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The SCRIBBLER. No. L

both fides, and made the king a lane. The king called the earl to him, and faid to him, My lord, I have beard much of your hofpitality, but I fee it is greater than the fpeech. Thefe handsome gentlemen and yeamen, which I fee on both fides of me, are fure your menial fervants. The earl fmiled, and faid; It may please your grace, that were not for mine cafe; they are molt of them my retainers, that are come to do me fervice at fucha time as this, and chiefly to fee your Grace. The king farted a little, and faid; "By my faith, my lord, I thank you for my good cheer, but I may not endure to have my laws broken in my fight; my attorney must Speak with you. And it is part of the report, that the earl compounded for no less than fifteen thousand marks. -And to fhew further the king's extreme diligence, I do remember to have seen a book of accompt of Emp

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167 fon's, that had the king's hand almod to every leaf, by way of figning, and was in fome places poßilled in the margin with the king's hand; likewife, where was the brance; Item, Received of fuck-aone, fue marks for a pardon to be procured, and if the pardoz de not pass, the money to be repaid, except the party be fame other ways fatisfed; and over againit this memorandum, of the king's own hand, stherwife satisfied.

It was by fach mall fams as thefe, that king Heary collected that immenfe treasure which he died poffefled of. Which, as Sir Robert Cotton informs us, from a book of payments kept between the king and Mr. Edmond Dudley, amounted, in those days, to four millions and an half in coin and bullion, exclave of rich furniture, wrought plate, and jewels!

To the EDITORS of the OXFORD MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN,

IF the following correfponds with the defign of your agreeable and infrac tive publication, I fall be very happy in having been infrumental, though in fo fmall a degree, to the univerfal good reception it meets with.

W

The SCRIBBLER. No L

By JONATHAN EYEBRIGHT E. HEN a man first fets out in the world, his greatest care is the maintenance of his reputation, and this is abfolutely neceffary for his well-being in it; but, when a man has had the thorny road of life fo covered with roles, as but feldom to difcover that it is fo, he is not fo anxious about a good name, becaufe he has not the fame occafion for it Reputation in a gentleman, is the fame thing as credit in a merchant; and there is the fame obligation in both to advance and continue them: it is for this reafon the world will be

cautions how they traf an author, before his writings begin to be elteemed. The pretenders to judgement, who are ten to one more than the real judges, will be afraid to commend, till they are fare of having a majority on their ide. I look upon myself as a young man jut come into batiness; I mat have a very watchful eye aves my credit and character, and take especial care that I may merit the regard and contineance of my customers, by a deportment, and a leady and uniform refolution to set up to my fation in

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life.

life. If we are fo happy as to gain the efteem of our friends, then our care muft be, that we do not diminish thofe virtues which have been our rife.

It will be expected by the public, that I should give them fome account of my name, condition, family, party, &c. These four I fhall diftinctly anfwer. My name they will fee at the beginning of this paper; my condition is that of an author, poor enough every one knows; my family is very noble, I am defcended from the Eyebrights of Nottinghamshire, who had fettled in that county when William the Norman conquered England, and by a collateral line from the justly famous Ifaac Bickerstaff, efq; my grandmother being the iffue of the marriage between Mrs. Jenny Diftaff and Mr. Tranquillus; but I hope the reader will excufe me, if I run over two or three generations, and call my ever-memorable anceitor uncle. In regard to my party, it is that of a true Briton, a name which I value, as it reflects honour upon all my family, who ever have been, and (I am so much of a prophet as to fay) who ever will be, zealous in the highest degree for the honour of the nation, the liberty of the subject, and the proteftant fueceffion in the illuftrious house of Hanover. Deus nobis hæc otia fecit.

I hope, by this time, I have introduced myself to the notice of the publick. If I have-tremble oh ye wits, fmarts, pretty, and very pretty fellows; remember my auguft uncle; and, ye bucks, bloods, &c. ye shall remember me; I hope to make you all bend beneath the rod of reafon. This rod of reason, which I just now mentioned, was left me by my uncle, and is a very valuable legacy; one touch will make a wild giddy heir compofed enough to attend a fermon; a mischievous buck will go to bed at eleven every night, a coquet will marry the first man of merit fhe meets with, and a forfaken prude will

avoid running away with her father's coachman. Many more inftances I could produce of the cures I have done with this remarkable staff, and I doubt not, but in every paper I shall be able to give my readers an ac count of my future cures. These trifling ones I have fet down at random, which are only firft touches, and the dawnings of returning reafon. I can compare my operations to nothing but the guede kings of the house of Steuart's touching for the evil; but molt people are of opinion they, rather promoted a diforder than removed it: however, I undertake no patient, but which, from certain figns," I know to be curable. I intend to fet afide a paper for the illuftration of this wonderful rod; the means how my ancestor obtained it, the cures he did with it, and the amazing knowledge he acquired by it, with a variety of other concerns truly original, and-here I was interrupted by Will Whiffle. Will is what is generally called a good fort of a man; he had heard I had an intention of publishing to the world my observations and remarks on men, manners, and things. Will, who is a profound politician, kindly offered me his affiftance; he told me he would supply me with many anecdotes of great men. I thanked him, but declined it. Mr. Eyebright," fays he, "permit me to contribute to your lucubrations, by drawing up for you the advantages Great Britain will acquire by an alliance with Corfica; or plain and diftinct confiderations and on the prefent state of the nation." " My good friend,” fays I," it will not do. Then take your own courfe," fays he. I did fo; and now offer my firft lucubration to the beft of judges, the candid publick.

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Queen Elizabeth's Entertainment by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.

HE entertainments given to his Danish majefty, by feveral of the nobility and gentry, have been magnified with all the parade of defcription, and boafted of as exceed ing all the pomp of former ages. Though indeed thofe ages have been reprefented by modern fcribblers as remarkable for their fimplicity and deconomy, yet he who has been converfant in what cotemporary authors have written concerning them, will find them not more behind with us in the luxury of their diet, than they are fupposed to exceed us in the purity of their manners. I fhall choose an example from the reign of queen Elizabeth, to verify what I have afferted; and prefer her reign to any other, because it is celebrated for the learning of the fovereign, the ability of the ministry, and the fimplicity of the people.

We are informed that Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, in the month of July 1575, entertained his royal miftrefs, queen Elizabeth, at Kenilworth caftle, for ten days, with the greatest elegance, and at a boundless expence. A particular detail of this entertainment is as follows:-The queen was furprized at her entrance, with the profpect of a floating island in a large pool, illuminated with torches, on which were the lady of the lake, and two nymphs waiting on her dreffed in filk; who made a fpeech to the queen in verfe, difplaying the antiquity of the family which belonged to the caftle. This was clofed with a band of mufic, confifting of cornets and other in

ftruments. Within the bafs court was erected a noble bridge, twenty feet wide and feventy feet long, over which her majefty paffed: on each fide of the bridge were perfons habited in the characters of the heathen deities, who fucceffively prefented her with gifts. A cage of wild fowl was given her by Sylvanus ; divers forts of fruits by Pomona corn by Ceres; wine by Bacchus, fea-fifh by Neptune; habiliments of war by Mars; and mufical inftruments by Phoebus. During the feveral days her majefty ftaid, variety of fhows and fports were exhibited: viz. in the chace, a favage man with fatyrs; bear-baiting, fire-works; vaulting by the best tumblers from Italy; a country bride-ale; running at the quinting, and morricedancing. To complete the entertainment, the countrymen acted the ancient play called Hock's Tuef day, reprefenting the destruction of the Danes in the reign of king Ethelred: the performance of which pleafed the queen fo much, that her majefty gave them a brace of bucks, and five marks for a feast, as a token of her approbation. On the pool, was a Triton riding on a Mermaid eighteen feet long, and Arion on a Dolphin, who entertained her majesty with an excellent piece of mufic. The coits and expence of this entertainment, may be gueffed at, from the quantity of beer then drank, which amounted to three hundred and twenty HOGS HEADS Of the common fort only.

Defcription of the Copper-Plate, entitled Rob-Thief; or the Pilferers in Mafquerade.

B

Rritania is reprefented afleep, and feveral pilferers privately ftealing from her perfon; another robber picking the pocket of one of thefe at the fame time. The Devil and his good friend, Jack Ketch, exulting at the happy profpect of an encreafe of trade. A Frenchman exclaiming that he has loft his king, and offers a reward of Fifty Pounds for finding him.

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