Volume II 1603-1660 - The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple

xliv INTRODUCTION.
notes in Milton's handwriting is still extant. His descriptions of
country life and scenery show him to have been a lover and a
student of nature and, as one would naturally expect, no strong
partisan of either king or parliament. He died in Devonshire,
according to the best information, in 1643, without taking any part in
public affairs. From the names of his friends and from some lines
written in France " on the jangling of papists' bells on the night of
All Saints," his inclinations would appear to have been towards the
puritans.'
The next public spectacle in which the members of our inn took
part was on the occasion of Prince Charles being created Prince of
Wales. Henry, the late Prince of Wales, who had imbued the
English youth with martial ardour and had himself attained considerable
proficiency in military exercises, had died in November,
1612. The creation of Prince Charles took place on 4th November,
1616, and on that occasion forty gentlemen of the inns of court, of
whom our inn contributed ten, were appointed to be barriers at Whitehall,
before the king, the queen and the court after the ceremony
was concluded. Towards the expenses of this an assessment was
P. 99 made, with the following result ; the charges being about one third of
those made on the occasion of the masque :
P. 194 30 benchers at 305. ea. L-45 0
66 barristers over 7 years at 20s. 66 o
42 barristers under 7 years at 155. 31 10 0
16o under the bar at los. 80 o o
For the offices. 7 10 0
£ 2 30 0 0
The barriers, or sham tournament, took place on the night of the
4th November, 1616, in the banqueting hall in Whitehall. The
following account is given by Nichols : 2 " At night, to crowne it with
more heroicall honour, fortie worthie gentlemen of the noble societies
' "Poems, etc.," vol. ii., p. 229. See " Dict. Nat. Biog.," vol. vii,, p. 72. The
suggestion that this masque was never presented (p. 73) arises from the mistaken
impression of the writer that the Inner Temple records contain no reference to any
masque in 1614-15. In addition to the reference at p. 95, there is an entry, p. 9 " for
music _.27 is. 8d." at this date which points to some special performance. The
musicians' usual fee was zos.
' " Progress of King James," vol. iii., p. 213, from a tract dated London, 16T 6.