The Harefield Entertainment included hospitality and performances for

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...

in August 1602. Several copies of the performance script survive, along with original manuscript accounts of the Queen's host which seems to have been manipulated by

literary forgery Literary forgery (also known as literary mystification, literary fraud or literary hoax) is writing, such as a manuscript or a literary work, which is either deliberately misattributed to a historical or invented author, or is a purported memoir ...

in the 19th-century to enhance their interest.

Preparations

Sir Thomas Egerton Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley, (1540 – 15 March 1617), known as 1st Baron Ellesmere from 1603 to 1616, was an English nobleman, judge and statesman from the Egerton family who served as Lord Keeper and Lord Chancellor for twenty-on ...

, the Lord Keeper, bought Harefield Place, now in the

London Borough of Hillingdon The London Borough of Hillingdon () is the largest and westernmost borough in West London, England. It was formed from the districts of Hayes and Harlington, Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the ceremonial county ...

, from Sir Edmund Anderson in 1601. The Queen came to

Harefield Harefield is a village in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England, northwest of Charing Cross near Greater London's boundary with Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the north. The population at the 2011 Census was 7,399. Haref ...

on 29 July 1602 and stayed until 3 August. Egerton's bills for the entertainment and hospitality survive. Some speeches and drama were also recorded and printed. A "lottery" was performed in which gifts were presented to the ladies of the court as humorous rhyming couplets were recited. Modern critics emphasise the likely role of Egerton's wife, Alice, Countess of Derby in planning and devising the events. The early editor of the records

John Payne Collier John Payne Collier (11 January 1789, London – 17 September 1883, Maidenhead) was an English Shakespearean critic and forger. Reporter and solicitor His father, John Dyer Collier (1762–1825), was a successful journalist, and his connection wi ...

is thought to have tampered with a page of "Mainwaring's accounts" of expenses to introduce a bogus reference to

Richard Burbage Richard Burbage (c. 1567 – 13 March 1619) was an English stage actor, widely considered to have been one of the most famous actors of the Globe Theatre and of his time. In addition to being a stage actor, he was also a theatre owner, ent ...

and ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'', but the rest of Egerton's expenses are considered authentic. To feed the queen and her household Egerton bought wheat for bread and "

manchet Manchet, manchette or michette, is a wheaten, yeast-leavened bread of very good quality, or a small flat circular loaf. It was a bread that was small enough to be held in the hand. History One of the first recipes printed in English for manch ...

", butter, eggs, gooseberries, chickens, pigeons, geese, rabbits, ducklings, pigs, partridges, trout, lobster, and crayfish and other foods. There was Gascon wine and sack, beer and ale, wine vinegar and oil for cooking, green fruits, herbs, and a hired cook Allin Wardis. Mr Walther made sugar confections. A London pewterer provided plates and dishes. Planks for shelves and tables were boated up the Thames to

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...

. 18,000 bricks were bought to build ovens for the event, and extra lodgings were added to the house. Arras hooks for tapestries were supplied by Page of

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxbrid ...

. Several guests brought gifts of food,

George More Sir George More (28 November 1553 – 16 October 1632) was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1584 and 1625. Early life More was the son of Sir William More of Loseley Park, Surrey ...

from Loseley gave a stag, 24 pigeons, and 4 swans, the Warden of the Fleet Prison gave 4 sugar loaves, and the

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...

brought a barrel of sack and 6 herons. John Kederminster brought 18 boxes of sweetmeats and 36 fine cakes. The Queen arrived at Harefield and near the house, sheltering under a tree from the rain, heard a dialogue between a Bailiff and Dairy Maid. At the entry to the house there was a chair for her, and a dialogue between Place and Time was presented, and the queen was given a diamond heart. Next she was given a gown of cloth of silver embroidered with rainbows by

Audrey Walsingham Lady Audrey Walsingham (; 1568–1624) was an English courtier. She served as Lady of the Bedchamber to queen Elizabeth I of England, and then as Mistress of the Robes to Anne of Denmark from 1603 until 1619. Family connections Sometimes called "E ...

, and a verse recalled the legend of

St Swithun Swithun (or Swithin; ang, Swīþhūn; la, Swithunus; died 863 AD) was an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester and subsequently patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. His historical importance as bishop is overshadowed by his reputation for post ...

. Egerton provided the gown for £340 and the Countess gave the sleeves and cords to attach them with ruby and pearl tags. A payment to an embroiderer, silkman, and the Queen's tailor is one of Payne Collier's forgeries. The rainbow gown has been connected with the costume depicted in Elizabeth's Rainbow Portrait at Hatfield and the

Bacton Altar Cloth The Bacton Altar Cloth is a 16th-century garment that is considered the sole surviving dress of Queen Elizabeth I. The cloth, embroidered in an elaborate floral design and made of cloth of silver, is an important relic of Tudor fashion and luxury ...

The Harefield Lottery

English School Portrait of a Lady 1595-1605 in white

The concept of the Harefield lottery was the distribution of gifts by a mariner of a rich

Carrack A carrack (; ; ; ) is a three- or four- masted ocean-going sailing ship that was developed in the 14th to 15th centuries in Europe, most notably in Portugal. Evolved from the single-masted cog, the carrack was first used for European trade fr ...

, a treasure ship, to the ladies of Cynthia, Queen of the Seas. A carrack from Lisbon had recently been brought to Plymouth. Participants in the Harefield lottery included; * Mary Radcliffe, who was given a pair of bracelets, with this verse, "Lady your hands are fallen in a snare: For Cupid's manacles these bracelets are". * Frances, Lady Kildare was given a girdle, with the verses, "By fortune's girdle you may happy be: But they that are less happy are more free". *

Dorothy Hastings Dorothy Hastings (1579 – after 1613) was a courtier to Elizabeth I of England and Anne of Denmark Dorothy Hastings was born in 1579, the daughter of George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon and Dorothy Port, daughter and co-heiress of Sir John P ...

was given a bodkin, a jewelled hair-pin, with the lines, "Even with this bodkin you may live unharmed: Your beauty with your virtues so well armed". * Susan Vere drew a blank and was told; "Wit you why fortune gives you no prize: Good faith, she saw you not, she has no eyes". *

Anne Clifford Lady Anne Clifford, Countess of Dorset, Pembroke and Montgomery, ''suo jure'' 14th Baroness de Clifford (30 January 1590 – 22 March 1676) was an English peeress. In 1605 she inherited her father's ancient barony by writ and became ''suo jure'' ...

was given a lace, with verses; "Give her the lace that loves to be straight-laced: So fortune's little gift is aptly placed". *

Elizabeth Southwell Lady Elizabeth Southwell ( née Cromwell), called Lady Cromwell (1674–1709) was an English noblewoman, the only daughter of Vere Essex Cromwell, 4th Earl of Ardglass and wife Catherine Hamilton. Title When her father died in 1687, she claimed ...

presented with gloves; "Fortune these gloves to you in double challenge sends: For you hate fools and flatterers, her best friends". * Philadelphia Carey given a mask or vizard; "Want you a mask! Here fortune give you one: Yet nature gives the rose and lily none". *

had the prize of a cutwork

stomacher A stomacher is a decorated triangular panel that fills in the front opening of a woman's gown or bodice. The stomacher may be boned, as part of a corset, or may cover the triangular front of a corset. If simply decorative, the stomacher lies ov ...

with the verses; "This stomacher is full of windows wrought: Yet none through them can look into your thought". *

Elizabeth Brydges Elizabeth Brydges (c. 1575–1617) was a courtier and aristocrat, Maid of Honour to Elizabeth I, and victim of bigamy. Elizabeth Brydges was a daughter of Giles Brydges, 3rd Baron Chandos and Frances Clinton, who lived at Sudeley Castle. Life at ...

received a dozen points (clothing toggles) with these verses; "You are in every point a lover true, And therefore fortune gives the points to you". * Cordell Anslowe or Christian Annesley drew a pin cushion, "To her that little cares what lot she wins: Chance gives a cushinet to stick pins". At the end of the lottery a feather jewel worth £600 was found and given to Elizabeth. Verses by William Skipwith survive for another lottery entertainment, connected with the

masque at Ashby Castle The ''Masque at Ashby Castle'' or ''Entertainment at Ashby'' was written by John Marston for Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon and Elizabeth Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon performed at Ashby de la Zouch Castle for Alice Spencer, Countess of ...

in 1607. As the Queen left Harefield the final scene was a speech made by the spirit of Place dressed as a widow, who said, "I could wish myself like the enchanted Castle of Love, to hold you here for ever, but your virtues would dissolve my enchantments". The widow gave Elizabeth a jewel in the form of an anchor. Sir George Savile wrote to the

Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Ireland ...

with a copy of the farewell speech, and mentioned the expensive jewels and the "gown of rainbows very rich embroidered." The Jesuit

Robert Persons Robert Persons (24 June 1546 – 15 April 1610), later known as Robert Parsons, was an English Jesuit priest. He was a major figure in establishing the 16th-century "English Mission" of the Society of Jesus. Early life Robert Person ...

was told that Alice, Countess of Derby asked the queen, who was in "her merriest vein" if Anne Stanley and her sister could serve in her privy chamber, or have consent to marry, which displeased the queen who commanded silence on such matters. Anne married Grey Brydges, a cousin of Elizabeth Brydges in 1607.

Manuscript circulation

John Chamberlain sent a copy of the script and verses of the entertainment to Dudley Carleton on 19 November 1602, apologised and regretting his "lost labour" if Carleton had already read it. The speeches and the text of the lottery circulated in manuscript and reached the London lawyer

John Manningham John Manningham (1570s – 1622) was an English lawyer and diarist, a contemporary source for Elizabethan era and Jacobean era life and the London dramatic world, including William Shakespeare. Life He was son of Robert Manningham of Fen Drayto ...

who copied a corrupt version of the lottery into his diary. A version of the lottery was printed in Francis Davison's ''A Poetical Rapsodie'' (London, 1608). The surviving versions has various differences, and the entertainment as manuscript had a somewhat separate existence to the actual performance.Gabriel Heaton, 'Elizabethan Entertainments in Manuscript: The Harefield Festivities and the Dynamics of Exchange', pp. 241-2.

References

External links

British Library MS 22601 ff. 49-51, a manuscript of the Harefield lottery

Elizabeth Kolkovich: Women Patrons as Playmakers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harefield Entertainment Elizabeth I European court festivities 16th-century fashion Masques 1602 plays Court of Elizabeth I