Every body knows that English Cloth is much ap proved of, for the Goodness of the Materials, and imported into all the Kingdoms and Provinces in Europe.

We were fhewn at the House of Leonard Smith, a Taylor, a most perfect Looking glafs, ornamented with Gold, Pearl, Silver and Velvet, fo richly as to be estimated at five hundred ecus du foleil. We faw at the fame Place the Hippocamp and Eagle Stone, both very curious and rare.

And thus much of LONDON.

Upon taking the Air down the River, the firft Thing that ftruck us, was the Ship of that noble Pirate, Sir Francis Drake, in which he is faid to have furrounded this Globe of Earth. On the left Hand lies Ratcliffe, a confiderable Suburb: On the oppofite Shore is fixed a long Pole with Rams-horns upon it, the Intention of which was vulgarly said to be, a Reflexion upon wilful and contented Cuckolds.

We arrived next at the Royal Palace of Greenwich, reported to have been originally build by Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, and to have received very magnificent Additions from Henry VII. It was here Elizabeth, the prefent Queen, was born, and here fhe generally refides; particularly in Summer, for the Delightfulness of its Situation. We were admitted by an Order Mr. Rogers had procured from the Lord Chamberlain, into the Prefence-Chamber, hung with

*

rich Tapestry, and the Floor after the English Fashion, frewed with Hay, through which the Queen commonly paffes in her way to Chapel: At the Door ftood a Gentleman dreffed in Velvet, with a Gold Chain, whofe Office was to introduce to the Queen any Perfon of Diftinction, that came to wait on her: It was Sunday, when there is usually the greatest Attendance of Nobility. In the fame Hall were the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, a great Number of Counsellors of State, Officers of the Crown, and Gentlemen, who waited the Queen's coming out; which fhe did from her own Apartment, when it was Time to go to Prayers, attended in the following manner:

First went Gentlemen, Barons, Earls, Knights of the Garter, all richly dreffed and bare-headed; next came the Chancellor, bearing the Seals in a red-filk Purse, between Two: One of which carried the Royal Scepter, the other the Sword of State, in a red Scabbard, ftudded with golden Fleurs de Lis, the Point upwards: Next came the Queen, in the Sixty-fifth Year of her Age, as we were told, very Majestic; her Face oblong, fair, but wrinkled; her Eyes fmall, yet black and pleasant; her Nofe a little hooked; her Lips narrow, and her Teeth black; (a Defect the English feem fubject to, from their too great Ufe of Sugar) fhe had in her Ears two Pearls, with very rich Drops; fhe wore falfe Hair, and that red; upon her Head she had a small Crown, reported to be made of some of the Gold of the celebrated

VOL. II.

* He probably means Rushes.

T

Lunebourg

Lunebourg Table +: Her Bofom was uncovered, as all the English Ladies have it, till they marry; and she had on a Necklace of exceeding fine Jewels ; her Hands were fmall, her Fingers long, and her Stature neither tall nor low; her Air was ftately," her Manner of speaking mild and obliging. That Day fhe was dreffed in white Silk, bordered with Pearls of the Size of Beans, and over it a Mantle of black Silk, thot with Silver Threads; her Train was very long, the End of it borne by a Marchionefs; inftead of a Chain, fhe had an oblong Collar of Gold and Jewels. As she went along in all this State and Magnificence, she spoke very gracioufly, first to one, then to another, whether foreign Ministers, or those who attended for different Reasons, in English, French and Italian; for, befides being well skilled in Greek, Latin, and the Languages I have mentioned, fhe is Miftrefs of Spanish, Scotch, and Dutch: Whoever fpeaks to her, it is kneeling; now and then she raises fome with her Hand. While we were there, W. Slawata, a Bohemian Baron, had Letters to prefent to her; and she, after pulling off her Glove, gave him her right Hand to kifs, fparkling with Rings and Jewels, a Mark of particular Favour: Whereever the turned her Face, as fhe was going along, every body fell down on ‡ their Knees. The Ladies

+ At this Distance of Time, it is difficult to fay what this was. Her Father had been treated with the fame Deference. It is mentioned by Fox in his Acts and Monuments, that when the Lord Chancellor went to apprehend Queen Catherine Parr, he spoke to the King on his Knees.

King James I. fuffered his Courtiers to omit it.

BACON's Papers, Vol. II. p. 516.

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of the Court followed next to her, very handfome and well-fhaped, and for the moft Part dreffed in white; fhe was guarded on each Side by the Gentlemen Penfioners, fifty in Number, with gilt Battleaxes. In the Antichapel next the Hall where we were, Petitions were prefented to her, and she received them moft graciously, which occafioned the Ac-" clamation of, LONG LIVE QUEEN ELIZABETH! She answered it with, I THANK YOU MY GOOD PEOPLE. In the Chapel was excellent Müfic; as foon .as it and the Service was over, which scarce exceeded half an Hour, the Queen returned in the fame State and Order, and prepared to go to Dinner. But while fhe was ftill at Prayers, we saw her Table set out with the following Solemnity..

A Gentleman entered the Room bearing a Rod, and along with him another who had a Table-cloth, which after they had both kneeled three Times, with the utmost Veneration, he fpread upon the Table, and after kneeling again, they both retired. Then came two others, one with the Rod again, the other with a Salt feller, a Plate and Bread; when they had kneeled, as the others had done, and placed what was brought upon the Table, they too retired with the fame Ceremonies performed by the firft. Ac laft came an unmarried Lady, (we were told she was a Countess) and along with her a married one, bearing a Tafting-knife; the former was dreffed in white Silk, who, when he had proftrated herself three Times, in the moft graceful Manner, approached the Table, and rubbed the Plates with Bread and Salt, with

T 2

with as much Awe, as if the Queen had been prefent: When they had waited there a little while, the Yeomen of the Guard entered, bare-headed, cloathed in Scarlet, with a golden Rofe upon their Backs, bringing in at each Turn a Courfe of twentyfour Dishes, ferved in Plate moft of it Gilt; these Dishes were received by a Gentleman in the fame Order they were brought, and placed upon the Table, while the Lady-tafter gave to each of the Guard a mouthful to eat, of the particular Dish he had brought, for Fear of any Poison. During the Time that this Guard, which confifts of the talleft and ftouteft Men that can be found in all England, being carefully selectfor this Service, were bringing Dinner, twelve Trumpets, and two Kettle-drums made the Hall ring for half an Hour together. At the End of this Ceremonial a Number of unmarried Ladies appeared, who, with particular Solemnity, lifted the Meat off the Table, and conveyed it into the Queen's inner and more private Chamber, where, after she had chofen for herself, the reft goes to the Ladies of the Court.

The Queen dines and fups alone with very few Attendance; and it is very feldom that any body, Foreigner or Native, is admitted at that Time, and then only at the Interceffion of fomebody in Power.

Near this Palace is the Queen's Park ftocked with Deer: Such Parks are common throughout England, belonging to those who are diftinguished either for their Rank or Riches. In the Middle of this is an

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