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"It grieveth me that I should seem to play the niggard, Sir Nicholas," said Sir Walter; "but it must be known to you why it is so; and therefore do I trust you will excuse it."

"Odds my life, man, speak not of it," answered Sir Nicholas; "but if thou canst, come to us this eve at Aldgate, and we will have a merry night on't."

"I will strive to bring it about," replied Sir Walter.

"Art admiring my apparel, fair Alice?" asked my Lord Cobham, with a great shew of gallantry, as he advanced towards the place where she, with her roguish eyes, seemed intently scrutinizing his dress.

"Indeed it hath to me a right handsome look," replied she, very innocently; "but methinks it be a thousand pities it should have so sorry a lining."

"Tis a mad wench! 'tis a mad wench!" exclaimed the old knight, with a loud laugh, whilst my Lord Cobham appeared as if he knew not whether to be offended or amused; "she hath a lively wit, it cannot be denied; and they do say she taketh after me."

"The truth of which I here do affirm," said the merry girl; "for having many a day helped yourself before me, it standeth to reason, uncle, that I must take after you."

“Ha, ha!” shouted her kinsman, who seemed as fond of a jest as herself, "that be a truth beyond 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.

"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.

"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 co

vered 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 madrig 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 fleet-charts 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.

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

"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

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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 queento 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.

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"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 him-for he bringeth the superlatively wisest statesman of his age, which I take to be the honourablest of all titles of honour.'

"Humph!" exclaimed the lord treasurer.

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'And, next,” continued his host, "I must make my excuses for keeping you waiting-but I made not the stop any longer than I could help for mine own sake, believe me; for know I well, that every minute that keepeth me from such excellent good society, depriveth me of more true wisdom than a week's hard study could make up." "Ho!" ejaculated the other.

66 The queen, out of her own bountiful humour, hath given me expectation of your coming," added Sir Walter, "desiring me to put you in possession of certain matters touching my expedition to Panama, in the which I intend doing the villanous Spaniards great hurt, and coming back, fear not that I shall fail in despoiling them of the Plate fleet to the exceeding enrichment of her majesty's exchequer." "Ha!" cried Lord Burghley.

"The matter stands thus-the gentlemen adventurers who with me have subscribed the necessary monies for this golden undertaking, with her majesty's high sanction, have promoted me to be their admiral: and I, desirous that its good effects should not fail for want of a sufficiency of means, did seek of her majesty, on profitable conditions, such assistance in men, ships, and warlike stores, as seemed unto me to be necessary."

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Humph!" exclaimed the lord treasurer.

"And her majesty, with exceeding liberality, as I take it, hath condescended to promise me six of her ships, well appointed in all

respects, under the command of Sir John Burgh, who is to be our vice-admiral."

"Ho!" cried the old lord.

"For the which we are willing to allow her one half of the profits of the expedition, arising either from the plunder of the town, or the taking of ships-which, doubtless, will amount to a sum far exceeding that which has been gained by any similar adventure."

"Ha!" said my Lord Burghley.

Sir Walter Raleigh then, at considerable length, described the nature of the proposed undertaking, its manifest advantages,—the number of ships and men to be employed-the officers engaged, and all concerning the expedition to the minutest particular; to the which the lord treasurer not only listened with his gravity undisturbed; but drawing in his mouth tight, as if he were afraid something should drop out of it, he replied only with a "Humph!" a "Ho!" or, a "Ha!" as the case might be. It be out of all manner of doubt that my Lord Burghley could speak right eloquently when he chose; but he was exceeding chary of his discourse when he fancied it was not necessary for him to open his lips. Thus did he preserve the wonderful taciturnity with which he was gifted, throughout the whole of the time; and looking very grave the whilst, as if he was taken up with some deep thinking, with a slight inclination of his head, he raised himself from the chair, and leaning on his host for support, he walked to the gates, where he mounted his poney which a serving man had in waiting for him, and immediately rode off.

CHAPTER IX.

Sir, you did take me up, when I was nothing;
And only yet am something by being yours,

You trusted me unknown; and that which you were apt

To construe a simple innocence in me

Perhaps, might have been craft; the cunning of a boy

Hardened in lies and theft: yet ventured you

To part my miseries and me."

BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER.

To such a place our camp remove

As will no siege abide;

I hate a fool who starves her love
Only to feed her pride.

SIR JOHN SUCKLING.

MASTER FRANCIS was so well pleased with his visit to the playhouse, that when he returned to St. Mary Axe, he cared not a fig's end for the rating that the old man gave him for having tarried so long; and after he laid him down on his humble pallet of rushes, he could not sleep a wink for thinking of the gallant Sir Walter Raeigh and the noble Shakspeare; the brave sight he had of Queen

Elizabeth, and all the fine lords and ladies, knights and gentlemen; and the droll things he had seen among the players; and then he sat about building of castles in the air, whereof he pleased himself mightily; for though of a modest disposition, the which accorded well with the humbleness of his fortunes since he had recollection; -yet the mystery of his parentage sometimes inclining him to believe himself of notable descent, and at other times filling him with a dread that he was the deserted offspring of some wretched adventurer, made him irritable upon any slight, and more proud than seemed becoming to one of his state. His nature was very affectionate without doubt, yet was he exceeding sensitive of offence, and the excess of regard with which he looked on those who did him a kindness, disposed him the more readily to yield himself to impressions of an opposite tendency. I say thus much here, to put the courteous reader on his guard against expecting too much of him; for I am not one of those that bring on the picture such monstrous perfect creatures as do some, the like of which hath eye never seen in this world; for I put not finer feathers on the bird than nature hath given him. If he hath faults, all the better,-for being of tender years, then is there the greater chance that he may mend. But, mayhap, this shall be seen in the upshot.

The cock had crowed more than once, yet still Master Francis continued at his airy speculations-this moment did he discover his unknown parent to be of great estate, and publicly was acknowledged to be his only son and heir, with the great rejoicing of a fine assembly-then, all daintily attired, he was a taking his leisure in a fair pleasance, with his adored Joanna, very lovingly, having his true friend, Harry Daring, in the back ground, after he had being doing of a good office even unto his much misliked acquaintance, Ralph Goshawk-again he was with Master Shakspeare and the players, receiving their congratulations on the success of a tragedy they had brought out for him, which had taken hugely with the spectatorsand now he was with Sir Walter Raleigh in some place of office at court, discoursing very prettily on matters of state, and bearing it among the gallants as bravely as the best of them. Thus passed he the time till he was stirred up by the shrill voice of his uncle from below stairs, abusing him soundly for a lie-a-bed; at the which he got up and employed himself at the necessary drudgery of his miserly kinsman, till it was nigh unto the hour he was desired to go to Durham House, when, seeking occasion to be sent of an errand, in the which he succeeded so far as to be required to importune one who lacked the will or the means of paying-a thing he was oft obliged to do, yet never had any heart for-he proceeded on his way.

He had passed beyond the Temple Bar before the anxiousness which he was in allowed him to notice much what happened as he went, or the notable places in his progress: but as he now thought of the necessity of looking out for the place he was in search of, he soon found himself passing Essex House, then Arundel House-goodly mansions both; and then Somerset House ( a right handsome pile), and the palace of the Savoy; and keeping along the garden walls at

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