Hampton Court, a Royal Palace, magnificently built with brick by
Cardinal Wolsey in ostentation of his wealth, where he enclosed five
very ample courts, consisting of noble edifices in very beautiful
work.
Over the gate in the second area is the Queen's device, a
golden Rose, with this motto, "Dieu et mon Droit:" on the inward
side of this gate are the effigies of the twelve Roman Emperors in
plaster. The chief area is paved with square stone; in its centre
is a fountain that throws up water, covered with a gilt crown, on
the top of which is a statue of Justice, supported by columns of
black and white marble. The chapel of this palace is most splendid,
in which the Queen's closet is quite transparent, having its window
of crystal. We were led into two chambers, called the presence, or
chambers of audience, which shone with tapestry of gold and silver
and silk of different colours: under the canopy of state are these
words embroidered in pearl, "VIVAT HENRICUS OCTAVUS." Here is
besides a small chapel richly hung with tapestry, where the Queen
performs her devotions. In her bedchamber the bed was covered with
very costly coverlids of silk: at no great distance from this room
we were shown a bed, the tester of which was worked by Anne Boleyn,
and presented by her to her husband Henry VIII. All the other
rooms, being very numerous, are adorned with tapestry of gold,
silver, and velvet, in some of which were woven history pieces; in
others, Turkish and American dresses, all extremely natural.
In the hall are these curiosities:
A very clear looking-glass, ornamented with columns and little
images of alabaster; a portrait of Edward VI., brother to Queen
Elizabeth; the true portrait of Lucretia; a picture of the battle of
Pavia; the history of Christ's passion, carved in mother-of-pearl;
the portraits of Mary Queen of Scots, who was beheaded, and her
daughter; {17} the picture of Ferdinand, Prince of Spain, and of
Philip his son; that of Henry VIII. - under it was placed the Bible
curiously written upon parchment; an artificial sphere; several
musical instruments; in the tapestry are represented negroes riding
upon elephants. The bed in which Edward VI. is said to have been
born, and where his mother Jane Seymour died in child-bed. In one
chamber were several excessively rich tapestries, which are hung up
when the Queen gives audience to foreign ambassadors; there were
numbers of cushions ornamented with gold and silver; many
counterpanes and coverlids of beds lined with ermine: in short, all
the walls of the palace shine with gold and silver. Here is besides
a certain cabinet called Paradise, where besides that everything
glitters so with silver, gold, and jewels, as to dazzle one's eyes,
there is a musical instrument made all of glass, except the strings.
Afterwards we were led into the gardens, which are most pleasant;
here we saw rosemary so planted and nailed to the walls as to cover
them entirely, which is a method exceeding common in England.
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