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 WILLIAM, LORD BURGHLEY 53

most of his time in London, but even when he was not at Theobalds he kept a staff of about thirty servants there permanently, at a weekly charge of twelve pounds. " He also relieved there daily 20 or 30 poor people at the gate, and besides gave weekly in money, by Mr. Neale, his lordship's chaplin, vicar of Cheshunt, twenty shillings to the poor there. The weekly charge in setting poor on work as weeders, labourers, etc. came to ten pounds. And so his weekly charge at Theobalds (his household being at London) was twenty-two pounds." This charge was increased to " fourscore pounds in a week " when he was at Theobalds, in addition to the cost of his stable, which was " yearly a thousand marks at the least." At the same time, he kept ordinarily in his household in London fourscore persons, at a charge of thirty pounds a week, which increased ten or twelve pounds a week when he was in London.

At Burghley, building operations had been suspended for some years, though no doubt con- stant improvements in the gardens and estate were being made.

As before said, the house belonged to the Lord Treasurer's mother, but she does not seem to have taken up her abode there permanently till 1573. On May 26th of that year, Peter Kemp, the steward, writes that, " within ten days my mistress, your mother, doth mean to go to Burghley for altogether. I have almost finished her chamber to her contentation. She giveth you hearty thanks for your courtesy shewed her in your

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