Page:The house of Cecil.djvu/102

 go THE CECILS

a son of his should be "in study soon weary, in game, never " must have been a sore disappoint- ment to the hard-working, pleasure-shunning statesman, and when Thomas was nineteen, he determined to send him for a year to Paris with his tutor, Thomas Windebank. The English Am- bassador, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, offered them the hospitality of the Embassy, which Windebank accepted in order that the young man " might learn to behave himself, not only at table, but otherwise, according to his estate." Unfortu- nately, Thomas had other views, and his behaviour caused his father and his tutor grave anxiety.

Travelling by way of Dieppe and Rouen, Winde- bank and his charge reached Paris in June, 1561, and soon afterwards Thomas was presented at the French Court to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was pleased to say that "if he proved as wise as his father, the one might be glad of the other ; for though she had never seen his father, yet she had heard of him, and did not let to say that the Queen had a very good servant in him." At Court he also witnessed " a terrible battle between a lion and three dogs, in which the latter were vic- torious."

Sir Nicholas recommended that Thomas should " learn to ride, to play the lute, to dance, to play at tennis, and use such exercises as are noted ornaments to courtiers." Such advice was very much to Thomas's liking, and he proceeded to amuse himself in such a way as might have been expected of a spirited youth, now for the first time

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