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XXIV. A Description of an antient Picture in Windsor Castle, representing the Embarkation of King Henry VIII. at Dover, May 31, 1520; preparatory to his Interview with the French King Francis I. By John Topham, Esq. F.R.S. F.S.A.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 July 2012

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Extract

The general advantages which arise to the Antiquary and Historian from the preservation of auch authentic historical representations as are coeval with the transactions they record, and the reasons which occasioned the interview between the two kings of England and France, as well as the manner in which that scene of pomp and magnificence was conducted and carried into execution, have been already so ably and elaborately demonstrated by our late worthy Vice President, Sir Joseph Ayloffe, Bart. in his “Historical description of an antient pic-“ture in Windsor Castle representing the interview between “king Henry VIII. and the French king Francis I. between “Guînes and Ardres, in the year 1520,” printed in the works of this Society [a] ; that it will now only be necessary to refer to that learned description upon those heads, and confine our present observations to the matters arising from a view of the picture before us, distinctly from the other painting ; and for that purpose, to bring to the recollection of the Society, that after every regulation had been made, and preliminary settled by Cardinal Wolsey for this interview taking place in June 1520, king Henry VIII. removed from his palace at Greenwich on the 21st of May on his way towards the sea ; the first day he went to Otford, then to Leeds Castle, then to Charing, and from thence on the 25th he reached Canterbury, where he proposed to keep the approaching festival of Whitsuntide [b].”

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1782

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References

page 179 note [a] Archaeologia, vol. III, p. 185.

page 180 note [b] Stowe's Chronicle.

page 180 note [c] A curious picture, in the valuable collection of the right hon. lord viscount Montagu at Cowdray, preserves this scene of the arrival of the emperor. The two fleets are given at a distance; the emperor is represented as descending from his ship into a boat, and the cardinal with his attendants are waiting to receive him on the beach in Dover harbour.

page 180 note [d] P. 506.

page 183 note [e] Green and white were the favourite badges of the house of Tudor.

page 188 note * Ordnance in England is distinguished into two kinds; Field pieces, which are from the smallest to 12 pounders; and Cannon of Battery, which are from a culverin to a whole cannon. Each of these divisions is again subdivided: the first into base, rabinet, falconet, falcon, minion ordinary, minion largest, saker least, saker ordinary, demi-culverin least, and demi-culverin ordinary: the second into culverin least, culverin ordinary, culverin largest, demi-cannon least, demi-cannon ordinary, demi-cannon large, and royal whole cannon. Chamber's Dict. voce Ordnance.

Different nations, it is to be observed, give different proportions to pieces of the same denomination; so that we have an Italian, a German, a French, and an English set of cannons, all differently adjusted. Chambers's Suppl. voce Cannon.

page 190 note * P. 147.

page 190 note † P. 250.

page 190 note ‡ P. 103.

page 191 note * This petition containing some curious facts, it may not be improper to preserve it.

To the right honorable lordes and others of the Queens Maiesties' most honorable privie Councell.

In most humble wife complayninge, besecchen yor honors yor humble oratore the major jurates and of the Queens Maties towne and porte of Dover in the countie of Kent. That whereas the harbor of Dover is of late yeres sallen in o greate decaye and ruyne, and in few yeres to come is verie like to fall into utter distrucc'on being a place of suche necessarie service for this realme. What necessarie service that harbor hath done to the noble kings of this land, speciallie in the tymes of all theire victorious warres, we nede not to sett forth to yor honors, for that to ev'ye of you, the same is sufficientlie knowen: what service it doth dailie in the tyme of peace (and would doe more if it were not so decayed.) it were too tedious to expresse to yor honore; fynallie wee yor poor suppliants in or symple opynions, doe not thinke that any thinge is more requisite for the com'on weale and safetie of this or naturall country, than the repayring of the saied harbor for the fundrye and manye com'odities that the Kinges of this land and or whole countrey have receaved, and might daylie more and more receave by the same: and wee yor saied humble orators thinkinge it or bounden duties, not onelie to be contynuall sutors to her Matie and yor honorrs for amendment of the present decayes, wch the saied harbor is now in (as often heretofore wee have bene,) but also not to pretermitt at anye tyme anye manner of service or dutie wch lieth in or com'on wealth and countrey, have of late sent over into Flanders for sundrie men of experience of that countrey, to come hither, who upon good deliberacion and view taken, have sett downe as well a perfect platt, shewing how it may be made a verye good harbor to contynewe for ever, as also a perfect and playne demonstracion of the whole charges wch it will amount unto (as themselves have promised to undertake wth good fureties to performe) that is to saye, Sixtene thousand cc pounds and od money, w'ch is lesse by XXX. m. lib. at the leaste than the same hath bene estimated at heretofore: And thereuppon we have also brought certen Englishmen of good experience to the said view, who doe not only like and allow of the Duchemens devise and plott, to be the best way that canne be taken for making of the same wherebye it may be serviceable for ever, but also doe agree that it will be performed for that some wch they have so sett downe. And further (right honorable Lords) if this good oportunytie be not now taken for makinge the said harbo’, neither if her Matie doe, not presentlie repaire the olde wood woorke at the peere head Wth two groynes to be new made agreablye to a note thereof sett downe by the said Duchemen, with great expedicion, it is not onelie verie like that the most parte of her highnes howses there will in short time be eaten up with the sea, but also that place wch now will serve to be made so good a harbour wil be utterly spoyled with aboundaunce of beache or preple that the sea will cast in at the new breache, and so never hereafter anye harbor to be made there, wha soever neede shall be thereof for anye cost or charges whatsoever. Wherefore we humblie beseeche yor honos to be the meanes to the Quenes most excellent Maie that fome devise may be made for sevinge of money and establishing of good order by yor honourable discrecions for the said Worke in, convenient tyme to be taken in hande. And we yor said poore orators accordinge to or bounden duties shall daylie praye to God for the preservacion of yor honrs.

page 194 note * Wilkins's Saxon Laws, p. 71.

page 194 note † Florence of Worcester, Hovedena. and others.

“the Barons of the Cinque-ports owe us the following annual service when required, “viz. that the said ports and their members should upon 40 days notice “fit out and supply the king with 57 ships, each having a master and 20 men well “armed and arrayed, at their own proper costs for 15 days; at the expiration of “which time the said ships and men to be at our proper charges and pay, so long “as we shall have need of them, viz. the master of each ship to have 6d. the “constable 6d. and each of the other men 3d. per diem; as by the tenor of the “charters and liberties granted by our predecessors, and which we have confirmed, it “appeareth. And we having ordained a great naval armament to assemble for our “voyage into Ireland, therefore summon the said Barons to perform the said service “by sending their said ships and mariners, well arrayed, to attend us at Bristol, &c.

page 195 note † Our public records contain innumerable instances of these mandates: the following will be sufficient to refer to upon this occasion.

every port in the kingdom of the burthen of 20 tuns and upwards, for the king's service.

page 196 note * Printed in the Appendix, N° I.

page 196 note † The Constable was probably the director of the engagements.

page 197 note * Rot. Parl. vol. II. p. 108.

page 198 note * Printed in the Appendix, No. II.

page 198 note † Rymer, tom. VII. 161.

page 198 note ‡ Ibid. tom. VIII. p. 727.

page 199 note * Vol. I. p. 203.

page 199 note † Rot. Parl. 20 Hen. VI. N° 30. vol. V. p. 59.

page 200 note * Q Poyntz's.

page 200 note † Rymer, tom. XI. p. 258.

page 200 note ‡ Rymer, tom. XI. p. 364.

page 200 note § Anderson's Hist. of Commerce, vol. I. p. 271.

page 201 note * Rymer, tom. XII. 94.

page 201 note † Ibid. p. 139.

page 201 note ‡ Ibid. p. 327.

page 202 note * P. 490.

page 202 note † Printed in the Appendix, N° IV.

page 203 note * See the curious history of the Hospital of St. Katharine, lately published by Mr. Nichols, Plate IV. where this Seal is engraven.

page 203 note † See the seals of Dunwich in Mr. Gardiner's History of that town: those of Dover and Feversham engraved for Mr. Boys of Sandwich and Mr. Jacob: and those of Newtown and Yarmouth, in the Isle of Wight, in the valuable history of that island.

page 204 note * The learned Dufresne in his Glossary gives the following: description and authorities upon the subject of guns and cannons.

Gunna; Machinæ bellicæ, seu missilis species; vox contracta ex mango vel mangona “uti opinatur Somnerus.” Tho. Walsinghamus, p. 226. “Nec mora, consuetis adhibitis instrumentis, missilibus, scil't, quæ vulgus gunnas vocant, terribiliter “feriunt.” Idem, p. 303. “Et cum lapidibus, lanceis et fagittis, igne “Græco & missilibus, quæ gunna vocantur, nostros ubique repellunt.” Ib. p. 374. “Quod cum illi præcise negarent, intendant gunnam magnam, cujus unico jactu dejecit “partem unius turris.”—Ib. p. 398. “Et illic figere vel locare gunnas fuas “quas Galli canones vocant, quibus validius villam infestare posset.” Ex quibus “patet, gunnam eadem fuisse machinam bellicam quam nostri canonem vocabant “quaeque Anglis a gunne. dicitur. Unde nescio an a gunnis dicti sint canones, quafi gunnones.”

ibid. voce Canones. “Machinæ bellicæ nostris canons, sic dictæ ut quidam volunt “quod cannarum formam referant, ita enim canones siphones vocant Itali.” Tho. Walfingham, in Henry V. p. 398. “Et illic figere gunnas fuas, quas Galli “canones vocant, quibus validius villam insestare posset,”—Continuator Nangij ann. 1356. “Munientes turres balistis, garrotis, canonibus et machinis, &c.” Chronic. MS. Bertrandi du Guesclin, “pour la ville assaillir ordonnerent canons.”

In computo auxiliorum coactorum pro liberatione Joannis Regis Franc. ann. 1368, in camera computor. Paris. “Guillaume l'Escuier Maistre des canons duRoy, que icelui seigneur lui a ordonne estre baille pour querir cent livres d'estoffe “a faire poudre pour quatre grans canons qu'il doit faire pour mettre en la garrison “de Harefleu.”

page 205 note * Mezerai. Rapin.

page 205 note †; Camden's Remains.

page 205 note ‡ Hollinshed's Chronicle, vol. II. p. 453.

page 205 note § Rot. Franc. 8 Ric. II. p. 2. m. 15.

page 205 note ∥ Clauf. 2 Henry V. m. 16.

page 205 note ** Pat. 5 Henry V. m. 4.

page 205 note †† Ibid. m. 3.

page 206 note * Pat. 14. Edw. IV. p. 2 m. 16.

page 206 note † Anderson's History of Commerce, vol. I. p. 351.

page 206 note ‡ Stowe's Chron. 572.

page 206 note ∥ Ibid. p. 584.

page 207 note * Cotton. MSS. Julius, E. IV.

page 207 note † Archaeologia, vol. III. p. 267.

page 207 note ‡ This curious book beautifully drawn and written upon vellum, and embellished with gold, is intituled “A Declaration of the Royal Navy of England, “composed by Anthony Anthony, one of the officers of the ordnance, and by him “presented to king Henry VIII. an. regni 38. Doi. 1586, in three parchment “rolls, containing, roll 1st shyppes; 2d galliasses; 3d pynasses and rowe bargys.”

These rolls were kept in the Royal Library until the year 1680, when king Charles II. presented the first and third of the rolls Samuel Pepys, esq, then secretary to the Admiralty; the second roll being afterwards found was remaining in 1690 in the Royal Library at St. James's, which library was given by King George II. to the British Museum; but this roll probably did not accompany that collection, it not being now to be found in that valuable repository of useful knowledge.

page 209 note * It is not improbable, from this circumstance, that the ship engraved by T. Allen was a ship of king Jaimes I. a description of one of which is thus given in Stowe's Chronicle †. “This year, 1610, the king builded “a most goodly shippe for warre, the keele whereof was an hundred and “fourteen foote long, and the crosse beam was sorty foure foote in length; the will “carry threescore and foure pieces of great ordinance, and is of the burden of 1400 “tunne. This royal ship is double built, and is most sumptuosly adorned within “and without with all manner of curious carving, painting, and rich gilding, being “in all respects the greatest and goodliest ship that ever was builded in England; “and this glorious ship the king gave unto his son Henry prince of Wales; “and the 24th of September the king, the queen, the prince of Wales, the duke “of York, and the lady Elizabeth, with many great lords, went unto Woolwich “to fee it launched; but because of the narrowness of the dock it could not then “be launched; whereupon the prince came the next morning by three of the “clock, and then at the launching thereof the prince named it after his owne “dignity, and called it The Prince. The great workmaster in building this “ship was Master Phynies Pet, some time Master of Art of Emanuel colledge, “Cambridge.”

page 209 note † P. 996.

page 211 note * Rot, Pat. 17 Edw. II. m. 13.

page 213 note * Hackluyt's Voyages.