Was the mystery poet a courtier?

Not all men who were at court (and the court was mostly male) were courtiers. Steven May defines a courtier as someone who was allowed access not only to the semi-public Presence Chamber but to Queen Elizabeth's Privy Chamber--Elizabeth's suite of private apartments, where only her closest friends and favorites could go.[9] Nothing in the poem allows us to restrict the identity of the poet that closely; however, we are most likely to find our mystery poet (if he can be found) by looking in the courtier poets May identifies, in tandem with other poets known to have frequented the court.

May defines a courtier poet by the following characteristics:[10]

There are no references to wedding or christening gifts in "The Paine of Pleasure." However, the other four parts of the definition are hinted at. The author refers to courtiers' "climbing" for patronage several times in the poem. He casually mentions Hertford Castle in a way that suggests an obscure Court in-joke :

Why, if there be some such odde fidling Clowne,

As plaies at Hertford on the Hollidayes… [11]

The material on training horses connects skill in riding with "falling" and "sitting fast," not clearly references to jousting or sports such as hawking on horseback, but not incompatible with them.

For such a ioy may hap to breede such woe,

By iollitie in ryding without skill:

That he by fall, may catch so sore a blow,

As downe on ground, may make him lye there still.

Where broken bones, lim lamde, or bruses sore:

Will make him ioy in praunsing horse no more.

And if againe he chaunce to sit him fast…

("Horses, Hawks, and Hounds")

Finally, "The Paine of Pleasure" has a specific connection not only to Elizabeth's court but to court poetry. The most readily identifiable precursor to "The Paine of Pleasure" is a poem that would have been known almost exclusively by persons who were at court in the period 1577-1580.