Archivio Mediceo del Principato, Firenze, Filza 4187
Preparations for the Christmas season 1604-5, described in a dispatch, dated 30 [i.e.
20] Dec. 1604, sent home by the Tuscan agent Ottaviano Lotti
. It comes on fol. 645 of filza 4187.
[…]si dice in Corte, che la Maesta’ Sua, sia per allontanarsi da Londra: infino in cento miglia, per vedere, et gustar quiui
un paese propriissimo per la caccia, ma la Maesta’ della Regina, si crede, che per
quel tempo si fermerà in Granuici, una delle Case Regie, non piu’ lontana di tre miglia
da Londra: Intanto si preparano qui bellissime mascherate, maritandosi massime il
Signor Cavalier Filippo Herbert
, giovanetto amatissimo dal Re, et fratello del Conte di Pembrok; et la Regina per
suo privato trattenimento ne fa una, et dicono, che passera’ la spesa piu’ di trenta
mila scudi.
Translation
They say at court that His Majesty will be going as far as a hundred miles from
London
to enjoy country that is suitable for hunting. Meanwhile, Her Majesty the
Queen
is expected to retire to Greenwich, one of the royal residences which is no more than
three miles from
London
. In the meantime, here they are preparing very beautiful masques, especially because
Sir Philip Herbert
, a young favourite of the King
and brother of the
Earl of
Pembroke
, is getting married. The
Queen
is staging one for her own private entertainment, which they say will cost more than
thirty thousand scudi.
Bibliography
Orrell (1977-78), 160