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.

The cardinall knew not that the king was in the number.With that (quoth the cardinall) I desire you, bi|cause you can speake French, to take the paines to go into the hall, there to receiue them according to their estates, and to conduct them into this chamber, where they shall sée vs, and all these noble personages being merie at our banket, desiring them to sit downe with vs, and to take part of our fare. Then went he incontinent downe into the hall, whereas they receiued them with twentie new torches, and conueied them vp into the chamber, with such a noise of drums and flutes, as seldome had béene heard the like. At their entring into the chamber two and two togither, they went directlie before the cardinall, where he sate and saluted him reuerentlie.