Majoresse

Where in a pleasant Lodge they were feasted, the King himselfe seeing their dinner served in: and by thus stooping downe to a loving familiarity, sunke deepe into their hearts: ordinary slight curtesies, ordered thus to the best advantage, taking more often even with sound judgements then churlish benefits. And that the sex he alwayes affected might not bee unremembred, he caused great plentie of Venison to bee sent to the Lady Majoresse and the Aldermens wives.

Nor expect, / To get a good word from us in a twelve month, / Hourely revilings and perpetuall noyses / Shall be as favours taken that we would / Vouchsafe to spend in such regardlesse trifles, / Wee’l be as proud as ere our mothers were, / When she was Lady Majoresse, and you humble, / As her trim hench-boyes: whatsoever servants / You kept before, although they were your grandsires, / You shall turne off and limmit your attendants, / As tis the city fashion to a woman / Butler, that shall not dare without our license, / To let you have a penny pot of sacke / To give a frugall entertainment, to / Your visiting friends.

He may perchance, in taile of a Sheriffes dinner, / Skip with a rime o’the Table, from New-nothing, / And take his Almaine-leape into a custard, / Shall make my Lad Majoresse, and her sisters, / Laugh all their hoods over their shoulders.

THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, THE Lady Rebeccah Wollaston, Lady Majoresse of the most famous and renowned City of London, and to the Right Worshipfull the Ladie Anne Sprignall, Two most eminent Patronesses and Patterns of Virtue and Piety: J: Ʋ. ever prayeth all encrease of Grace here, and fulnesse of Glorie hereafter.

The rest being 12 Regiments, 6 Companies in a Regiment, marched, about Noon, on Thursday May 30. 1644. to Hyde-Parke, where Tents were pitcht, and Ordnance planted; and whither the Right Honourable Sir John Wollaston, then Lord Mayer of London, together with the Right honourable the Lady Majoresse, and other Ladies and Gentlewomen, in about 30 Coaches went to see this famous Muster performed, and where met them divers of the Lords and[…]of Parliament, who were there entertained in great State, together with all the brave Colonels and Commanders.

[…]; so within 2 few dayes after the first Protestation was tendered, they admitted Colonel Popham and Sir Edward Hungerford, with their Regiments, and afterward Colonel Fines without any oppositiog, that so now being backed with so strong a power, they might make the latter Protestation the interpreter of the former Upon the Petition of Mistresse Majoresse, the Lady Rogers, Mistresse Holsworth, Miresse Vicaris, with other Zealous Sisters, to the number of a hundred.

Some think that this woman was indued with the gift of Prophesie, and therefore called a Prophetess; Others think that she is here called a Prophetesse onely, because she was the wife of a Prophet, Viz. the Prophet Isaiah, as we use to call the wife of a Major, Majoresse.