seruice of my L. of Lester mencioned that he and his traine did in Flaunders, and the gentlemen Pencioners proued to be a great peece of honor to the Court: all which book was in as good verse as euer I made: an honorable knight, dwelling in the Black Friers, can witness the same, because I read it vnto him.'
The natural date for this 'shew' is Shrovetide 1587. I do not know
why Nichols, Eliz. ii. 279, dates the Osterley device 1579. Elizabeth
was often there, but I find no evidence of a visit in 1579. Lowndes
speaks of the work as in print, but I doubt whether he has any authority
beyond Churchyard's own notice, which does not prove publication.
ANTHONY CHUTE (ob. c. 1595).
Nashe in his Have With You to Saffron Walden (1596, Works, iii. 107), attacking Chute as a friend of Gabriel Harvey, says, 'he hath kneaded and daub'd vp a Commedie, called The transformation of the King of Trinidadoes two Daughters, Madame Panachaea and the Nymphe Tobacco; and, to approue his Heraldrie, scutchend out the honorable Armes of the smoakie Societie'. I hesitate to take this literally.
GEORGE CLIFFORD (1558-1605).
George Clifford was born 8 Aug. 1558, succeeded as third Earl of Cumberland 8 Jan. 1570, and died 30 Oct. 1605. A recent biography is G. C. Williamson, George, Third Earl of Cumberland (1920). He married Margaret Russell, daughter of Francis, second Earl of Bedford, on 24 June 1577. His daughter, Anne Clifford, who left an interesting autobiography, married firstly Richard, third Earl of Dorset, and secondly Philip, fourth Earl of Pembroke. Cumberland was prominent in Elizabethan naval adventure and shone in the tilt. He is recorded as appearing on 17 Nov. 1587 (Gawdy, 25) and 26 Aug. 1588 (Sp. P. iv. 419). On 17 Nov. 1590 he succeeded Sir Henry Lee (q.v.) as Knight of the Crown. Thereafter he was the regular challenger for the Queen's Day tilt, often with the assistance of the Earl of Essex. On 17 Nov. 1592 they came together armed into the privy chamber, and issued a challenge to maintain against all comers on the following 26 Feb. 'that ther M. is most worthyest and most fayrest Amadis de Gaule' (Gawdy, 67). Cumberland's tiltyard speeches, as Knight of Pendragon Castle, in 1591 (misdated 1592) and 1593 are printed by Williamson, 108, 121, from manuscripts at Appleby Castle.
His appearance as Knight of the Crown on 17 Nov. 1595 is noted in Peele's (q.v.) Anglorum Feriae. In F. Davison's Poetical Rhapsody (1602, ed. Bullen, ii. 128) is an ode Of Cynthia, with the note 'This Song was sung before her sacred Maiestie at a shew on horsebacke, wherwith the right Honorable the Earle of Cumberland presented her Highnesse on Maie day last'. This is reprinted by R. W. Bond (Lyly, i. 414) with alternative ascriptions to Lyly and to Sir John Davies. But Cumberland himself wrote verses. I do not know why Bullen and Bond assume that the show was on 1 May 1600. The Cumberland MSS. at Bolton, Yorkshire, once contained a prose speech, now lost, in the
