[Illustration: Tudor Dresser Table, in the possession of Sir Alfred
Dryden, Canon's Ashby, Northants]
The wealth of treasure to be found in many country houses is indeed
enormous. In Holinshed's _Chronicle of Englande, Scotlande and
Irelande_, published in 1577, there is a chapter on the "maner of
buylding and furniture of our Houses," wherein is recorded the
costliness of the stores of plate and tapestry that were found in the
dwellings of nobility and gentry and also in farm-houses, and even in
the homes of "inferior artificers." Verily the spoils of the
monasteries and churches must have been fairly evenly divided. These
are his words:--
"The furniture of our houses also exceedeth, and is growne in
maner even to passing delicacie; and herein I do not speake of the
nobilitie and gentrie onely, but even of the lowest sorte that
have anything to take to. Certes in noble men's houses it is not
rare to see abundance of array, riche hangings of tapestry, silver
vessell, and so much other plate as may furnish sundrie cupbordes
to the summe ofte times of a thousand or two thousand pounde at
the leaste; wherby the value of this and the reast of their stuffe
doth grow to be inestimable. Likewise in the houses of knightes,
gentlemen, marchauntmen, and other wealthie citizens, it is not
geson to beholde generallye their great provision of tapestrie
Turkye worke, _pewter_, _brasse_, fine linen, and thereto costly
cupbords of plate woorth five or six hundred pounde, to be demed
by estimation.
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