The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-06-07

The brilliant court life OF the later
Tudor times was a new thing in English
history. In earlier days II had not
been the fashion for the great land
owners 10 forsake their estates and live
AT Tower Hill or Shoe Lane with fol-
lowing OF 100 or 200 gentlemen IN
livery and white fricze. lined with
crimson taifetas. and TO spend two or
three times their yearly Income In
merry life of dicing, card-playing, and
hunting In Gray's Inn Fields lslington.
and Highgate. and In buying dresses
fine enough 20 adorn court pageants
and professions where the greatest
mobiles of the land accepted the honor
of bearing the Queens litter.
The country noble or gentleman OF
the time of Edward Nv. and Henry
VII. had other business and other anu
hitions. He was not, indeed. "A honle-
keeping man; he had 10 be away at
French wars. or lighting on the Scotch
border. or leading levies hither aud
thither 10 put down n rebellion or to set
one going. or t1 make raid on his
neighbor's property. But whether he
was a successful soldier. or "A good
Cotswold shepherd" or a prosperous
lawyer. or wealthy Judge, he re.
maincd true provincial In heart aud
i'm interests. Booty was 60 be had in
France, even in Scotland; there was
none in London. On the contrary.
journey To the Capital needed the one
thing that mobiles and landowners never
had ready money in the purse. Ii
country Lord had 10 attend Parliament
l.. a .tssI
for the horses ITO save the expenses OF
his purse; his wife managed the big
household aud estates in the country.
aud from London an army OF servants
rode backward and forward continual
~ to fetch provisions from fields and
ponds aud sallng-tubs ut home, SO that
he need never go To the market or To
the baker 10 buy for money.
IL was in the provinces that the noble
kept his true state. III his journey lay
through any town all the bells were
set ringing TO give notice OF the pas
sage of such cmineucy," aud the
burghers stood to watch him pass in
his robe of scarlet twelve yards wide,
with pendent sleeves down on the
ground. and the "iurrur therein set,
worth perhaps GOO on $500 of our
money. while his attendants came after.
anxiously holding up with both hands
out OF the filth of the mediRval streets
the wide sleeves that trailcd at their
sides
The great oak chests Of the country
houses were piled up with splendid
robes; cloth OF gold. figured satins.
damask. and silk, aud yelvets. and line
cloths were hcapcd together with rich
furs OF marten and beaver. Sir John
fastolf had thirty-iye coverings for
his head hoods of satin russell, aud
velvet. straw hats. hats OF beaver lined
with damaSk gilt. aud the like. to SUR
his various robes. Chains of gold of
the ''old fashion and the new
collars of gold covered with roses and
suns, y precious stones. women's girdlek
OF cloth of gold harnessed with gold or
with silver-gilt worked by famous for
eign makers, made fully rs brave a show
ia the fifteenth century as ia the one
that came after.
But the real wealth Of the mobiles lay
In their amazing stores OF gold and
silver plate. Fastolf had laid up in his
treasure tower and In the safe rooms OF
monasteries vessels that weighed over
AosVVp tuuttof btoiuto tht Dtsllt IN MS
buffers psfitry. We read OF ewers,
and goblcts. and plaltcrs OF gold; great
chargers OF silver. weighing 200 ounces
or more;a ilagon of silver or SOL ounces;
others with gold verges and enameled
chains about them; gilt basins, with
antelopes; gilt cups like fountains, with
enameled flowers; sah-celars like tow
ers; "basins OF $50 ounces. covered with
silver OF Paris touch and over-gilt.
bounced aud embossed with roses aud
with great, large cnamels in the bottom,
with certain beasts embossed standing
within hedge of silver and gilt upon
the said enamcls;" great gallon pots
having the edges gilt and wreathed
with poppy-leavcs; gilded goblets with
columbne Towers and the like. At
the funeral of lady of Berkeley. early
In the sixteenth century, the plate was
brought out 10 give IA drinking" TO the
Mayor of Bristol and his brethren. ''and
| thank God. wrote the steward. mo
plate nor spoons was lost. yet there
were twenty dozen spoons Such was
the wealth upon which the spendthrifts
OF Elizabeth's court fed aud Toasted"
till ruin overlook them. and on which
Jack Of Newbury" and his fellows
prospered and laid field 10 field Mrs.
"A. 5. Green IN thc Speaker.