Hampton Court ... Illustrated with forty-three drawings by Herbert ...

THE PALACE IN 1598 65
" Hampton Court, a royal palace, magnificently
built with brick by Cardinal Wolsey in ostentation of
his wealth, where he enclosed five very ample courts,
consisting of noble edifices in very beautiful work.
Over the gate in the second area is the Queen's device,
a golden rose, with this motto, ' Dieu et mon Droit: '
on the inward side of this gate are the effigies of the
twelve Roman emperors in plaster. The chief area is
paved with square stone; in its centre is a fountain
that throws up water, covered with a gilt crown, on
the top of which is a statue of Justice, supported by
columns of black and white marble. The chapel of
this palace is most splendid, in which the Queen's
closet is quite transparent, having its windows of
crystal. We were led into two chambers, called the
presence or chambers of audience, which shone with
tapestry of gold and silver and silk of different colours.
Under the canopy of state are these words embroidered
in pearl, ' Vivat Henricus Octavus' Here is besides
a small chapel richly hung with tapestry, where the
Queen performs her devotions. In her bed-chamber
the bed was covered with very costly coverlids of silk:
at no great distance from this room we were shown a
bed, the tester of which was worked by Anne Boleyn,
and presented by her to her husband, Henry VIII.
All the other rooms, being very numerous, are adorned
with tapestry of gold, silver, and velvet, in some of
which were woven history pieces; in others, Turkish
and American dresses, all extremely natural.
" In the hall are these curiosities :
E