Thus in great honour, triumph, and glorie, he reigned a long season, ruling all things within the realme apperteining vnto the king. His house was resorted to with noblemen and gentlemen,The cardi|nals house like a princes court for all kind of bra|uerie & sump|tuousnesse. feasting and banketting ambassadors diuerse times, and all other right noblie. And when it pleased the king for his recreation to repaire to the cardinals house (as he did diuerse times in the yeare) there wanted no preparations or furniture: bankets were set foorth with maskes and mummeries, in so gorgeous a sort and costlie maner, that it was an heauen to behold. There wanted no dames or damosels meet or apt to danse with the maskers, or to garnish the place for the time: then was there all kind of musike and har|monie, with fine voices both of men and children.

On a time the king came suddenlie thither in a maske with a dozen maskers all in garments like shéepheards, made of fine cloth of gold,A maske and banket, the king in person present at the cardinals house. and crimosin sattin paned, & caps of the same, with visards of good physnomie, their haires & beards either of fine gold|wire silke, or blacke silke, hauing sixtéene torch-bea|rers, besides their drums and other persons with vi|sards, all clothed in sattin of the same color. And be|fore his entring into the hall, he came by water to the water gate without anie noise, where were laid diuerse chambers and guns charged with shot, and at his landing they were shot off, which made such a rumble in the aire, that it was like thunder: it made all the noblemen, gentlemen, ladies, and gentlewo|men, to muse what it should meane, comming so sud|denlie, they sitting quiet at a solemne banket, after this sort.

EEBO page image 922 The cardi|nals statelie sitting at ta|ble like a prince.First yée shall vnderstand, that the tables were set in the chamber of presence iust couered, & the lord car|dinall sitting vnder the cloth of estate, there hauing all his seruice alone: and then was there set a ladie with a noble man, or a gentleman and a gentlewo|man throughout all the tables in the chamber on the one side, which were made and ioined as it were but one table, all which order and deuise was doone by the lord Sandes then lord chamberleine to the king and by sir Henrie Gilford comptrollor of the kings ma|iesties house. Then immediatlie after the great chamberleine, and the said comptrollor, sent to looke what it should meane (as though they knew nothing of the matter) who looking out of the windowes into the Thames, returned againe and shewed him, that it séemed they were noblemen and strangers that arriued at his bridge, comming as ambassadours from some forren prince.