such sorte weakened that they should want water to returne. He caused, therefore, the water to be abated by two greate trenches, and setting the Londonners upon them, he made their batteil wherein they lost four of their capitaines. Not long after they were so pressed that they forsoke all, and left their shippes as a prey to the Londonners, which breakyne some and burninge other, conveyed the rest to London." The old and irregular course of the river is now of little use as a means of transit, having long ago been superseded by the Lea and Stort Navigation. A curious celt was found some years ago in the Marsh at Enfield, twelve feet below the surface. It is figured in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1807. The hamlet of Bull's Cross, which lies on the northern side of the parish, and in a bend of the New River, about half a mile westward of Enfield Highway, is said to have derived its name from an old cross which formerly stood there. In a deed of conveyance of land in this locality to one John Fforde (temp. Edward IV., 1483), it is called "Bedell's Cross." Chapel House, the residence of the Warrens, is situate at Bull's Cross, near the site of the old manor-house of Capels, alias Honeylands and Pentriches, which were formerly part of the possessions of Sir Giles Capel, who, in exchange for other lands, conveyed them to the Crown in 1547. The old mansion, together with the estate, was sold by Queen Elizabeth in 1562 to one William Horne, a merchant, and after passing through the hands of various successive purchasers, became, at the end of the last century, the property of the late Mr. Rawson H. Boddam, some time Governor of Bombay. Mr. Boddam pulled down the old manor-house, reserving little more than the stables, and transferred its name of Capel House to his own villa, which is said to occupy the site of the outbuildings of the palace of James I. at Theobalds. The old manor-house stood near a field, now called North Field, where are still the remains of an old garden, with some remarkable trees. CHAPTER XXXIX. THEOBALDS. "You see these lifeless stumps of aspen wood: Some say that they are beeches, others elms. The Arbour does its own condition tell : You see the stones, the fountain, and the stream, But as to the great Lodge, you might as well Hunt half a day for a forgotten dream."-WORDSWORTH'S Hart Leap Well. Situation of Theobalds, and History of the Manor-The Estate Purchased by Sir William Cecil, afterwards Lord Burleigh-James I. at Theobalds - Entertainment to Christopher IV., King of Denmark-Narrow Escape of King James-His Death Description of the Palace and Gardens-Demolition of the Palace-Present Condition of the Estate. PASSING from Enfieldin to the neighbouring parish | who, being indebted to William de Tongge in the of Cheshunt, we cross the border-line which separates the two counties of Middlesex and Herts. Before proceeding with a detailed account of that parish, however, it may be as well to bring before our mind's eye the regal domain of Theobalds, with its magnificent palace-once the favourite residence of the great Lord Burleigh, and after wards of James I. The estate-the name of which in ancient documents is variously written Theobals, Tibbolds, or Thebaudes (supposed to be the name of some previous owner)-immediately adjoined, and indeed included, part of Enfield Chase, and the manor of Capels at Bull's Cross, as mentioned at the end of the preceding chapter. The manor was formerly called Cullynges, and in the fourteenth century belonged to one William Attemore, of Cheshunt, sum of £101, made over to him this manor, together with an estate named Le Mores, and from him it obtained the name of Tongge. It was afterwards named Thebaudes, and under that appellation was granted, in 1441, by the Crown to John Carpenter, Master of St. Anthony's Hospital, in London, and others, to hold "by the annual rental of a bow valued at 2s., and a barbed arrow, value 3d." The manor subsequently passed through various hands, until it was bought by Sir William Cecil (afterwards Lord Burleigh), from Robert Burbage o. Theobalds, in the third year of Elizabeth. Robert Burbage was grandson of a William Burbage, who married Cicely, daughter and heiress of Sir Robert Green of Theobalds, whose mother was a daughter and co-heir of Sir John Cley, also of Theobalds, which would appear, Theobalds.] THE GREAT LORD BURLEIGH. as far back as 1450, to have had a character for feasting and revelry. Sir William Cecil had been twice member of Parliament, Master of Requests, and Secretary of State to Edward IV. and Queen Elizabeth. In 1570 he increased the estate by the purchase of Cheshunt Park from Mr. Harrington, a fact which is duly entered in Sir William's Diary for the above year. The original house at this time is supposed to have been placed on a small piece of rising ground, still visible. But in the summer of 1564, Queen Elizabeth having honoured him with a visit, and probably having expressed her intention of repeating it, he conceived the plan of enlarging the house, so as to entertain his royal mistress on subsequent occasions with becoming magnificence. He therefore erected a more spacious mansion, adorning it with beautiful gardens, and surrounding it with a moat filled with water, and wide enough for a pleasure-boat to ply between the "tall flagflowers" and the turreted walls. The palace and grounds were completed by September, 1571, when the queen visited him again, and was presented with "a copy of verses" and a "portrait of the house." Elizabeth appears to have taken a particular fancy for Theobalds-probably from its proximity to the Chase at Enfield and to Waltham Forest, where she could enjoy the pleasures of hunting for her visits were pretty frequent. Nor did her Majesty come alone. In 1583 she was attended by a large retinue, and stayed four days; the Earls of Leicester and Warwick, the Lord Admiral (Lord Howard), Lord Hunsdon, Sir Christopher Hatton, and Sir Francis Walsingham, were there with her. In the "Life of Lord Burleigh," "The Compleat Statesman," commonly known as "The Diary of a Domestic," it is written, "Her Majestie sometimes had strangers and ambassadors come to see her at Theobalds: where she hath byn sene in as great royalty, and served as bountifully and magnificently as at any other time or place, all at his lordship's chardg with rich shows, pleasant devices, and all manner of sports could be devised, to the great delight of her Majestie and her whole traine." Early in the summer of 1592, during one of her progresses," the queen paid a visit to this place. It is thus mentioned in a letter from one of his friends to Sir Robert Sidney :-"I suppose you have heard of her Majesty's great entertainment at Theobalds; of her knighting Mr. Robert Cecil, and of the expectation of his being advanced to the Secretaryship. But so it is, as we say in Court, that the knighthood must serve for both." ("Sidney Papers.") 377 As time went on wealth and honour multiplied upon Cecil. The queen created him Baron Burleigh, and she honoured him with her presence at Theobalds no less than a dozen times. Lord Burleigh entertained her Majesty most sumptuously, each visit, it is said, putting him to the expense of some £2,000 or £3,000. Some idea may be formed of his lordship's style of living from the fact that he had in his train twenty gentlemen, each with £1,000 a year. Indeed, it might truly be said of Theobalds in his day— "Here he lives in state and bounty, Lord of Burleigh, fair and free; Is so great a lord as he." Lord Burleigh was not a man who thought that greatness consisted in living in a great house; and although his business was much at Court, still he felt he had duties at Cheshunt, and he fulfilled them heartily: relieving the poor, and maintaining, at a cost of £4,000 a year, a style of living which £40,000 a year certainly could not match at the present time. The usual expense of his housekeeping at Theobalds was £80 per week; his stables cost him a thousand marks (£666 13s. 4d.) per annum. The sum of £10 per week was allotted to setting the poor to work in his garden; and 20s. a week was distributed by the vicar of Cheshunt as his almoner. In the "Diary of a Domestic" it is said in respect of Theobalds that the gardens, fountains, and walks were perfected most costly, beautifully, and pleasantly, where one might walk two miles in the walks before coming to the end. at first," says the "Domestic," "he meant for a little pile, as I heard him say; but after he came to entertain the queen so often there, he was forced to enlarge it, rather for the queen and her great train, and to give work to the poor, than for pomp and glory, for he ever said it would be too big for the small living he could leave his son." Lord Burleigh's character is summed up by his biographer as follows:-" His nature, though cold, was not mear or sordid, nor his heart narrow or selfish; neither, with all his firmness (which some might call sternness), was his temper unkind, or his manners harsh, but the contrary; in thirty years together he was seldom seen angry. He had his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren ordinarily at his table. If he might ride privately in his garden on his little mule, or lie for a day or two in his little lodge at Theobalds, secluded from business or too much company, he thought this his greatest and only happiness." At length a heavy. loss befel him, and his second wife, Mildred, with only succeeded to his father's country seat, but, like him, held the highest offices of state. He became Prime Minister to Queen Elizabeth, and was confirmed in that office by King James. Although the talents of Sir Robert were not equal to those of his father, yet he was the ablest statesman of his time. In three successive years he was made Baron of Essenden, Viscount Cranbourne, and Earl of Salisbury. In order to conciliate the favour of the new sovereign, Sir Robert embraced the earliest opportunity of honouring him. Accordingly, when his Majesty came from Scotland to take possession of the throne of England, in May, 1603, Sir Robert Cecil gave him a noble reception and princely entertainment at Theobalds. men and footmen that went from the city of London that day thitherwards, and likewise from the counties of Kent, Surrey, Essex, and Middlesex, besides other counties. When we were come to Theobalds, we understood his Majesty to be within the compass of three-quarters of a mile from the house. At which tidings we divided ourselves into three parts, each one taking a place of special note, to see what memorable accidents might happen within his compass: one standing at the upper end of the Walk, the second at the upper end of the first court, and the third (myself) at the second court's door; and we made choice of a gentleman of good sort to stand in the court that leads into the hall, to take notice what was said or done by his Highness to the nobility of our land, or said or done by them to his Majesty, and to let us understand of it. All which accidents, as they happened in their several places, you shall hear in as few words as may be. "Thus, then, for his Majesty's coming up the Walk. There came before him some of the nobility, some Barons, Knights, Esquires, Gentlemen, and others-amongst whom was the Sheriff of Essex and most of his men, the trumpets sounding next before his Highness, sometimes one, 379 answer that 'he should be heard, and have justice.' "At the entrance to that court stood many noblemen, among whom was Sir Robert Cecil, who there meeting his Majesty, conducted him into his house; all which was practised with as great applause of the people as could be-hearty prayers and throwing up of hats. "His Majesty had not stayed above an hour in his chamber, but hearing the multitude thronging so fast into the uppermost court to see his Highness, as his Grace was informed, he showed himself of half an hour together. After which time, he went into the labyrinth-like gardens to walk, where he recreated himself in the meanders, compact of bays, rosemary, and the like overshadowing his walk, to defend him from the heat of the sun, till supper time. At which there was such plenty of provision for all sorts of men in their due place as struck me with admiration. sometimes another; his Majesty not riding con- | openly out of his chamber window by the space tinually betwixt the same two noblemen, but some times with one and sometimes with another, as seemed best to his Highness; the whole nobility of our land and Scotland round about him, observing no place of superiority, but all bareheaded; all of whom alighted from their horses at their entrance to the first court, save only his Majesty, who alone rode along still, with four noblemen laying their hands upon his steed, two before and two behind. In this manner he came till he come to the court's door, where I myself stood, where he alighted from his horse, from which he had not gone ten princely paces but there was delivered to him a petition by a young gentleman; his Majesty returning his gracious "And first, to begin with, the ragged regiment, and such as were debarred the privilege of any court, these were so sufficiently rewarded with beef, veal, mutton, bread, and beer, that they sang 'Holy day' every day, and kept a continual feast. As for the poor maimed and distressed soldiers, which repaired thither for maintenance, the wine, money, and meat which they had in very bounteous sort, hath been a sufficient spur to cause them to blaze it abroad since their coming to London whose thankfulness is not altogether unknown to myself, some of whom, hearing that I was about to publish this small 'Remembrance,' made means to me to give me true information of such princely exhibition as they daily received during the time of his Majesty's abode at Theobalds." The king appears to have won golden opinions during his stay at Theobalds by publishing a proclamation ordering that the price of victuals, such as meat, bread, butter, and cheese, should not be raised to exorbitant prices within the verge of his court. He arrived on Tuesday, the 3rd of May, and proceeded on to London, by way of Stamford Hill, on Saturday, the 7th; and it is on record that he spent the intervening Wednesday in a visit to Enfield Chase. In 1606 the earl gave a second entertainment to his sovereign, and to Christopher IV., King of Denmark, who stayed with him four days. The king was so delighted with Theobalds, and its convenient situation for his favourite amusement of hunting, that he desired to become possessed of this noble mansion, and make it his principal place of abode. He therefore gave in exchange for it the more valuable mansion of Hatfield, and shortly after commenced the work of improving and embellishing Theobalds by enlarging the park, apportioning, as we have already seen, a good slice of Enfield Chase,* with parts of Northaw and Cheshunt Common. The king at that time enclosed Theobalds with a brick wall ten miles in circumference, part of which wall still remains in the grounds of Albury House, and other parts at Bury Green and Cuffley. The scene which presented itself at Theobalds during the feastings and masks in honour of the visit of Christian IV. has been described by one of the guests in the following terms:-"After dinner the representation of Solomon and his Temple, and the coming of the Queen of Sheba, was made, or (as I may say better) was meant to have been made. The lady who did play the queen's part did carry most precious gifts to both their Majesties, but forgetting the steps arising to the canopy, overset her caskets into his Danish Majesty's lap, and fell at his feet, though I rather think it was in his face. Much was the hurry and confusion; cloths and napkins were at hand to make all clean. His Majesty then got up, and • See ante, p. 365. would dance with the Queen of Sheba; but he fell down, and was carried to an inner chamber. The entertainment and show went forward, and most of the presenters went backward or fell down : wind did so occupy their upper chambers. Now did appear, in rich dresses, Faith, Hope, and Charity. Hope did essay to speak, but wine did render her endeavours so feeble that she withdrew. Faith was then all alone, for I am certain she was not joined with good works, and left the court in a staggering condition. Charity came to the king's feet; she then returned to Hope and Faith, who were both sick in the lower hall." Theobalds was exchanged for Hatfield House, with Robert, first Earl of Salisbury, by James I., in 1607, and in 1614 his Majesty received a second visit from the King of Denmark, and entertained him for fifteen days with an uninterrupted succession of feasting and diversions. Fond as the king was of hunting-so fond that the people used to say, "God's peace be with you, as King James said to his hounds "-he was a bad rider, and often thrown. Thus, "when staying at Theobalds in the depth of winter, he rode out one day after dinner, and his horse stumbling, he was cast into the New River. The ice broke, and in plunged his august Majesty head foremost, while nothing but his boots remained visible. It would have gone ill with him that day had not Sir Richard Young alighted, and ran to the rescue. His attendants had to empty him, like an inverted cask, of the river water he had drunk so freely against his will; and a warm bed at Theobalds soon restored him to his pleasures and follies."* From Ellis's "Letters" we learn that James did many wicked, cracked-brained things at Theobalds, for he had "fools, fiddlers, and master-fools;" and Jesse tells us how some called him "Old wife," and his minions addressed him as "Your sowship;" that the ladies of his court rolled about intoxicated, and he himself was carried off to bed, after having proposed five-and-thirty healths; how oaths were never off his lips, nor cowardice and hypocrisy ever out of his heart; and how, as the counterpart of all his vice and foolery, he translated the Psalms, wrote books of piety, and welcomed bishops to his presence as warmly as if they had been buffoons. One of these was Joseph Hall, Bishop of Norwich. He had previously been curate of Waltham Abbey, and he preached several times before James and his court at Theobalds. Laud notes in his "Diary," September 17th, 1609: |