ABSTRACT
A letter from Sir Charles Danvers to the Earl of Southampton describes a projected royal itinerary in August 1599 which would have included a stay at Wilton House, the seat of the Earl and Countess of Pembroke. 1 Although this visit never took place, it seems clear that the countess, Mary Sidney Herbert, had gone to considerable lengths in advance of the visit to commemorate the occasion by means of a range of impressive literary tributes, including the gift of three of her own original poems (two in praise of Elizabeth and one commemorating her brother Philip) and a specially prepared presentation copy of the versifications of the Psalms of David, begun by her brother, Philip, and completed by herself.
