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ficently furnished, and crowded with courtiers and others strolling about or discoursing of the news one with another. They at last advanced into a room adjoining the presence chamber-a noble apartment hung round with costly tapestry, and strewed with fresh rushes, into which came thronging the archbishops and bishops, ambassadors, nobles, counsellors of state, and others of the mighty of the land. Presently it was whispered that the queen was a-coming, and thereupon way was made for her majesty, just as the gentlemen pensioners with their gilt battle-axes and richly embroidered vests were observed approaching. After these went certain noblemen of the queen's household, knights of the garter, and the officers of her council walking in their costly robes bare-headed-among whom was the chancellor bearing the seals in a red silk purse-having on one side of him an officer of state carrying the royal sceptre, and on the other another of the like rank bearing the sword of state with the point upwards, in a scabbard of crimson velvet plentifully studded with golden fleurs-de-lis.

Next came our sovereign lady Queen Elizabeth, very majestic in her deportment, and although getting into the decline of life, still very pleasant to look upon; for her face if it was a little wrinkled was fair; her eyes small and lively; her nose somewhat aquiline; and her lips though thin were continually adorned with a gracious smile. She wore much false hair of a red hue-a colour she greatly affected, and upon her head a small crown of a very precious gold richly worked. In her ears were rare pearls with pendants of exceeding value; and on her bosom, which, in consequence of her dress being worn low, was much exposed, was a necklace of jewels of an excellent fine water, with an oblong collar of gold and precious stones above; she was attired in white silk daintily bordered with pearls remarkable for their size and beauty, over which was a mantle of black silk shot with silver threads; having a train of marvellous length and of a corresponding costly material borne by divers of the ladies of her court. As she advanced every head was uncovered, and those nearest to her did kneel on one knee, some of whom who had letters to deliver she raised and spoke to graciously, and as a mark of particular favour to one Bohemian baron, who had come to present certain credentials, she did pull off her glove and gave him her right hand to kiss, all sparkling with jewelled rings.

Thus she proceeded in all this beautiful magnificence, winning the hearts of her dutiful subjects by her very gracious condescension, and speaking to many foreigners with the same notable courtesy in French, Italian, Spanish, or Dutch, as it might happen, to their infinite wonder and delight; followed by a beautiful throng of the ladies of her court, each handsomely attired, though mostly in white, with the addition of some display of jewellery: and a guard of gentlemen pensioners like that which preceded them, till she entered the presence chamber to give audience to those ambassadors and ministers who had come on pressing business.

CHAPTER IV.

But if in living colours and right hue
Thyself thou covet to see pictured,
Who can it do more lively or more true
Than that sweet verse with nectar sprinkled ;
In which a gracious servant pictured
His Cynthia, his Heaven's fairest light?
That with his melting sweetness ravished,
And with the wonder of her beames bright,
My senses lulled are in slumbers of delight.

SPENSER.

I marle what pleasure or felicity they have in taking this roguish tobacco. Its good for nothing but to choke a man, and fill him full of smoke and embers; there were four died out of one house last week with taking of it, and two more the bell went for yesternight; one of them they say will never scape it, he voided a bushel of soot yesterday upward and downward.

BEN JONSON.

THE queen of England having retired from the presence chamber, sat in her withdrawing room on a well carved chair, having cushions covered with crimson velvet, whereon the royal arms were embroidered in gold; resting her feet upon a footstool of a like material -and around her were the select companions of her privacy. Instead of her crown, she now wore a piramidal head dress built of wire, lace, ribands, and jewels. The chamber was of handsome proportions, hung with costly tapestry, on which was very fairly depicted the principal events in the Iliad, and besides such necessary furniture, as chairs, tables, and cabinets elaborately chiselled into every kind of cunning device, the panels of the richly decorated wainscot did contain full length portraits of the late king's highness of glorious memory, Henry the Eighth, with his illustrious consort Anna Boleyn, in dark ebony frames, and done to the life with all the limner's skill.

The whole party seemed to be in an excellent good humour, especially her majesty, who led the example by laughing loud and long, as she sat before two open glass doors that looked into a garden daintily laid out in long shady walks, while leaning upon the edge of the door almost outside of the room as it were, stood Sir Walter Raleigh, against whom, evidently all the mirth was directed; who, with a grave countenance continually disturbed by the merriment of his associates, in which he ever and anon joined right heartily, kept smoking a long pipe, and watching the fumes as he puffed them into the air.

"Ah, thou hast small cause to look after the fumes, for thou wilt be in a fine fume thyself presently," said her majesty, and the courtiers and the ladies thereat did laugh more than ever.

"Please your majesty," replied Sir Walter, taking the pipe from his mouth, and laughing with the rest-"My fumes are perfumes;

and if ever I exhibit any other fumes in your majesty's gracious presence, I should be deserving of banishment, which would make me in a fume indeed."

"Thou wilt lose thy wager, Sir Walter Raleigh—which will put thy pipe out, depend on't," added the queen-at which witty conceit the courtiers were again in raptures.

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'My pipe will be out anon, please your majesty," responded Sir Walter in the same jocose spirit. "But I shall have the honour of winning a purse of gold of the most bountiful sovereign that subject ever had."

"Odds bodikins, man, thou art mad sure!" exclaimed the queen good humouredly. "How canst expect to win such a mad wagerunless peradventure thou seekest to amuse thyself by playing upon us some trick-which if thou dost, by our halidom, thou shalt smoke for it in right earnest." Thereupon the laugh went round as before, and all in audible whispers did commend her majesty's wit most liberally.

"Nay, I should be unworthy to breathe in so estimable a presence were I to make so bold," replied Raleigh gravely. "And for fear that your majesty should misunderstand my meaning, I will recal the terms of the wager-in the doing of which this noble company will correct me if I say anything in error. Your majesty out of your gracious condescension, hath wagered me a purse of gold against my Barbary courser, that from a certain quantity of this precious tobacco that I have before all these honourable persons weighed and put in my pipe to smoke, I shall not be able to tell the exact weight of the smoke that escapes."

"Why, thou foolish gull, how canst tell the weight of anything that escapes?" asked the queen with a merry malicious glance, and to the infinite amusement of her circle. "Canst catch the smoke after it hath mingled with the air, and press it into thy scales! We did think that thou hadst more wit than to undertake such a thing, and when thou first spoke of it, fancying thou wert taking the traveller's privilege, we laid this wager with thee on purpose to have a laugh at thy expense. O'my faith thy Barbary courser is as good as lost; but though it be taking but a barbarous advantage of thee, we must e'en accept of it."

"Please your majesty, perhaps he hath the wonderful seven league boots, and meaneth quickly to overtake his smoke," observed a very lovely young gentlewoman who stood by the side of the queen's chair.

"Nay, Lady Blanche Somerset," replied her majesty, joining in the general laugh, "he must be a bird if he means to come up with it, for smoke hath the property to ascend-as thou seest."

"Methinks Sir Walter be nothing else but a bird," said Mistress Alice, with an exceeding grave face.

"Why so, child?" asked the queen.

"Doth not your majesty perceive he hath a very owl-like look?" added her attendant archly; to the manifest increase of the mirth of the company, the which Sir Walter regarded only as if he had more to laugh at than they.

"I do perceive something in this more than meets your majesty's eye," remarked a very old courtier, with an exquisitely solemn foolish physiognomy.

"Speak out, my Lord Bumble," cried her majesty.

"I hold it as most comfortable Christian doctrine, please your majesty," said his lordship, advancing a little way on his gold-headed cane-for he stooped much, "that the mouth was made for the accommodation of honest victuals; and though I have lived in the reigns of your majesty's father Henry the Eighth, of pious, chaste, and glorious memory, and of his most excellent highness Edward the Sixth, who surely hath a throne in Heaven; and of our late illustrious Queen Mary, who was of a most princely disposition, as it becometh a queen to have, and which your majesty doth possess to an extent far beyond that which was exhibited by your majesty's predecessors, I never saw a gentleman, and, to speak the exact truth, I may add, any person of any degree whatsoever, who used his throat to imbibe villanous smoke; and therefore I hold it as most comfortable Christian doctrine that the mouth was made for the accommodation of honest victuals. Moreover, I never heard of any one with whom it was customary to make a smoke-jack of himself, but one, and he did do it not from liking, but from necessity." "And who was he, my lord?" enquired the queen.

66 Please your majesty, it was no other than the devil-from whose machinations be your majesty ever carefully guarded."

"Amen, my Lord," said the queen, gravely.

"Who, as the learned Dr. Thumpcushion hath stated," added Lord Bumble, continually doth vomit smoke and brimstonedoubtless, much after the same fashion as yonder honourable gentleman, the captain of your majesty's guard-therefore I hold it as most comfortable Christian doctrine".

"Never mind the doctrine, my lord"-here put in the queen rather impatiently, while Sir Walter, with much ado, endeavoured to preserve a serious countenance-"Say at once what thou perceivest in this matter, that our poor wits are not master of."

"I will come to the point without further preamble, since it be your majesty's excellent pleasure," said the old courtier, "though I was going to say, that a thing which looketh so unnatural and so devilish, can be practised for no other end but to ensnare our souls and blind our eyes, that we may be the more easily caught and thrust into the bottomless pit, where it be the fashion of Satan and all his imps to smoke, and to teach others to smoke, like unto the manner of yonder estimable gentleman, Sir Walter Raleigh; therefore, I hold it as most comfortable Christian doctrine, that the mouth hath been made for the accommodation of honest victuals.”

"We have heard that before, my lord, so if thou meanest to enlighten us no further on this matter, hold thy peace, and Heaven will reward thee for it."

"Yes, Heaven will reward me, certainly, as your majesty hath so piously remarked," continued Lord Bumble; who, in addition to other infirmities consequent on old age, was exceedingly deaf—“ Į

am much bound to your majesty for your majesty's gracious consideration of my long service, and if your majesty doth not, Heaven will reward me, certainly. But I must say, of all your majesty's glorious family, none have I served with half the infinite satisfaction I find in attending on your majesty-though his excellent highness, Henry the Eighth, whose page I was, did say that I was inestimable before bedtime."

"Ah, thou didst doubtless make a most admirable sleeping potion," observed her majesty.

"As your majesty is pleased to say, he did justly appreciate my devotion," proceeded his lordship. "But I am fearful I am somewhat wandering from the point."

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"Thou hast found that out at last—a plague on thy tediousness!" exclaimed his royal mistress, angrily; but in a low voice. “I have already stated enough to satisfy any reasonable personage that smoking is but a devilish pastime, and therefore not to be tolerated—but there is more mischief in it yet. I say it be unlawful and infinitely dangerous. For let it be observed that smoke is black —which is likewise the colour the devil most affects-therefore to be avoided; that the accomplishment of smoking is an art-and the art being black, it standeth to reason it must be a black art—and I do uphold that the exercise of the black art in your majesty's presence is heathenish, treacherous, and abominable, and, consequently, that yonder noble gentleman, the captain of your majesty's guard, ought not to be allowed, as is evidently his intention, to bewitch your majesty and overthrow the state."

"Sir Walter Raleigh, dost hear that weighty accusation?" asked the queen, the frown of impatience upon her face now giving way to an undisguised smile: "Hast thou had the audacity to practise the black art before us? hast the presumption to attempt to bewitch us and overthrow the state?"

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"Without attempting any defence, I will, at once throw myself upon your majesty's clemency, of which I have had such excellent experience," replied Sir Walter-refraining awhile from his pipe. "But perhaps I may be allowed to observe, that if I have attempted to bewitch your majesty, I have followed the example of one who, with her admirable qualities, hath bewitched all her loving subjects." "There! he confesseth it, please your majesty," cried the old courtier, pressing close to the queen, "therefore I do hold it very comfortable Christian doctrine"

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Peace, fool!" cried her majesty, in a voice that not only made Lord Bumble hear, but astonished him so, that it sent him staggering two or three paces backwards, upon the delicate toes of some of the maids of honour; who, not liking so impressive a salutation, with features expressive of pain and anger, pushed him rudely out of the way, till he found himself beyond the circle, scarcely able to breathe, and in a complete consternation.

"I do not believe that he practiseth the black art," here observed Mistress Alice, who was somewhat of a favourite with the queen, for her lively temper, and, more than all, because she never seemed

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