yond all contradiction. Now, Sir Walter, you take the lead, else I know not how I shall find my way back to the barge." Raleigh was whispering a few encouraging words to his beautiful wife, previous to his departure, when he was startled by a knocking at the chapel door.

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Now, Stephen, what news?" asked he; going to the door, yet without opening it.

"Please you, Sir Walter," replied the voice of an old man, "there is my Lord Burghley at the gate, who says he must have immediate speech with you on the queen's business."

"Get him into the library, good Stephen," said Raleigh," and say that I am dressing, and will be with him in the instant."

"That will I, without fail," responded the other, and immediately he was heard hastening away."

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Now, Bess, my life," exclaimed Sir Walter, catching hold of her arm, "I must be so ungallant as to hurry thee from the house; for if the lord treasurer were to get but a hint of thy being here, it must needs come to the queen's ears, and then it would go hard for us both." So saying, he hastened with her-not without saying many endearing words by the way, which doubtless were mightily refreshing to her affectionate nature-to the little door that opened unto the river; at the which he parted with her, and her father, and Alice; who

straightway proceeded into their barge, and continued their journey, whilst he hurried back; and after going through other passages, and up a flight of steps, joined his visitor in the library.

The Lord Burghley was at that time a man getting to be aged, and of some infirmities also. His beard was very silvery, and broad at the bottom; and his face much wrinkled, pale, and of an exceeding grave aspect; his head, which seemed to be scant of hair, was covered with a close cap of black velvet (whereof the points came down over his ears), on the top of which was a rounded hat, with a fair jewel set in the centre. Below his ruff his gown was fastened, having the royal arms embroidered on the right side; over which he wore a goodly chain of gold, and a broad sash, from the left shoulder to the right hip; and in his hand he carried a white wand. He had sat himself down in an easy chair, the which a tall, thin, grey-headed old serving-man, who stooped much, had placed for his use; and seemed, with marvellous shrewd looks, to be scrutinising everything in the room; and certes there was a multitude of things opposite in their natures, the close approximation of the which would have been a marvel to many: for above a vast heap of romances of love, and chivalry, and the like, was the model of a ship ;— then, upon a pile of grave philosophers and ancient

historians, there peeped out a portion of a quaint dress for a masque ;-here lay a theorbo, and by it a small piece of ordnance ;—there a silver tankard, wrought with the story of Bacchus and Ariadne. Ovid's Art of Love lay on a shelf, with a jewelled dagger in it to mark the page; and between the leaves of Plato his works, in the original Greek, was seen part of the gold case of a Lady's miniature. In one corner were divers pikes and halberds, with a torn banner taken from the enemy; in another, a mass of ore, brought from the country of Guiana by a Spaniard, and one or two large shells found on the American shore;-in this, a right handsome arbalest, the handle of which was of ivory, very daintily carved,-with a quiver full of arrows; and in that a lot of swords, pieces, and the like sanguinary weapons, resting upon a roll of madrigals, with a leaf exposed, having on it part of the words and music of that admirable composition of the truly melodious Master Dowland, "Awake, sweet Love."

On parts of the carved wainscot, there were framed and hung up certain views of the invincible armada being discomfited by the English fleetcharts of the Spanish main-drawings of the coast of Virginia—and a right exquisite portrait of Queen Elizabeth, looking wondrous handsome and majestical, riding upon horseback, as she appeared at

Tilbury Fort. There was no lack of tables and chairs in the room, but most of them were covered with such a host of ancient books and weapons, with here and there a case of toothpicks, or a delicate pouncet box ;-pistols and perfumes lying side by side, or a French trinket resting upon a Hebrew psalter, with a vast quantity of papers, as would be tedious to describe minutely.

"My master will be with you anon, an' it please you, my Lord," said the old serving-man, very respectfully.

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Humph!" exclaimed the lord treasurer, drawing in his lips very tight, and still regarding everything about him with an unmoved countenance.

"He is but now a dressing, and bade me say, that he would not lose an instant in the coming." "Ho!" ejaculated my Lord Burghley, lowering his chin and throwing out his lips.

"And for a surety, he is always to be depended upon in his word, an' it please you, my lord," continued the other. "For though I have served him since he hath been but a boy as it were, never knew I him to fail in the keeping of it."

"Ha!" cried the old lord, nodding his head with a sort of complacency.

"And when he employeth himself on the business of the queen-to whom be all honour and glory in this world and the next," added Stephen

reverentially, and proud to be allowed to have speech with the great Lord Burghley. "I have known him to be quite put out should there be any let which would delay him but a moment.”

"Humph!" exclaimed my lord, still very gravely.

"Therefore, it be certain, out of all contradiction, he will be here straight; an' it please you, my lord."

"Ho!" said the lord treasurer.

"And, here he is," concluded the serving man, as he heard his master's footstep approaching the door.

"Ha!” cried my Lord Burghley. Thereupon, Stephen respectfully went out as Sir Walter Raleigh entered. The lord treasurer budged not an inch as the other approached him, nor spoke a word, nor altered he his countenance, nor took he off his hat.

"I have first to thank you, my good lord, for the honour you have done me-in paying my poor house a visit," said Sir Walter, drawing a chair close to his guest, and sitting himself therein. "For, truly, may it be said, that where the Lord Burghley cometh, he bringeth honour with himfor he bringeth the superlatively wisest statesman of his age, which I take to be the honourablest of all titles of honour."