was the quéens deuise; about which mount sat virgins singing and plaieng sweetlie. Next after the maior followed his EEBO page image 931 fellowship the habardashers; next after them the mercers, then the grocers, and so euerie companie in his order, and last of all the maior and shiriffes officers, euerie companie hauing melodie in his barge by himselfe, and goodlie garnished with ban|ners, and some garnished with silke, and some with arras and rich carpets, which was a goodlie sight to behold: and in this order they rowed to Gréenwich, to the point next beyond Gréenwich, and there they turned backeward in another order, that is to wit, the maior and shiriffs officers first, and the meanest craft next, and so ascending to the vttermost crafts in order, and the maior last, as they go to Paules at Christmas, and in that order they rowed downe|ward to Gréenwich towne, and there cast anchor, making great melodie.

Quéene Anne taketh barge with hir name attend|ing vpon hir.At thrée of the clocke the queene appéered in rich cloth of gold, entring into hir barge accompanied with diuerse ladies and gentlewomen: and inconti|nent the citizens set forwards in their order, their minstrelles continuallie plaieng, and the bache|lors barge going on the quéens right hand, which she tooke great pleasure to behold. About the quéenes barge were manie noble men, as the duke of Suffolke, the marques Dorset, the erle of Wilshire hir father, the erles of Arundell, Darbie, Rutland, Worcester, Huntington, Sussex, Oxford, and ma|nie bishops and noble men, euerie one in his barge, which was a goodlie sight to behold. She thus being accompanied rowed toward the tower: and in the meane waie the ships which were commanded to lie on the shore for letting of the barges, shot diuerse peales of guns, and yer she was landed, there was a maruellous shot out of the tower as euer was heard there. And at hir landing there met with hir the lord chamberlaine with the officers of armes, and brought hir to the king, which receiued hir with lo|uing countenance at the posterne by the water side, and then she turned backe againe, and thanked the maior and the citizens with manie goodlie words, and so entred into the tower. After which entrie the citizens all this while houered before the tower ma|king great melodie, and went not on land, for none were assigned to land but the maior, the recorder, and two aldermen. But for to speake of the people that stood on either shore to behold the sight, he that saw it not would scarse beleeue it.