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I have often times sent unto John your old servant Mr. Norld to pray humbly your L. orders for the ordering of his case: he hath been long in prison and desirith your L. orders for the hearing of his case which it may please your L. to express unto me.

The last letter which will be given in this place chiefly derives interest from its describing a very similar event to one which has lately possessed so much of public attention, the abduction of a young girl from her parents.

LETTER FROM PETER COOKE, RECTOR OF SUTTON UPON DERWENT IN YORKSHIRE, TO HIS SON-IN-LAW MILES DODSON, ESQ. OF KIRKBY OVERBLOWS IN THE SAME COUNTY, RESPECTING THE ABDUCTION OF AN HEIRESS IN THE REIGN OF JAMES 1.

[From the original. Communicated by the Rev. Joseph Hunter, F. S. A.]

Sonne,

I am glad that I sent you worde of the stealing away of the mayd before Mr. Ashton and his wife came unto you. The thinge that I writ was true in substance; and now bicause I have better leysure I will shew you as I have hard of the same busines more particularly.

I was at Yorke the day after the act was done; and beinge at dinner with Sir Robert Askwith, his brother told him of the stealinge away of this mayd and of her cryinge, for he was upon Heworth Moore when they tooke her up, but he could not tell whose daughter she was, nor who stole her. Cominge from theire I mett Mr. Crashaw, and he told me that my daughter was blamed for inticinge of a young mayd into the feilds to that end she might be taken away. I told him, my daughter was at home with her children; neyther wold she take any such ungodly and unlawfull acts in hand. He laughed and said it was Mrs. Dodson that was blamed; and so the bruit went it was my daughter, but, sayth he, I have answered that matter to all those I hard speake of it, that your daughter was of that behaviour she woold not have to doe with any such business and then streight after, it was knowne to be Mr. Mildred Dodson. And so the talke ceased of her, and your wife was in no blame.

The maid's father was one Spinke who dwelt at Great Driffeild upon the Wold. He was a petty grocer by his trade and kept a shop in Driffeild; but he got his wealth by bargayninge and takinge of tythes to farme. He dyinge havinge children, this daughter's portion came to betwixt five and six hundred pounds. Her mother may make it a great some for she is very rich; but she vowed as I have hard to spend more then they ar all worth but she will have the law against them; and I heare she is a very wilful and obstinate woman. The mayd is but about twelve yeares of age. She was put to schole at Yorke with one Mr. Solomon Daye's wife. Thither Mrs. Mildred resorted, and took acquaintance with a gentleman's daughter whom she never knew, and told her that her father and mother were

well. She wold needes bestow a quart of wine of the mistress; and intreated the mistress, seinge it was about foure of the cloke, that they might goe play, never takinge notice of Spink's daughter. Then she inticed them into the feilds; and then she gave notice to them that were appoynted for the matter, they beinge at Mrs. Davye's, an inn hard by the posterne that goeth to Heworth Moore. In all hast they take horse; and Davye one of the conspiracy gott Richard Dodson's horse: and so he and Miles and the Captain marshall away. Myles seased upon the mayd. At the first she laughed: but when she saw they were in good earnest she cryed extremely out, [and when] she was layd over the horsback, she cryed out "Murder, Murder! Alas! I shall never se my mother." Leonard Swan, my host Wadsworth, and one other offred to stay them. They drew their swords and showted and halowed, that her crying might not be hard. She lost her shoes. And after they had got her from company, they sett her up behind one of them. She twyse or thrice gott from behind him, and then, as I thinke, they bound her. Judge you whether this mayd was stolen agaynst her will or no.

They left the ordinary way by Kexby and came to Elvington, and so by my doore. My sonne Henry and tow of my men were standinge at the doore. They sange: yet notwithstandinge they hard the mayd mourne. The formost man they say was hoded. I suppose she was then past cryinge. After that, they mett my mayds cominge from Kye. One of them asked how I and my wife did: and so they kept on their journey to Goodmadame. Richard Dodson, after he had got an horse brought his sister Mildred behind him: but he went by Kexby; for ther he was inquiring whether any such people had gone that way.

The morow after, the Pursevant was sent with commission to Mr. Sudabie to apprehend them all. He beinge sicke sent his sonne with the Pursevant with other company. At the first, they wold not open the doores: but when they were told they must rayse the town and country, they opened: and the three worthies stode with their swords drawne. When they were told what danger they were in if they did resist, they yelded. They could not see the bridegrome nor the bride. So these thre was caryed to York, and committed to Cutlawes the Pursevant. The next day Mr. Ashton voluntarily went to York to see what was become of them, and there was he committed. And the next day was a warrant sent for the bringinge in of the bridegrome and the bride, and Mrs. Mildred as I suppose. Mr. Ashton writ a letter to his wife, by the name of Mrs. Katharine Fowberye to deliver the bodies of Richard Dodson and . . . . Spinke. So they came to Yorke upon Sunday about eleven of the cloke. The mayd was delivered to her mother, and so to the schole againe. The mayd beinge asked whether they threatened to kill her or no, she answered, they did not, but they sayd, if she wold not be content and be quiet they wold one of them kill an other. The minister that married them is one Lee, reader at Shipton. He overrunne the Pursevant, and so he is not as yet taken. It is sayd, that ther was a supper provided at Sparow's at Goodmadam for them, and so it is thought he is in some danger. I wish that it were otherwise in

respect of the money that he stands bound to me for. Mr. Ashton, in regard he is a minister and his church must be served, was allowed to departe upon securitie. So likewise Mrs. Mildred, bicause she was a Lincolneshire woman, Sir William Ellis, being of Lincolne tooke bayle of her. The other foure ar in the Castle as I heare. Miles is in hope that Sir Edwin Sands and Sir Myles will procure them ther pardons: but I feare they will have nothinge to doe with such a fowle offense. All the country cryes shame of this act, and expects the rigour of the law to be ministred unto them, that they nede not live in feare of the stealinge away of ther children.

I was at dinner upon Thursday last at Sir Henry Vaghan's, wher were Sir Guy Palmes, Sir George Palmes, Sir John Bouchier, Sir William Acklam, and Sir Richard Darley. A great parte of the talke at dinner was of this bad busines. Sir Guy sayd, by a statute Henrici 7 it was fellony: wherfore I am glad you intend to have nothinge to doe with them.

I have sent you tenn pounds accordinge to your desire. I expect you and my daughter at your day. My wife and I both have a great desire to see her. I pray you send me a wollman to buy my woll, that will pay me before my day.

Thus being now in some haste, with our loves remembered unto you, desiring God to blesse your wife and children, I betake you to God. Sutton upon Darwent this 20 of 7ber 1620.

Yor ever assured lovinge father in law,

PETER COOKE.

FURNITURE IN THE PALACES OF KING HENRY THE EIGHTH.

AMONG the MSS. in the British Museum are two very large volumes, marked No. 1419, A. and B. entitled, "The Seconde Parte of the Inventorye of our late Soveraigne Lorde King Henry the Eighth conteyning his Guarderobes, Housholde Stuffe and other Implementes; made by vertue of a Commyssion undre the Greate Seale of England bearing date at Westminster the 14th daye of Septembre in the firste yere of the reign of our Soveraigne Lord King Edward the Sixte [1547], directed to the Lorde Seynt John, Great Mastre of the Kinges Housholde, President of the Counsaill, and Keaper of the Great Seale; the Lord Russell, Keeper of the Privey Seale; the Erle of Warwicke; and to Sir Walter Mildmay Knight, or to three or two of theym. Which Commyssion in the Boke conteyning the firste parte of the saide Inventorye at length is conteyned. All whiche Goodes, Cattalles, and Stuffe were examyned by the Commyssioners at sundrie tymes and seasons in the saide firste yeare of the Kinges Majesties reign; as by dyvers perticuler and rough

bokes, uppon whiche this hole and entier boke is made, appereth."

It will at once be inferred by those who know the extremely minute manner in which such Inventories were then made, that those volumes must contain a curious and interesting account of the furniture and other domestic articles then in use. In selecting the most singular entries for our pages, we shall present valuable illustrations, not merely of the furniture of the royal apartments, but, occasionally, of the state of the arts, the personal amusements and occupations, as well as of the luxuries of the age. Nor is the information thus afforded of interest to the antiquary alone: the general reader can scarcely fail to be amused with the perusal of an account of the articles which composed Henry the Eighth's toilet, &c. To such entries as are not likely to be generally understood, explanatory notes are added.

In the Tower.

Item, foure cappes with vanes of silver and gilte, engraven with the kinges armes and rooses, for the postes of a beddstede.—f. 22. Item, a targett of steele with a gonne in it lacking parte of the steele, frengid with grene silke and lyned with grene vellat. Ibid. Item, twoo rounde pannes of iron made six square grate wise, being uppon wheales, to make fyre in '.-f. 30.

In the kynges privey chamber.

Firste, a brekefaste table of wallnot tree 2.

Item, a rounde table covered with blacke vellat.

Item, a steele glasse 3.

Item, one paier of regalles with the case *.

Item, one payer of tables of bone and wodde in a case of leather ".

Vessels for conveying fire from one apartment to another. The same article occurs in the "Privy Purse expenses of Henry VIII.” where we find that the price of two was, in 1531, 47. 13s. 4d. * Walnut wood.

4

A mirror of polished steel.

A regal is explained in Ellis's Original Letters, 2nd Series, vol. i. p. 272, on the authority of William Ayrton, Esq. to be "a small portable organ with one row of pipes: a double regal was also portable, but had two rows of pipes. Mersennus (Harmonie Universelle) says, in one place, that the stop vox humana took the name of regal'; in another, he describes the Harmonica, and calls it a regal. There can be no doubt, however, that the above is the correct definition: there is even yet a tuner of regals in the royal household, whose business it is to tune the organs in all the chapels royal."

5

" Backgammon boards. Henry lost considerable sums in gambling, and frequently at the tables." See his Priv Purse Expenses, pp. 48. 81. 272, 273.

In the closet next that chambre.

Firste, vij rackettes for the tennys.

Itm. a boxe of leather full of painted antiques.

Itm. a boxe covered with vellat wheren were pictures of nedleworke.

Itm. a litle boxe of leather with table men '.

Itm. two poyses of tynne 2.

4

Itm. a boxe of woodde with vj hawkes whoodes embrawdered. Itm. a woodden boxe with xxx haukes whoddes of dyvers sortes, xij payer of hawkes belles smalle and greate, and a fawconers glove. Itm. a deske covered with printers leather furnysshed with boxes with counters of tynnes, and having a paire of sysзorres, a payer of compas, a penne knyfe, and a poyntell 6 cased in metall. Itm. an other like deske furnysshed with boxes withoute counters, with a penne knyfe, and a payer of sisorres.

Itm. an other like deske with a paier of sisorres a penknyfe with boxes without counters.

Itm. an other like standishe with boxes not furnished.

Itm. a square coffre covered with leather having in yt lxxij hawkes whodes, iij lewres, and viij papers with hawkes belles.

Itm. a standisshe covered with purple vellatt furnysshed with j boxes and with counters all of metall, with a penne knyfe. Itm. a buckler of steele painted in a case of leather.

Itm. a pair of gilte spurres.

Itm. two here brusshes.

Itm. two glasses paynted.

Itm, two baggs with table men and chesse men.

Itm. a stocke bagge with divers lether purses having in theym peces of -ure [query wire] of gold and silver.

Itm. an olde tassell of crymson silke.

Itm. an instrument of tynne for water.

Itm. two stone bowes of ewe 7.

Itm. a leather bagge with instrumentes of bone, and a crosse bowe

[blocks in formation]

Two dozen hawks' hoods cost in September, 1531, 68. 8d.; and 13s. 6d. were given for a dozen of gilt bells for hawks.-Privy Purse Expenses, p. 159.

4 The term, "printers' leather," tends perhaps to show that printers were then also bookbinders, though the latter term often occurs. p. 189, ibid.

5 Probably a pencil.

Query, Counters for cards.

7 Bows for shooting stones.

See

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