lewence,
Sutys and supplycacons
Embassades of all nacyons."

York Place was Cardinal Wolsey's scarcely less magnificent residence
at Westminster.

Whether inspired by jealousy owing to the things said of the state
upheld by Wolsey, or whether his repeated visits simply inspired the
monarch with envy of his Chancellor's new palace cannot be said, but
when Hampton Court had been building for ten years King Henry, we are
told, asked the Chancellor why he had erected so magnificent a place.
"To show how noble a palace a subject may offer to his Sovereign," was
the reply of the Cardinal--a truly courtly and an unquestionably
costly compliment. The King accepted the noble gift, but Wolsey
continued from time to time to occupy his own whilom palace at Hampton
and was besides given permission to make use of the royal palace at
Richmond. This was in 1525, and already it may be the shadow of coming
events was over both the powerful Churchman and the fickle King,
though Wolsey was still three or four years from that final downfall
which was soon followed by his death.

Though the ownership of Hampton Court had passed from the subject to
the sovereign, the former continued on occasion to do the honours of
the place to distinguished visitors. In 1527, for example, there came
a noble "ambasset" from France, and arrangements were made for the due
entertainment here of the French nobles and their retinue. A full
account of it is given in George Cavendish's _Life and Death of Thomas
Wolsey_, the earliest of our biographies and assuredly one of the most
delightful. There is not space here to transcribe Cavendish's full
account of the splendid entertainment accorded to "this great ambasset
... who were in number above fourscore and the most noblest and
worthiest gentlemen in all the court of France"; but the biographer,
who was gentleman-usher to the Cardinal, and thus well situated for
giving an authoritative record of things, was also an admirable
narrator, and from his description we may get a good idea of Tudor
prodigality and splendour. Not only were there the fourscore French
nobles, but there were also their trains and the many home visitors
who must have been invited to accompany them; so that two hundred and
eighty beds had to be arranged. We are told how the best cooks were
brought together, and wrought day and night in the preparing of
"divers subtleties and many crafty devices", how the purveyors
"brought and sent