Margaret Cavendish, The Life of the thrice Noble, High and Puissant Prince
William Cavendish, Duke, Marquess, and Earl of Newcastle (1667), 139-40
A brief description of the King
's visit to Nottinghamshire on his way to
Scotland
, and the high costs of entertaining him borne by
William Cavendish
, in the life of Cavendish written by his
second wife.
[p. 139]
Of the Entertainments He made for King
CHARLES
the First.
THough my Lord hath alwayes been free and noble in his Entertainments and
Feastings, yet he was pleased to shew his great Affection and Duty to his Gracious
King,
Charles
the First, and Her Majesty the
Queen
, in some particular Entertainments which he made of purpose for them before the
late Warrs.
When his Majesty was going
into
Scotland
to be Crowned, he took His way through Nottinghamshire;
and lying at Worksop-Mannor, hardly two miles distant from
Welbeck
, where my Lord then was, my Lord invited His
Majesty thither to a Dinner, which he was graciously pleased to accept of: This
Entertainment cost my Lord between Four and Five thousand pounds; which His Majesty
like so well, that a year after
His Return out of Scotland, He was pleased
to send my Lord word, That Her Majesty the
Queen
was resolved to make a Progress into the Northern parts, desiring him to prepare
the like Entertainment for Her, as he had formerly done for Him: Which My Lord did,
and
endeavour'd for it with all possible Care and Industry, sparing nothing that might
add
splendor to that Feast, which both Their
Majesties were pleased
[p. 140]
to honour with their Presence: Ben Johnson he employed in
fitting such Scenes and Speeches as he could best devise; and sent for all the Gentry
of
the Country to come and wait on their
Majesties; and in short, did all that ever he could imagine, to render it Great,
and worthy Their Royal Acceptance.
This Entertainment he made at
Bolsover
-Castle
in Derbyshire, some five miles distant from
Welbeck
, and resigned
Welbeck
for Their Majesties Lodging; it cost
him in all between Fourteen and Fifteen thousand pounds.
Besides these two, there
was another small Entertainment which my Lord prepared for His late Majesty, in his
own
Park at
Welbeck
, when His Majesty came down, with his
two Nephews, the now
Prince Elector Palatine
, and His Brother
Prince Rupert
, into the Forrest of Sherwood, which cost him Fifteen
hundred pounds.
Bibliography
H&S, 10.703