Birth and Christening of Ladie Elizabeth
(Sunday 7 Sep 1533)
The 7th of September, being Sunday, betweene
three and foure of the clocke at afternoone, the Queene was delivered of a faire
Ladie; for whose good deliverance Te Deum was sung incontinently, and great
preparation was made for the Christning. The Maior and his Brethren, and fortie
of the chiefe Cittizens, were commanded to be at the Christning the Wednesdaie
following. Upon which daie the Maior, Sir Steplien Peacocke, in a gowne of
crimosin velvet, with his collar of esses, and all the Aldermen in scarlet, with
collars and chaines, and all the Councell of the Cittie with them, tooke their
barge at one of the clocke; and the Cittizens had another barge, and so rowed to
Greenwich, where were many Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen assembled: all the
walles betweene the King's Pallace and the Fryers were hanged with arras, and
all tlie way strewed witli greene rushes. The Fryers church was also hanged with
rich arrass: the font was of silver, and stoode in the midst of the church three
steps high, which was covered with a fine cloth ; and divers Gentlemen, with
aprones and towels about their neckes, gave attendance about it, that no filth
shoulde come to the fonte: over it hung a square canapie of crimosin sattin,
fringed with golde; about it was a rayle, covered with redde saie; betweene the
queere and body of the church was a close place with a pan of fire, to make the
Childe readie in. When all these thinges were ordered, the Childe was brought to
the hall, and then every man set forward: first, the Cittizens two and two; then
Gentlemen, Esquires, and Chaplaines ; next after them the Aldermen, and the
Maior alone; and next the Kinges Counsell; then the Kinges Chappel in coaps;
then Barons, Bishops, Earles, the Earle of Essex bearing the covered basons
gilt; after him the Marques of Excester with a taper of virgin wax; -next him
the Marques Dorset bearing the salt; behind him the Lady Mary of Norfolke
bearing the crisome, which was very rich of pearle and stone. The old Dutches of
Norfolke bare the Childe in a mantle of purple velvet, with a long traine furred
with ermine. The Duke of Norfoike with his marshal's rod went on the right hand
of the saide Dutchesse; and the Duke of Suffbike on the left hand ; and before
them went Officers of Armes ; the Countesse of Kent bare the long traine of
theChildes mantle; and meane betweene the Childe and the Countesse of Kent went
the Earle of Wilshire and tlie Earle of Darby on either side, supporting the
said traine in the middest: over the Childe was borne a rich canapie, by the
Lord Rochford, the Lord Hussey, the Lord William Howard, and the Lord Thomas
Howard the elder. After the Childe, followed many Ladies and Gentlewomen. When
the Childe was come to the church doore, the Byshop of London met it, with
divers Byshoppes and Abbots mitred, and beganne the observances of the
Sacrament. The God-father was Lorde Thomas Archhyshoppe of Canterburie; the
God-mothers were the olde Dutchesse of Norfolke, and the olde Marchionesse of
Dorset, Widdowes, and the Childe was named Elizabeth, and after that all things
were done at the church doore, the Child was brought to the font, and christned;
and that done, Garter chiefe King of Armes cried aloud, "God of his infinit
goodnesse send prosperous life and long to the high and mightie Princesse of
England elizabeth " And then the trumpets blew ; then the Childe was
brought up to the altar, and the Gospel said over it. After that immediately the
Archbyshop of Canterbune confirmed it, the Marchionesse of Excester being
Godmother: then the Byshop of Canterbury gave unto the Princesse a standing cup
of golde , the Dutchesse of Norfolke gave to her a standing cup of golde fretted
with pearle , the Marchionesse of Dorset gave three gilt boles pounsed, with a
cover; and the Marchionesse of Excester gave three standing boles graven, all
gilt, with a cover. Then was brought in wafers, confects, and ipocrasse, in such
plentie, that every man had as much as hee woulde desire: then they set for
warde, the trumpets afore going in the same order toward the
Kinges pallace as they did when they came thitherwarde; saving that the giftes
that the Godfather and Godmothers gave, were borne before the Childe by foure
persons; that is to say, first. Sir John Dudley the younger, bare the gift of
the Lady Dorset, the Lord Fitz Walter bare the gift of the Ladie of Norfolke;
and the Lord of Worcester bare the gift of the Archbishop of Canterbury , and
all the one side as they went was full of staffe torches, to the number of five
hundred, borne by the Gard and other of the Kinges servants, and about the Child
were manie other proper torches borne by Gentlemen. And in this order they
brought the Princeshe to the Queenes chamber doore, and then departed. The Maior
went to the King's chamber, and tarryed there a while with his Brethren the
Aldermen ; and at last, the Dukes of Norfolke and Suffolke came out from the
King, and reported to the Maior and his Brethren, that the King thanked them
heartily, and commanded them to give them thankes in his name, and from thence
they were had to the seller and dranke, and so went to their barge.
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