On this Day in History ... 29th July

Chronicle of Jean le Bel Volume 1. Moreover, the aforesaid lords agreed that they would also secure for them the support of other lords from beyond the Rhine who had the power to bring a great number of men-at-arms, provided they were sufficiently supplied with the means to do so. Then they took their leave and returned to their own lands. The Bishop of Liège, who at that time was Sir Adolphe of La Marck¹, was duly summoned and great embassies were sent to him, with fine jewels presented; yet he would never agree to it nor do anything against the King of France, to whom he had become liege man and entered into fealty. The noble King of Bohemia² was neither asked nor summoned, for it was well known that he was so closely bound to the King of France through the marriage of their two children, by which the kingdom was to pass, that he would not act against him.

Encore convenencherrent ces seigneurs dessusdis qu'ilz les ayderoient d'aultres seigneurs d'oultre le Ryn qui avoient pouoir de mener grand foison de gens d'armes, mais qu'ilz eussent souffisaument le pourquoy. Adoncques prirent congié et ralerrent en leur pays. L'evesque de Liege, messire Aoust de la Marche, qui adoncques estoit, y fut bien souffisaument mandé et grans messages envoyez pour luy et beaulx joyaulx presentés, mais oncques n'y voult entendre ne faire riens contre le roy de France, duquel il estoit devenu homme et entré en feaulté. Le noble roy de Boheme n'y fut point pryé ne mandé, car on sçavoit bien qu'il estoit si conjoins au roy de France par le mariage de leurs deux enfans, auxquelx le royaume debvoit parvenir, qu'il n'yroit point contre luy.

Note 1. Adolphe of La Marck, Bishop of Liège, allied himself with Philip of Valois and, by a treaty of 29th July 1337, promised to assist him against the King of England with 500 men-at-arms, who would follow him as far as Compiègne. In return, the king was to give him 15,000 livres parisis in ready money, 50 livres tournois per day for his expenses, and to pay his men their customary wages (Archives Nationales, J 527, no. 13).

1. Adolphe de la Marck, évèque de Liège, s'allia à Philippe de Valois, et par un traité du 29 juillet 1337, promit de le secourir contre le roi d'Angleterre avec 500 hommes d'armes qui le suivraient jusqu'à Compiègne. En retour, le roi devait lui donner 15,000 livres parisis comptant, 50 livres touruois par jour pour ses dépens et payer à ses gens les gages accoutumés. (Arch. nat., J 527, n^o 13.)

Note 2. On 6th August 1337, at the request of Philip of Valois, John, King of Bohemia, promised to assist him in person with 500 men-at-arms at the customary wages paid in the kingdom of France. Philip VI was moreover to give him 30,000 livres parisis for the equipment of his men (Archives Nationales).

2. Le 6 août 1337, sur la demande de Philippe de Valois, Jean, roi de Bohème, promit de l'aider en personne avec 500 hommes d'armes aux gages accoutumés dans le royaume de France. Philippe VI devait lui donner en outre 30,000 livres parisis pour l'équipement de ses gens. (Arch. nat., J 432, n^o 11.)

Adam Murimuth Continuation. "To the most reverend father in God and my most honoured lord, Because I well know that you are very eager to hear good news of my lord the king and of the achievements he has made since he came into the parts of Normandy, please be informed that, from the hour he began his march, he took his way from La Hogue, where he landed, directly toward Caen, passing through good towns, namely Valognes, Carentan, Saint-Lô, and through many other fine towns. But there was no man or woman of status who dared to remain in the towns, castles, or countryside through which the host passed, for they all fled, until the king came to Caen. There, the Constable of France, the Count of Eu, the Chamberlain of Tankerville, along with many knights and men-at-arms and commoners of the town, had prepared to hold the town against my lord the king and all his power. But when the king came with his host and presented himself before the town, the enemies retreated across a bridge in the middle of the town and held their position there. When we had come as close to the town as we could, our archers went straight to the bridge and began to attack them with arrows. Meanwhile, some of our men-at-arms came and gave them a fierce assault, such that, for fear of injury to our men, since it was believed there were no men-at-arms with us except for the archers of my Lord of Warwick, the marshal, a message was sent from the king for them to withdraw. But when he came to the bridge, he found them fighting hand to hand at the barricades. He himself behaved very well and honourably, and at last, with the help of Our Lord, our men gained the bridge from them and thus entered the town and routed them. Soon after, the Constable of France surrendered to my lord Thomas de Holland, along with many knights and squires who were with him; and the Chamberlain of Tankerville was taken by a bachelor knight of my lord the prince and is now the prince's prisoner. Between 600 and 700 proven and valiant knights were taken or killed, of whom around 100 are still alive, and among the squires, burgesses, and common people, around 5,000 were taken or killed. Thus, praise be to Our Lord, events have gone up to now as graciously as they could. The king stayed there for two or three days to refresh his host with victuals, which were plentiful in the town, and he plans to draw himself straight toward his adversary to bring matters to such an end as God has ordained. The ships have come to the mouth of the river that flows to Caen, and they have burned and destroyed around 100 vessels along the coast and done great destruction to the land by fire and other means. Other news, sire, I do not presently have to send you. May the Holy Spirit preserve you in your honours, in good life and long. Written at Caen, the 29th day of July [1346]."

"My lord, it pleaseth the king that all the prisoners which be taken be sent to England, without being delivered by ransom or otherwise, until he hath accomplished further in his war."

"Tres reverent piere en Dieu et mon tres honure seignur, pur ceo qe jeo eai bien ge vous estes molt desironsc de saver bones novels de roi mon seignur et del espleit gil ad cu puis qil vynt en parties de Normandie, pleise a vous saver qe, del heure gil comensa a chivacher, si prist il soun chymyn de la Hoge, la ou il ariva, dreit a Kaam, et ala tot par les bones villes, saver Valeyns, Karantan, Seint Loo, et par altres bones villes tot pleyn. Mes il ny avoit home ne femme destat qc osa attendre en villes, ' chastels, no en pays, la ou le oust passa, ge touz ne sen fuyrount, taunge le roy vynt a Kasam. Et la fuy le conestable de France, counte de Eu, le chaumbleyne de Tankerville, ou tot pleyn de chivalers et de genz des armes et comuns de pais ect de la ville, les queux se avoient ordeyne daver tenuz la dite ville encountre le roi mon seignur et tot soun poair. Mes, quant le roi y vynt od soun hoste et se mostra devant la ville, les enemys se retrerunt outre un pount gest en myluy de la ville et so tindrount la, Et quant nous estoiomus venuz tot a la ville, si pres com nous poyemus, noz archers alerunt tot dreit a pount et les asailerunt par trere. Eten le meyn temps vindrunt a eux ascuns gentz darmez et lour donerunt fort asaut, si qe pur doute de blessure de noz gentz, par cause qe home quida qe nuls gens darmez de noz i fusount, forke archers moun Seignur de Warewyke, mareschal, il fut maunde de part le roi pur eux retrere. Et quant il vynt a pount, il les trova combatant les unus ou les autres dreit a les barres, par ou il se porta mesmes bien et noblement, et a dreyn home les presa tant qe, ou leido nostre Seignur, nous gentz gainerunt le pount sour eux, et ensi entrerunt la ville et les descomfirount. Et taunstot le conestable de France se rendi a moun seignur Thomas de Holond ou tost pleyn de chivalers et equiers qe furunt ovesque luy; et le chambelen de Tankervile fust pris dun bacheler mon seignur le prince, si qil est le prison moun seignur. Et farunt pris et mortz entre VJ^xx et VIJ^xx chivalers pruis et vailauns, dount i sount unqore vifs entour C; et desquiers, burgeys, et de comune poeple pris et mortz entour V mille; si qe, leye ent soit nostre Seignur!, les besoignez sunt ales tange encea si graciousement com il pount. Et le roi il demurra deux jours ou treis pur affrecher soun houst de vitailes qi furunt en la ville tot pleyn, et pense de sui trere tot dreit devers soun adversere, de faire tiel fyn com Dieu luy ad ordeyne. Et les neefs furunt venuz a bout del entre de lewe qe va a Kaam, et ount ars et destruit enviroun C vesceus par les coustes et grant destruccoun fait sour la terre par arsyn et par altre voie. Altres novels, sire, ne vous say jeo en present maunder. Le Seynt Espyrit vous meintengne en voz honurs, en bone vie et longe. Escrit a Kaan, le XXIX jour de Juyl."

"Sire, il plest a roy qe touz les prisouns qe sount pris soient maundez en Engleterre, saunz estre delivers par raunsoun ou par autre voie, tauge il cit altre espleite de sa guere."

Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. 29th July 1518. ^aThis yeare, on a Thursday, the 29th day of Julie, a legat [aged 43]^b came from the Pope, and was receaved into London at after-noone. And there receaved him at the Black Heath [Map] the Bishop of Dunham [aged 46], Bishop of Ely, the Duke of Northfolke [aged 45],^c with divers other great lordes and knightes, and all the orders of friers, channons, moncks of Stratforde and Tower Hill, with all parsons and priestes of all the parishe churches in London, stoode all in coopes with crosses, candlestickes, and sensors, from St. Georges barre in Southwark to Leaden Hall comer. And ever as the legatt passed by them they sensed him; and so was he receaved thorowe the Cittie; he havinge borne before him 2 pillers of sylver and guylt, and he himselfe ridinge in redd chamlett,^d with his cardinalls hatt on his heade, and the Major and Aldermen, with all the crafts of the Cittie, standinge in Cheepe-syde in their best liveries. And when he came before the Major and Aldermen yonge Mr. More [aged 40] made there to him a proposition for the Cittie,^e and so he rode thorowe Paules Churche yeard. And when he came at the west dore of Powles the Bishop of London,^f with all Powles quier, receaved him with procession in copes of cloth of golde, and a riche canopie of cloth of golde borne over his heade, and so brought him to the highe alter, where he saide his devotions and offered; and that done, he rode to the Bishopp of Bathes place at Temple barre, which was prepared for him, and so there remayned.

Note a. This is the first instance in which onr Chronicler gires a nrach fuller account of the proceedings than is to be found in Arnold's Chronicle, which ends in the jear following.

Note b. Cardinal Campeggio, called also Laurence Campeins.

Note c. Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, had the title of Duke of Norfolk restored to him for the great victory gained by him at Flodden, 1513, Sept 9.

Note d. Whilst delaying at Calais for the return of the papal bull Wolsey [aged 45]s had snpplied him with red cloth to clothe his servants, who, at their first coming, were but meanly apparelled. Hall, ed. 1809, p. 692.

Note e. Sir Thomas More made a brief oration to him in the name of the City. — Hall's Chronicle, cd. 1809, p. 693.

Note f. Richard Fitz-James.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 29th July 1667. By and by he is informed that Sir H. Bellasses's [aged 28] coach was coming: so Tom Porter went down out of the Coffee-house where he stayed for the tidings, and stopped the coach, and bade Sir H. Bellasses come out. "Why", says H. Bellasses, "you will not hurt me coming out, will you?"-"No", says Tom Porter. So out he went, and both drew: and H. Bellasses having drawn and flung away his scabbard, Tom Porter asked him whether he was ready? The other answering him he was, they fell to fight, some of their acquaintance by. They wounded one another, and H. Bellasses so much that it is feared he will die: and finding himself severely wounded, he called to Tom Porter, and kissed him, and bade him shift for himself; "for", says he, "Tom, thou hast hurt me; but I will make shift to stand upon my legs till thou mayest withdraw, and the world not take notice of you, for I would not have thee troubled for what thou hast done". And so whether he did fly or no I cannot tell: but Tom Porter shewed H. Bellasses that he was wounded too: and they are both ill, but H. Bellasses to fear of life. And this is a fine example; and H. Bellasses a Parliament-man too, and both of them most extraordinary friends! Among other discourse, my cozen Roger [aged 50] told us a thing certain, that the Archbishop of Canterbury [aged 69]; that now is, do keep a wench, and that he is as very a wencher as can be; and tells us it is a thing publickly known that Sir Charles Sidley [aged 28] had got away one of the Archbishop's wenches from him, and the Archbishop sent to him to let him know that she was his kinswoman, and did wonder that he would offer any dishonour to one related to him. To which Sir Charles Sidley is said to answer, "A pox take his Grace! pray tell his Grace that I believe he finds himself too old, and is afraid that I should outdo him among his girls, and spoil his trade". But he makes no more of doubt to say that the Archbishop is a wencher, and known to be so, which is one of the most astonishing things that I have heard of, unless it be, what for certain he says is true, that my Baroness Castlemayne [aged 26] hath made a Bishop lately, namely,-her uncle, Dr. Glenham, who, I think they say, is Bishop of Carlisle; a drunken, swearing rascal, and a scandal to the Church; and do now pretend to be Bishop of Lincoln, in competition with Dr. Raynbow [aged 59], who is reckoned as worthy a man as most in the Church for piety and learning: which are things so scandalous to consider, that no man can doubt but we must be undone that hears of them.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 29th July 1667. After dinner comes W. How and a son of Mr. Pagett's to see me, with whom I drank, but could not stay, and so by coach with cozen Roger [aged 50] (who before his going did acquaint me in private with an offer made of his marrying of Mrs. Elizabeth Wiles, whom I know; a kinswoman of Mr. Honiwood's, an ugly old maid, but a good housewife; and is said to have £2500 to her portion; but if I can find that she hath but £2000, which he prays me to examine, he says he will have her, she being one he hath long known intimately, and a good housewife, and discreet woman; though I am against it in my heart, she being not handsome at all) and it hath been the very bad fortune of the Pepyses that ever I knew, never to marry an handsome woman, excepting Ned Pepys and Creed, set the former down at the Temple [Map] resolving to go to Cambridge to-morrow, and Creed and I to White Hall to the Treasury chamber there to attend, but in vain, only here, looking out of the window into the garden, I saw the King [aged 37] (whom I have not had any desire to see since the Dutch come upon the coast first to Sheerness, for shame that I should see him, or he me, methinks, after such a dishonour) come upon the garden; with him two or three idle Lords; and instantly after him, in another walk, my Baroness Castlemayne [aged 26], led by Bab. May [aged 39]: at which I was surprised, having but newly heard the stories of the King and her being parted for ever. So I took Mr. Povy [aged 53], who was there, aside, and he told me all, how imperious this woman is, and hectors the King to whatever she will. It seems she is with child, and the King says he did not get it: with that she made a slighting "puh" with her mouth, and went out of the house, and never come in again till the King went to Sir Daniel Harvy's to pray her; and so she is come to-day, when one would think his mind should be full of some other cares, having but this morning broken up such a Parliament, with so much discontent, and so many wants upon him, and but yesterday heard such a sermon against adultery. But it seems she hath told the King, that whoever did get it, he should own it; and the bottom of the quarrel is this:-She is fallen in love with young Jermin who hath of late lain with her oftener than the King, and is now going to marry my Lady Falmouth; the King he is mad at her entertaining Jermin, and she is mad at Jermin's going to marry from her: so they are all mad; and thus the Kingdom is governed! and they say it is labouring to make breaches between the Duke of Richmond and his lady that the King may get her to him. But he tells me for certain that nothing is more sure than that the King, and Duke of York [aged 33], and the Chancellor [aged 58], are desirous and labouring all they can to get an army, whatever the King says to the Parliament; and he believes that they are at last resolved to stand and fall all three together: so that he says match of the Duke of York with the Chancellor's daughter hath undone the nation. He tells me also that the King hath not greater enemies in the world than those of his own family; for there is not an officer in the house almost but curses him for letting them starve, and there is not a farthing of money to be raised for the buying them bread. Having done talking with him I to Westminster Hall [Map], and there talked and wandered up and down till the evening to no purpose, there and to the Swan [Map], and so till the evening, and so home, and there to walk in the garden with my wife, telling her of my losing £300 a year by my place that I am to part with, which do a little trouble me, but we must live with somewhat more thrift, and so home to supper and to play on the flageolet, which do do very prettily, and so to bed. Many guns were heard this afternoon, it seems, at White Hall and in the Temple [Map] garden very plain; but what it should be nobody knows, unless the Dutch be driving our ships up the river. To-morrow we shall know.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 29th July 1667. By and by up to the Duke of York's [aged 33] chamber; and there all the talk was about Jordan's coming with so much indiscretion, with his four little frigates and sixteen fire-ships from Harwich, Essex [Map], to annoy the enemy. His failures were of several sorts, I know not which the truest: that he come with so strong a gale of wind, that his grapplings would not hold; that he did come by their lee; whereas if he had come athwart their hawse, they would have held; that they did not stop a tide, and come up with a windward tide, and then they would not have come so fast. Now, there happened to be Captain Jenifer by, who commanded the Lily in this business, and thus says that, finding the Dutch not so many as they expected, they did not know but that there were more of them above, and so were not so earnest to the setting upon these; that they did do what they could to make the fire-ships fall in among the enemy; and, for their lives, neither Sir J. Jordan nor others could, by shooting several times at them, make them go in; and it seems they were commanded by some idle fellows, such as they could of a sudden gather up at Harwich, Essex [Map]; which is a sad consideration that, at such a time as this, where the saving the reputation of the whole nation lay at stake, and after so long a war, the King [aged 37] had not credit to gather a few able men to command these vessels. He says, that if they had come up slower, the enemy would, with their boats and their great sloops, which they have to row with a great many men, they would, and did, come and cut up several of our fireships, and would certainly have taken most of them, for they do come with a great provision of these boats on purpose, and to save their men, which is bravely done of them, though they did, on this very occasion, shew great fear, as they say, by some men leaping overboard out of a great ship, as these were all of them of sixty and seventy guns a-piece, which one of our fireships laid on board, though the fire did not take. But yet it is brave to see what care they do take to encourage their men to provide great stores of boats to save them, while we have not credit to find one boat for a ship. And, further, he told us that this new way used by Deane [aged 33], and this Sir W. Coventry [aged 39] observed several times, of preparing of fire-ships, do not do the work; for the fire, not being strong and quick enough to flame up, so as to take the rigging and sails, lies smothering a great while, half an hour before it flames, in which time they can get her off safely, though, which is uncertain, and did fail in one or two this bout, it do serve to burn our own ships. But what a shame it is to consider how two of our ships' companies did desert their ships for fear of being taken by their boats, our little frigates being forced to leave them, being chased by their greater! And one more company did set their ship on fire, and leave her; which afterwards a Feversham fisherman come up to, and put out the fire, and carried safe into Feversham, where she now is, which was observed by the Duke of York, and all the company with him, that it was only want of courage, and a general dismay and abjectness of spirit upon all our men; and others did observe our ill management, and God Almighty's curse upon all that we have in hand, for never such an opportunity was of destroying so many good ships of theirs as we now had. But to see how negligent we were in this business, that our fleete of Jordan's should not have any notice where Spragg was, nor Spragg of Jordan's, so as to be able to meet and join in the business, and help one another; but Jordan, when he saw Spragg's fleete above, did think them to be another part of the enemy's fleete! While, on the other side, notwithstanding our people at Court made such a secret of Jordan's design that nobody must know it, and even this Office itself must not know it; nor for my part I did not, though Sir W. Batten [aged 66] says by others' discourse to him he had heard something of it; yet De Ruyter [aged 60], or he that commanded this fleete, had notice of it, and told it to a fisherman of ours that he took and released on Thursday last, which was the day before our fleete came to him. But then, that, that seems most to our disgrace, and which the Duke of York did take special and vehement notice of, is, that when the Dutch saw so many fire-ships provided for them, themselves lying, I think, about the Nore, they did with all their great ships, with a North-east wind, as I take it they said, but whatever it was, it was a wind that we should not have done it with, turn down to the Middle-ground; which the Duke of York observed, never was nor would have been undertaken by ourselves. And whereas some of the company answered, it was their great fear, not their choice that made them do it, the Duke of York answered, that it was, it may be, their fear and wisdom that made them do it; but yet their fear did not make them mistake, as we should have done, when we have had no fear upon us, and have run our ships on ground. And this brought it into my mind, that they managed their retreat down this difficult passage, with all their fear, better than we could do ourselves in the main sea, when the Duke of Albemarle [aged 58] run away from the Dutch, when the Prince was lost, and the Royal Charles and the other great ships come on ground upon the Galloper. Thus, in all things, in wisdom, courage, force, knowledge of our own streams, and success, the Dutch have the best of us, and do end the war with victory on their side. The Duke of York being ready, we into his closet, but, being in haste to go to the Parliament House, he could not stay. So we parted, and to Westminster Hall [Map], where the Hall full of people to see the issue of the day, the King being come to speak to the House to-day.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 29th July 1667. But presently comes down the House of Commons, the King [aged 37] having made then a very short and no pleasing speech to them at all, not at all giving them thanks for their readiness to come up to town at this busy time; but told them that he did think he should have had occasion for them, but had none, and therefore did dismiss them to look after their own occasions till October; and that he did wonder any should offer to bring in a suspicion that he intended to rule by an army, or otherwise than by the laws of the land, which he promised them he would do; and so bade them go home and settle the minds of the country in that particular; and only added, that he had made a peace which he did believe they would find reasonable, and a good peace, but did give them none of the particulars thereof. Thus they are dismissed again to their general great distaste, I believe the greatest that ever Parliament was, to see themselves so fooled, and the nation in certain condition of ruin, while the King, they see, is only governed by his lust, and women, and rogues about him. The Speaker, they found, was kept from coming in the morning to the House on purpose, till after the King was come to the House of Lords, for fear they should be doing anything in the House of Commons to the further dissatisfaction of the King and his courtiers. They do all give up the Kingdom for lost that I speak to; and do hear what the King says, how he and the Duke of York [aged 33] do do what they can to get up an army, that they may need no more Parliaments: and how my Baroness Castlemayne [aged 26] hath, before the late breach between her and the King, said to the King that he must rule by an army, or all would be lost, and that Bab. May [aged 39] hath given the like advice to the King, to crush the English gentlemen, saying that £300 a-year was enough for any man but them that lived at Court. I am told that many petitions were provided for the Parliament, complaining of the wrongs they have received from the Court and courtiers, in city and country, if the Parliament had but sat: and I do perceive they all do resolve to have a good account of the money spent before ever they give a farthing more: and the whole kingdom is everywhere sensible of their being abused, insomuch that they forced their Parliament-men to come up to sit; and my cozen Roger [aged 50] told me that (but that was in mirth) he believed, if he had not come up, he should have had his house burned. The Kingdom never in so troubled a condition in this world as now; nobody pleased with the peace, and yet nobody daring to wish for the continuance of the war, it being plain that nothing do nor can thrive under us. Here I saw old good Mr. Vaughan [aged 63], and several of the great men of the Commons, and some of them old men, that are come 200 miles, and more, to attend this session-of Parliament; and have been at great charge and disappointments in their other private business; and now all to no purpose, neither to serve their country, content themselves, nor receive any thanks from the King. It is verily expected by many of them that the King will continue the prorogation in October, so as, if it be possible, never to have [this] Parliament more. My Lord Bristoll [aged 54] took his place in the House of Lords this day, but not in his robes; and when the King come in, he withdrew but my Lord of Buckingham [aged 39] was there as brisk as ever, and sat in his robes; which is a monstrous thing, that a man proclaimed against, and put in the Tower [Map], and all, and released without any trial, and yet not restored to his places.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 29th July 1667. But, above all, I saw my Lord Mordaunt [aged 41] as merry as the best, that it seems hath done such further indignities to Mr. Taylor' since the last sitting of Parliament as would hang (him), if there were nothing else, would the King [aged 37] do what were fit for him; but nothing of that is now likely to be. After having spent an hour or two in the hall, my cozen Roger [aged 50] and I and Creed to the Old Exchange [Map], where I find all the merchants sad at this peace and breaking up of the Parliament, as men despairing of any good to the nation, which is a grievous consideration; and so home, and there cozen Roger and Creed to dinner with me, and very merry:-but among other things they told me of the strange, bold sermon of Dr. Creeton yesterday, before the King; how he preached against the sins of the Court, and particularly against adultery, over and over instancing how for that single sin in David, the whole nation was undone; and of our negligence in having our castles without ammunition and powder when the Dutch come upon us; and how we have no courage now a-days, but let our ships be taken out of our harbour. Here Creed did tell us the story of the dwell last night, in Coventgarden [Map], between Sir H. Bellasses [aged 28] and Tom Porter. It is worth remembering the silliness of the quarrell, and is a kind of emblem of the general complexion of this whole kingdom at present. They two it seems dined yesterday at Sir Robert Carr's [aged 30], where it seems people do drink high, all that come. It happened that these two, the greatest friends in the world, were talking together: and Sir H. Bellasses talked a little louder than ordinary to Tom Porter, giving of him some advice. Some of the company standing by said, "What! are they quarrelling, that they talk so high?" Sir H. Bellasses hearing it, said, "No!" says he: "I would have you know that I never quarrel, but I strike; and take that as a rule of mine!"-"How?" says Tom Porter, "strike! I would I could see the man in England that durst give me a blow!" with that Sir H. Bellasses did give him a box of the eare; and so they were going to fight there, but were hindered. And by and by Tom Porter went out; and meeting Dryden [aged 35] the poet, told him of the business, and that he was resolved to fight Sir H. Bellasses presently; for he knew, if he did not, they should be made friends to-morrow, and then the blow would rest upon him; which he would prevent, and desired Dryden to let him have his boy to bring him notice which way Sir H. Bellasses goes.

Thomas Bateman 1846. On the 29th of July, 1846, was examined a large tumulus at Castern [Note. Castern Barrow, Derbyshire [Map] has no tumulus marked near it on the OS Map?], near Wetton, Staffordshire, distant about a quarter of a mile from that opened near Castern [Map] on the 14th of June, 1845 (on which occasion the one under notice first attracted attention); it was composed principally of a very solid kind of soil, intermixed with clay, amongst which were dispersed many chippings of flint, as well as others of a more determinate form; also a few animal bones, such as fragments of deer's horns, teeth of horses, &c. Towards the centre the stiff earth did not prevail so much, that part of the mound being constructed of loose stones, which were found to continue below the natural surface, to the depth of four feet, making an entire depth of eight feet from the summit of the barrow; at this depth lay the original and most important interment, in a square cist cut out of the primitive rock; the skeleton lay upon its left side, on a thin bed of very tenacious blue clay, with the knees contracted, accompanied by the most elegant and elaborately ornamented drinking-cup, or vase, hitherto discovered and one small instrument of calcined flint; the vase was placed in an upright position about a foot in the rear of the skull, and exhibited signs of having been two thirds full of some substance, or rather liquid, at the time of being buried, an incrustation having formed inside, at about one third of its depth from the mouth. The skeleton was that of an individual rather above the common size, the large bones of the thigh measuring in length nineteen inches and a half, and all the bones having the ridges and other points of muscular attachment remarkably well developed. At a short distance from the centre of the barrow there was every appearance of the remains of a fire which had been made upon a flat stone, surrounded by others, the edges of which were calcined until they were converted into lime. Can this be the place where the drinking-cup was baked? - there were certainly no calcined bones to be seen. Another body was found in a similar position to the foregoing, within six inches of the summit of the tumulus; it owed its preservation mainly to a large flat stone which was placed over it, and which was literally destitute of turf, and exposed to the observation of any person walking over the barrow. Neither urn nor weapon accompanied this interment.

New York Times 29 Jul 1922. 29th July 1922. Obituary. New York Times.

Former Adele Grant of New York Stricken With Heart Attack After Dinner Party.

TRIED TO SUMMON HELP

Dowager, Once Famous Beauty, Was Model for Herkomer's "A Lady in White." [Note. This appears to be a mistake - A Lady in White]

1922 by The New York Times Company. By Wireless to The New York Times.

London, July 28. Dowager Countess Essex [deceased], who was the daughter of the late Beach Grant of New York and the second wife of the Seventh Earl of Essex, was found dead in her bath today at her home, 72 Brook Street, by one of her maids.

Lady Essex attended last night a dinner party given by the Hon. Mrs. Rupert Beckett and appeared in the best of spirits. She was driven home by Mrs. Asquith, with whom she was to have lunched today.

Apparently she took her bath before going to bed and had the seizure. She seemed to have endeavored to get help as the hanging electric bell push had been pulled into the bath. The tragedy was not discovered until this morning when Lady Essex's maid found her bed had not been slept in.

The bath room door was locked and the electric lights were full on. When the door was forced Lady Essex was found dead. She had suffered for years from a weak heart and it is presumed that she had the seizure when she could not help herself.

In her prime Lady Essex was famed for her beauty, being tall and graceful, with soft eyes and dark hair. Indeed she belonged to the group that was playfully christened "Lovely Five" and included Lady Warwick [aged 60], Lady Lytton [aged 80], Lady Westmoreland and the Duchess of Sutherland [aged 54]. She was the model for Herkomer's famous picture "A Lady in White."

A coroner's inquest into Lady Essex's death will be held on Monday.

Adele Grant. daughter of the late Beach Grant of this city, was married to the seventh Earl of Essex in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map], Dec. 14 1893. Archdeacon Farrar performed the ceremony, the occasion being one of the brilliant social events of that Winter in London. There have been two children, Lady Iris Mary [aged 27] and Lady Joan Rachel [aged 23], respectively 26 and 22 years old. Presumably they will share their mother's fortune, which is not inconsiderable since her inheritance in 1915 of some $600,000 from her uncle, R. Suydam Grant, of the New York Stock Exchange.

Her husband was a widower when she married him. The present Earl [aged 38], son of his father's first marriage, did not have sufficient income to keep up the magnificent ancestral estate of Cassiobury Park, and last Fall it was offered for sale. On previous occasions it had been rented to Americans, among others to Otto H. Kahn.

An anecdote of the family that reveals the firmness of the Countess is that of her refusal of the tempting offers repeatedly made to her by Lady Meux, widow of Sir Henry Meux, the wealthy brewer. The story has it that Lady Meux, originally a "queen of burlesque" and aunt by marriage of the Earl of Essex, offered to make the Earl her heir if only the Countess would introduce her to society. But the Countess did not allow her thorough disapproval of the brewer's widow to be overcome by the bribe.

Before her marriage Adele Grant had been engaged to the late Earl Cairns, the unfortunate man who acquired the nickname of "Gumboil," thanks to his courtesy title of Lord Garmoyle. She broke off the match on the eve of the wedding owing to the prospective bridegrooms extortionate demands for a settlement. And, in 1920, after the death of her husband, she was reported, not on the highest authority, however, to be engaged to the Duke of Connaught [aged 72], brother of Edward Vll. The affair progressed no further than the circulation of the report.

During the World War the Countess did much relief work, serving with Queen Mary's Needlework Guild, on the Urban Executive Committee of the Urban Council for War Relief, and also as President of the Soldiers and Sailors Families' Association.