40 THE CECILS
awarded to him by the University of Oxford on the occasion of the Queen's visit in 1566.
Moreover, his private affairs must have taken up much of his time. Besides the house at Burghley, where building was still in progress, he had acquired Cecil House in the Strand, and " far more beautifully increased it." This house, which was also known as Burghley House and Exeter House, was on the north side of the Strand, and occupied a large site westward of what is now Wellington Street. 1 It was not finished in July, 1561, when Cecil entertained the Queen to supper there. In the letter to Herlle already quoted (see p. 34) he says of it, " For my house in West- minster, I think it so old as it should not stir any ; many having of later times built larger by far, both in city and country. And yet the building thereof cost me the sale of lands worth 100 by year, in Staffordshire, that I had of good King Edward."
A far larger undertaking was the great house at Theobalds, in Hertfordshire. 2 Cecil bought the estate in 1563, and soon afterwards started building and planting. As to this house, he says that it was " begun by me with a mean measure, but increased by occasions of her Majesty's often coming ; whom to please I never would omit to
1 It must not be confused with another Exeter House, or another Cecil House, which afterwards belonged to Sir Robert Cecil. See Gotch, Homes of the Cecils, as before.
2 For an account of Theobalds see Gotch, and also the Gentleman's Magazine, February, 1836, which contains an elaborate article by J. G. Nichols.
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