The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

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Captain Furness ( - )

Linked print sources: as Donator of object(s) - Ducatus Leodiensis; or the topography of the town and parish of Leedes and parts adjacent ...
 References in Documents:
Thomas Platter's travel diary (1599)

Hampton Court is the finest and most magnificent royal edifice to be found in England, or for that matter in other countries, and comprises without the park (which has a wall round of one and a half miles in length, is full of game and has a lodge in its midst from which the queen can watch the chase) ten different large courts, and the same number of separate royal or princely dwellings, all adjoining one another however. And the entire construction is built of brick.

The first large forecourt is covered with lawn. In the second court is a beautiful clock, cleverly devised from which one can tell the time by the sun, and also observe the movements of the moon. The third court contains a fine large fountain of great height, artistically wrought of white marble, with an excellent water work with which one may easily spray any ladies or others standing round, and wet them well. And since the queen recently progressed from Hampton Court to Nonsuch with some three hundred carts of bag and baggage as is her custom, the tapestries and all the other ornaments still hung in the apartments, for the latter, as will be noted shortly, contain such elegant tapestry of good gold, silver and pure silk that the like is nowhere to be found in such quantity in one place.

First we were shown through the aforesaid courts into a large and very long gallery hung all round with old woven tapestries. This led us to the dining or banqueting hall, from where we entered the church or chapel containing a most excellent fine organ on which I played a while, then we inspected the gallery or loft, from which the queen listens to the sermon.

There all over the ceiling were painted these three signs: a portcullis just as is stamped on the half-pennies, a lily (fleur de lis), and a rose, always encircled with these two mottoes: Dieu et mon droit, 'God and my right'; and Dominus mihi adiutor: Being, 'The Lord is my help and succour'.

On descent and exit from the church the gardener presented himself, and after we had offered a gratuity to our first guide, the gardener conducted us into the royal pleasaunce.

By the entrance I noticed numerous patches where square cavities had been scooped, as for paving stones; some of these were filled with red brick-dust, some with white sand, and some with green lawn, very much resembling a chess-board. The hedges and surrounds were of hawthorn, bush firs, ivy, roses, juniper, holly, English or common elm, box and other shrubs, very gay and attractive.

There were all manner of shapes, men and women, half men and half horse, sirens, serving-maids with baskets, French lilies and delicate crenellations all round made from the dry twigs bound together and the aforesaid evergreen quick-set shrubs, or entirely of rosemary, all true to the life, and so cleverly and amusingly interwoven, mingled and grown together, trimmed and arranged picture-wise that their equal would be difficult to find.

And just as there is a park on the one hand, so opposite this in the middle of the other side there is a maze, similarly decorated with plants and flowering trees, and two marble fountains, so that time shall not drag in such a place; for should one miss one's way, not only are taste, vision and smell delighted, but the gladsome birdsongs and plashing fountains please the ear, indeed it is like an earthly paradise.

After leaving this extensive and pleasant garden, and presenting our gratuity to the gardener, the governor of the royal palace, one of the nobility, to whom we had previously sent in our letter of introduction, received us, and after he had returned our letter he presented us to his wife and daughters, who were to take us over all the inner royal apartments and cabinets, and show us all the treasures then in the place, and whatever the woman and daughters pointed out was all told us in French by an interpreter who was with us. The first room they showed us into contained the lively and lifelike portrait of the wild man and woman captured by Martin Frobisher, the English captain, on his voyage to the new world, and brought back to England alive. The man’s face was much waled, and both looked like savages, wore skins, and the woman carried a child in Indian dress in a linen cloth upon her shoulder. Above the woman were the words: "Ginoct Nutioc."

Then we saw a picture of love, in the guise of a woman. Across her brow was written: 'Procul et prope', that is 'far and near', and over her heart I read: 'Mors et vita', that is 'Death and life'; by her feet, 'Hyems et aestas', that is 'Winter and Summer', and underneath, 'Veri amoris repraesentatio', that is 'The image of true love'.

Close to it they showed us the whole evangelical scripture, very artfully cut or carved on numerous square plaques of mother of pearl, a very exquisite work, and the plaques are for the most part attached to a large table.

We then entered a room containing many fine royal beds, also numerous canopies and royal chairs all very lavish and ornate; and the walls everywhere were hung with extremely costly tapestries worked in gold, silver and silk, so life-like that one might take the people and plants for real.

We soon came to the king's quarters and saw the royal bed, of red satin set and embroidered with gold, which he had with him at the siege of Boulogne, is likewise very luxurious.

In another room we were shown a bed where the queen's brother was born, against her will. And on the wall tapestries the history of Pompey was embroidered after the life. Another chamber showed the history of Tobias worked and embossed in gold relief on the tapestry.

Thence to the queen's quarters, which stood apart, and the floor was strewn with rushes, into a long gallery (gallerien) very poorly tapestried; there I beheld a very handsome inlaid table. Likewise a picture of the burial of Tobias.

In the next room the gold embroidered tapestry on the walls told the history of the murder of Julius Caesar, the first emperor. By the door stood three of the emperor's electors (electores) in customary dress painted in life-like fashion.

The history of Lot on a golden tapestry was in another room. As also Abraham's history, both of these thought to be the finest and most artistic in England, indeed the representations are immense in size. In another apartment we were shown a very costly bed which the queen's mother and her ladies worked themselves.

Thence through another chamber hung with ancient tapestries, into a small apartment ornamented with silk hangings worked in Turkish knot, said to be a gift to the queen from the Earl of Leicester (Lest).

This room led to the paradise chamber, where the ceiling is adorned with very beautiful paintings and an extremely costly canopy or royal throne, from which amongst other precious stones, pearls, large diamonds, rubies, sapphires and the rest shine forth, like the sun amongst the stars. Beneath this the queen is accustomed to sit in her magnificence, upon a very stately chair covered with cushions.

The royal arms are on the wall on a very fine tapestry with an extremely large square diamond worth many thousands of crowns.

The tapestry covering the table, red and inset with precious stones and pearls, is valued at over 50,000 crowns. Nor do I ever remember seeing larger or finer pearls before. On this same table there stood a very fine chess-board, with ivory chessmen, very artfully fashioned.

On the table lay also a handsome game of backgammon, in which the draughtsmen were finely shaped and perfumed and ornamented with crests, and the dice were of pure silver with other smaller ones inside them.

We were next shown a number of white ivory pipes with which all kinds of animal sounds may be imitated. On the tapestries around the crested canopy was a garter with the accompanying French motto as above. In another room I saw the portrait of Ferdinand, the Spanish prince at the age of eight. Again in another room a small virginal all made of glass, beautifully perfumed (parfumiert) with the following inscription on the lid in gilt letters: Cantabis moneo quisquis cantare rogans, Vivat in aethernos Elisabetha dies, which is in English 'Whomsoever one bids sing, let him not refuse', and 'May Elizabeth live in eternity'.

We saw in addition many more costly virginals, instruments, positive organs, and organs of which Her Royal Majesty is a great lover and connoisseur. And amongst others we were shown an instrument or virginal whose strings were of pure gold and silver, and they said the queen often played this very charmingly. In another room we were shown a large chest full of nothing but costly cushions on which the queen sits and reclines.

"We then had to show the introdutory introductory letter given us by the Admiral once again, and after they had read it, they led us into the queen's library where we were shown many old foreign books, I remember an old Latin manuscript Bible in particular, and numerous other manuscripts.

We were also shown many handsome little striking clocks. Henry VIII's hunting-cap, and his silver gilt posthorn, with several silk leashes for the hounds. Likewise many more bugles, horns and pipes.

One chest contained a lovely glass salver, dishes, plates, candlesticks and the like. Further they showed us the circular horn of a unicorn, seven of my spans in length, had been filed down to heal the sick, resembled ivory, although the black veins where it had been turned were still visible. It was hollow inside so that a nerve could run through it. Having taken a stand-up morning drink with the aforementioned overseer and made a gift to his ladies, we left Hampton Court and arrived at the village of Windsor for lunch, some 6 or 8 English miles from Hampton Court, I believe.

Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713)

There are none of the Adder-beads to be met with in Ireland, that Country having no Snakes; but here is an Amulet from thence every whit as efficacious; it is near an Inch long, and of the Colour of Amber. To these may be added an Ancient Ring, which I suppose belonged to the famous Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, having his Device upon his Signet, viz. a Bear with a ragged Staff; for which see his Monument in Sir W. Dugdale's Hist. of that County: The Motto is anang apta, an agreeable Fate or Destiny, which may perhaps relate to his Martial Disposition and Victories in France: It is composed of Links of Iron or Steel very odly twisted with the Brass, on each Side of the Signet (which is of a third Metal, viz. Copper gilded) is a glassy Ruby. The Samothracians, who were noted of old for these Practices had Stars of Iron in their Rings of Gold. On one Side of the said Inscription is the old Character for Jesus; and on the other, Christ, with a Cross by each. There was a vast Variety of Rings or Amulets, which in the dark Days of Popery were eagerly sought after by poor deluded People, with different Saints upon them; but the Name of Jesus was a standing Charm, not only upon them, but even amongst the Turks, as appears by Dr. Smith's Letter, Registered in the Phil. Trans. N° 155. A Silver Talisman from the Lord Fairfax's Curiosities, on one Side is an unintelligible Character, upon the other in modern Letters L H with ☿ and Ⅱ. Another with a Globe and Cross upon one Side, and an Anchor of Hope on the other, with crooked Lines and Figures round; the former is engraved, this stamped as Money, both have a Hole punched to hang about the Neck. A third (sent me by Robert Plompton, of Plompton, Esq;) hath the Area fill'd with Planetary Characters, and this Inscription round, In Deo confido, revertentur Inimici mei retrorsum: Upon the other Side are Jupiter and Venus embracing each other, inscribed, A pavore inimici Custodi vitam meam oh tu Jehova, with ♃ and ♀ in Conjunction in ♓. The Effects formerly attributed to these Figures were altogether miraculous; the Spark, for whom this was erected, expected, by Virtue thereof, to obtain both Honour and Beauty; that with Mercury was for Success in Merchandizing and Gaming. These are engraved upon Silver; those used of old for the Preservation of Cities were Statuary Telesms made under a certain Configuration of the Heavens, the most propitious that could be for the Time and Place. The Blind and the Lame hated by David's Soul, 2 Sam. 5. 8. are by some Learned Interpreters taken for these Images. And the brazen-Serpent, which Moses (the Talisman, as those who write in Defence of the Practice, affect to call him) made in the Wilderness is said to be the first Occasion, not given, but taken, of all these Telesmatical Practices, (Gregory's Notes upon the Scripture, p. 41.) I shall conclude this Matter with a Charm, sent me by Capt. Furness, who saw it taken out of the Pocket of an Irish Soldier, who was slain in a Skirmish, notwithstanding the Protection he promis'd himself from this Billet of the three Kings of Cologn, which is thus inscribed, Sancti tres Reges, Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar Orate pro nobis nunc & in hora mortis nostræ. ""Ces Billets ont touch‚ "aux trois testes des Saints Rois a Colonge ils sont pour les Voyageurs "contre les malheurs des chemins, maux de Teste mal caduque, fievres, sorcellerie toute sorte de malefice & morte subite." To this Charm may be added another Sort of a Cheat, one Walter Freazer pretending that his Tongue was cut off by the Turks, had imposed upon most Parts of England, during his four Years Vagrancy, begging with the Account of his miserable Case writ upon his Breast, many Justices and Physicians had attempted the Discovery of the Imposture, but in Vain till Mr. John Morris of Leedes, by his assimiliating Temper (which he inherited from his Grand-Father Colonel Morris, who surprized Pontfract Castle for K. Charles I.) discovered the Cheat; and that the said Youth had learnt beyond Sea the Trick of drawing his Tongue so far into his Throat, that it appeared like a Stump only: Hereupon the said Freazer was sent first to the House of Correction, and the begging Billet deposited here by the said Mr. Morris, who was also famous for Pantomimian or Antick-Dancing, which Archbishop Usher tells us was first used at Rome, An. I P. 4579.