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above ground; but if one of the two shall have become a defunct, then shall there be no harm in't."

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Proceed, Master Shakspeare," said the queen ; and not without a smile at the mistake of her lord in waiting, which seemed to have amused many. "We are marvellously anxious to learn how Sir J speeds in his wooing."

Ister Shakspeare had said nothing hitherto, yet dia he seem in no way abashed at being among so many people of worship, for he turned his intelligent eyes from one to the other as either spoke, as if regarding with some amusement the variety of characters before him, as each displayed some distinct feature in what was said, or in the manner of saying it. Then fell he to the perusing of the fourth act, in the very first scene of which, where the Welsh parson is trying of the boy in his Latin grammar, the queen once or twice did put up her fan and giggled very prettily, and thereupon her ladies seemed wonderfully confused, and giggled also; and the lords and gentlemen smiled somewhat: but when in the next scene Sir John Falstaff is in such a wonderful anxiousness to escape, in consequence of Mistress Page bringing intelligence of Master Ford being a coming from birding, with a whole company to search the house for him; and the jealousy of the husband is made so manifest, and he beateth the old knight in his disguise,

taking him for to be the fat woman of Brentford, whose dress he weareth, every one appeared to laugh till their ribs were like to crack.

act.

"Better and better!" exclaimed the queen, in evident delight, when he came to the ending of the "These be merry wives indeed! I'faith 'tis the difficultest thing possible to say which serve they out the best-Master Jealous pate the husband, or that huge piece of roguery Sir John Falstaff. Is it not so, my lord?"

"Without doubt,” replied my Lord Essex, “Nothing have I seen in play or history so painted to the life. That your majesty hath extreme discrimination in the detection of that which be most admirable where there is much excellence, what hath just fallen from you proves."

"Nay, my lord, you flatter," said her majesty, smiling upon him all the time very graciously. “We have but an indifferent judgment in these things. Our opinion must be scarce worth the having. Mayhap we have just wit enough to know the good from the bad: but, indeed, that be all our poor knowledge can lay claim to.”

"That will I never believe, please your majesty," cried my Lord Henry Howard, who was close behind her chair. "For of all human creatures that breathed, never met I one that came at all nigh unto your majesty in niceness of judgment; not only upon such matters as are now honoured with

your infinite condescension, but in all things whatsoever, whether they be of the simplest or of the difficultest nature to comprehend.”

"You think too well of us, my lord," observed the queen, evidently taking what was said in very good part. "It be but as we have expressed it. Such knowledge as we possess must needs be but small."

ff By my troth, then, the wisdom of all else must be none at all, please your majesty," exclaimed the Lady Howard; "for as it is beyond all contradiction that your majesty's wisdom toppeth that of the wisest of our time to an extent that be wonderful to observe, if, as your majesty is pleased to say, it must needs be but small, the smallness of the wisest of your subjects cannot but be of such sort as may not be visible. But 'tis the modesty of your majesty's disposition that leadeth you to say this."

"Indeed, her majesty is noted for an exceeding modesty," said Lady Blanche Somerset.

"That be a true thing!" cried my Lord Bumble, who leaned forward with his head a little on one side, to catch with his ear, as well as his deafness would allow, the purport of what was said. "Her majesty is noted of all for an exceeding modest eye."

"O' my life, my Lord Bumble, that be the prettiest blunder we have met with a long time," exclaimed the queen, in an infinite pleasant hu

mour, whilst there was no lack of smiling and tittering among the courtiers, at the mistake.

"As your majesty says, it be the prettiest wonder we have met with a long time," added the old lord, who, from the great length of his service in the palace, was oft allowed by the queen a greater license than had many others of more influence. By this hand, know I not a prettier wonder in the whole world than such a modest eye. 'Tis a marvel to look on. There be no such another anywhere."

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"Alack then, are we blind of an eye!” cried her majesty, laughingly; which conceit did so tickle the fancy of those around her, that the mirth it created was in such excess, and the commendation it received was so abundant, that, surely no wit had been ever so received. All this time, my Lord Bumble fearful, by the general laughter, that he had said something amiss, did keep turning from one to the other, in extreme consternation, as if to learn by their faces what strange error he had had the ill hap to commit.

"Now, Master Shakspeare," exclaimed the queen, "we are wonderfully desirous of learning what next these merry wives of yours shall do with that fat knight."

At this Master Shakspeare, on whom it may well be believed nothing had been lost of the preceding conversation, did go on with the reading of

his play. The description of how Sir John Falstaff, in the last act, was cozened into the taking upon him the disguise of Herne the hunter, and how he was tormented by the pretended fairies when he lay under the oak in Windsor forest, hoping there to have much pleasure with Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, according to their appointment; and how they and their husbands did jeer and laugh when they came upon him in his concealment, was taken in huge delight of all parties; but the manner in which Ann Page tricked the simpleton Master Slender, and the choleric old French doctor, by getting each of them to run away with a boy, dressed up in such clothes as they expected to find her in, whilst she went and got married to her own love, seemed to be liked best of all.

"An admirable ending, Master Shakspeare," exclaimed the queen, in her most gracious manner, at the conclusion of it. "We like that mum and budget conceit infinitely; indeed the whole play is one of exceeding meritoriousness; and be assured that we will go to the playhouse the first time it shall be acted." At the hearing of this, all the courtiers did join in commendation of the play, as if one was striving to exceed the other in the liberality of his praise.

"If there be any merit in it, please your majesty," said Master Shakspeare, respectfully, "with

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