Queen Elizabeth also hunted in Hyde Park--and, like her brother, offered sport therein to noble visitors. For instance, she so entertained Count John Casimir, son of Frederick III., Elector Palatine, and a general in the Dutch service, as we learn from the Talbot Papers,[14] in a letter from Gilbert Talbot and his wife to the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury, dated February 13th, 1578. “My L. of Lecester also hath geven him dyvers other thynges, as geldynges, hawks and houndes, woddknyves, falchyones, hornes, crossebowes, and sondry peces of brode clothe fytte for huntynge garmentes, bothe for wynter and sumer, for he delyghtethe greatly in huntynge, and can chouse his wynter deere very well. He kylled a barren doe w^{ th} his pece this other daye in Hyde P’ke from emongst CCC other deere.” And to show that the Queen herself, if she did not actually join in the sport, looked on, there is an entry in the accounts (1582) of the Board of Works, of a payment “for making of two new standings in Marybone and Hyde Park, for the Queen’s Majesty and the Noblemen of France[15] to see the hunting.” This is also mentioned by John Norden in his _Notes on London and Westminster_ (1592). “Hyde Park substancially impayled with a fayre lodge and princelye standes therein. It is a stately parke and full of fayre game.”
In the 1575 edition of Geo. Turberville’s “_Noble Art of Venerie or hunting_” (p. 95) we have a fine picture of Queen Elizabeth on one of these stands, whilst, kneeling on the ground, and bareheaded, the royal huntsman presents the “fewmets,” or droppings of the deer, on some leaves, in a plate, for the Queen’s inspection; and the following is “The report of a Huntesman upon the sight of an Hart, in pride of greace.
“‘Before the Queen, I come report to make, Then husht and peace, for noble _Tristrame’s_ sake. From out my horne, my fewments first I drawe, And then present, on leaves, by hunter’s lawe; And thus I say; my Liege, behold and see An Hart of tenne, I hope he harbored bee. For if you mark his fewmets every poynt, You shall them find long, round and well anoynt, Knottie and great, without prickes or eares, The moystness shewes what venison he beares.’”
Another engraving shows the Queen about to take assay of the deer, the kneeling huntsman handing her a knife for the purpose. And this is “the English manner, in breaking up of the Deare.