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which stood a bush of red and white roses of silk and gold, and a bush of pomegranates of like materials. Of course there were knights and ladies, richly apparelled, walking in this garden; there were indeed six of each, who came down and danced, and were afterwards conveyed out of the hall in the garden, and the entertainments concluded as usual with a great banquet. Our friend Richard Gybson had £130 19s. 0\d. for divers things bought by him for this disguising.
In the following year, in consequence of the prevalence of the sweating sickness from July to December, there was no solemn Christmas kept at Court; but in several following years it was kept much as before, and it will be needless to multiply examples, especially as the pageants were in general of a less marked description.
As, in nearly every year, there were payments made to sets of players, the highest being in general £4 to the king's old players, who are distinguished from the king's players, whose fee was usually but ,£3 6s. 8d., it seems that during the Christmas, on what may be called the off-nights, there were some performances by them. The children also of the king's chapel gave their assistance, but their services were estimated higher, as there are several payments of £6 13s. 4d. to Mr. Cornish, for playing before the king with them.
In his tenth year, also, the gentlemen of the king's chapel had £13 6s. 8d. for their good attendance in Christmas, and there are similar charges in subsequent years.
In the eleventh year there was another mask, and Richard Gybson received .£207 5s. 1 1/2d. for the revels called "a maskelyn at New Hall, or Beaulieu, in Essex.
In the fourteenth year the Christmas was kept at Eltham, where the Cardinal made many reformations in the royal |
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