This year—against the coming of certain Ambassadors out of France—by Her Majesty's appointment, on the 26th day of March [1581] in the morning, being Easter Day, a Banquetting House was begun at Westminster on the southwest side of Her Majesty's palace at Whitehall; made in manner and form of a long square 332 feet in measure about: thirty principals made of great masts, being forty feet in length apiece, standing upright. Between every one of the masts, ten feet asunder and more, the walls of this house were closed with canvas, and painted all outside of the same most artificially with a work called "rustic," much like stone.
The house had 292 lights of glass [windows]. The sides within the same house were made with ten heights of degrees [steps] for people to stand upon. The top of this house was wrought most cunningly upon canvas works of holly and ivy; with pendants made of wicker rods, and garnished with bay, rue, and all manner of strange flowers garnished with spangles of gold: as also beautified with hanging toscans made of holly and ivy, with all manner of strange fruits, as pomegranates, oranges, pompions [pumpkins], cucumbers, grapes with such like, spangled with gold and most richly hanged. Betwixt these works of bays and ivy were great spaces of canvas, which were most cunningly painted: the clouds with stars, the sun and sunbeams, with divers coats [of arms] of sundry sorts belonging to the Queen's Majesty, most richly garnished with gold.
There were of all manner of persons working on this house, to the number of 375. Two men had mischances. The one broke his leg, and so did the other. This house was made in three weeks and three days, and was ended the 18th of April; and cost £1,744 19s. od. &c.
On the 16th day of April, arrived at Dover, these noblemen of France, Commissioners from the French King to Her Majesty, FRANCIS BOURBON, Prince Dauphin of Auvergne; ARTHUR COSSAIE, Marshal of France; LODOWIC LUSIGNIAN, Lord of LANCOT; TRAVERGINS CAERCONGIN, Count of TILLIX; BETRAND SALINGURONS; Lord DE LA MOTHE-FENELON; Monsieur MANAISSOUR; BARNABY BRISSEN, President of the Parliament of Paris; CLAUDE PINART; Monsieur MARCHEMONT; Monsieur VERAIE.
