the villanous deceits that have been played upon me. Like enough indeed to look not so well as I was. I went in the extreme comfort of thinking myself beloved by one I imagined to be possessed of a goodly store of all honorable virtues.-I return but to find that I have been the dupe of the very wickedest wanton that ever disgraced God's earth."

"What mean you by this?" asked the mercer's daughter, seemingly in great astonishment.

"What mean I ?" exclaimed the youth, indignantly. "Hast done no ill thing? —hast given me no provocation to quarrel since I have been away, by the infamousness of thy behavior?"

"None" replied she, with exceeding earnestness. "I have done no ill thing: I have done nothing that should give you provocation to quarrel.”

"Ha! and indeed?" cried her companion, now still more incensed against her; "dost tell me that, and come straight from the kisses of my Lord Cobham ?" At hearing this the color mounted into her cheek a little, of which he took speedy notice and continued: “I see nature will take no part in so monstrous a lie. But I will at once confess that I was nearly as nigh unto you as I may be at this present, and heard all the shameless impudency of your proceedings. In truth, you have made of your lips a common, upon which every ass may find pasture. Go to! you are a wanton." And so saying, he turned away from her.

"I pray you, Francis, speak not in this way," said Joanna, in a very serious manner, and with a face somewhat troubled. "That my Lord Cobham hath caressed me, I acknowledge; but that I gave him any such return, is most untrue: and of aught worse than that done by me at any time, know I nothing."

Dost think I can believe any such thing from you?" asked Master Francis, suddenly. "Dost think I know not more of such conduct?- -even if 'twere not enough to condemn you by, as the stealing under a public gateway with one so noted, and going into hidden corners to be caressed by him. I tell you he be not the only one-nor Ralph Goshawk, whom you did unblushingly assure me you cared not for, to whom you have given such villanous encouragement; for I have knowledge of divers fine gallants that you must needs have to attend upon you, doubtless to afford you the like gratification. Nay, to such a pitch of shamelessness have you arrived, that it be known to more than

one you have a man with you in private the whole night long, and then do yourself secretly let him out into the street in the early morning. And this hath been done too when you have sworn you loved me alone! I do believe there existeth not in this world so deceitful a creatureone of so false a heart and of so profligate a nature-one so thoroughly lost to all sense of honor and of true affection. Why, the wretchedest woman that liveth upon her own iniquity, be no other than what she seems, and seeketh not to pass for anything better; but thou hast added hypocrisy to sin, and would hide the disposition of a wanton under the character of a vestal."

"Take heed," exclaimed the mercer's daughter, who, as she had listened, had become exceeding pale-her bosom heaved mightily-her brilliant eyes shot quick and uneasy glances, and, altogether, her appearance was that of one marvellously disturbed. "Take heed, Francis, I can bear much from you, but thisthis I can not bear."

""Tis less than you have deserved," replied he. And now I have done with you. There!" he cried, as approaching her closely he dashed at her feet the chain of gold she had of his uncle-" there lies one of the gifts with which you have sought to bribe me into a toleration of your infamous doings. And here!" he added, as he followed it with a purse that seemed tolerably well filled-" here is that which will pay for the cost I have been to you in other things. Be assured it hath been honestly come by; and not like your costly presents and generous supplying of my wants-the liberal wages of a more liberal iniquity."

To this she answered not save by a slight gasping as if for breath; but her brow became darker, and the expression of her eyes unnatural.

I now take my leave of you," added Master Francis in a voice somewhat tremulous. "I care not if I ever see you again. You have misjudged me hugely if you thought I was of such a nature as to tolerate for a single moment the infamy you have been about. Your judgment and your gifts have been equally misplaced. My heart is not one of so mean a sort as to suffer itself to be satisfied with the affections of a jilt; nor is my disposition so base as to suffer itself to be bribed by a"

"Villain!" screamed Joanna, as she furiously clutched him by the throat with both her hands before the offensive word

Master Francis was so seized by surprise that he seemed not to have had time to make any struggle, for she had grasped him with such exceeding violence that he had only the power to move up his arms a little and then let them fall; and his face grew black with an extreme suddenness, so that when she took away her hands from about his neck, his head fell back, and he was falling to the ground like one that is taken with a sudden death, when Joanna sprung forward and caught him in her arms.

Why, I have not killed thee, sure!" exclaimed she, apparently in wonderful consternation. "Nay, it can not be!— Indeed, I meant it not! 'Twas but the madness of the moment. Oh! what a wretch have I been if I have done thee any hurt. Francis!-dear-dear Francis! -I will forgive all the vile things thou hast said of me if thou wilt not look at me so horribly. Move but a limbbreathe or let me feel but the beating of thy heart. No-all be as still as a stone. Oh, God! he is dead-he is dead, and I have killed him!" So saying she clasped him close to her breast with many piteous sobs, and with the saddest wildest look eye ever beheld. Again she felt for his heart; but there was no beating; she looked to his lips, but they were slightly open, and breathed not at all; and eagerly watched all his limbs as if to observe the slightest movement, but the quietness of death seemed to be upon them. The eyelids were not quite closed, and little of the eyes save the white part was to be seen, which made them appear to look very ghastly and unnatural; and the delicacy of his complexion was scarce discernible for the discoloring of the skin, which marvellously increased his deathlike appear

Then she carefully laid him down on the floor, and stood over him for the space of something more than a minute, wringing of her hands, and sobbing in such sort as none could see unmoved; when, suddenly, as if a thought had struck her, she began vigorously chafing of one of his hands with both hers, and then the other; and then she unfastened his doublet and chafed his breast in the same manner, lifting up with her other arm his head the whilst, which she pressed closely to her; and kissing of his forehead; and sobbing wonderfully; and ever and anon saying all sorts of endearing things to him. All at once he gave a slight gasp. At this she uttered such a scream of exultation that surely the like was never heard; and fell to a chafing of his breast with more vigorousness than ever-now laughing, now crying, now caressing of him, now pressing him fondly, in so wild and distracted a manner as was a marvel to look upon. In a little time he gave a stronger gasp; then two or three; then moved he his arms, sighing very heavily. Presently his eyelids opened more and he looked about him with a strange unconscious stare, and kept breathing with some sort of difficulty. The blackness went from his face, leaving it exceeding pale, and his lips got a little more color in them.

Seeing these things, Joanna grew so agitated that she was obliged gently to put his head again upon the ground whilst she stood up a bit. Then she pressed her temples in her hands, and seemed as if she was striving to collect her scattered thoughts. In a few mo ments she went to a cupboard and poured out some wine into a cup, with which

This

she presently returned to him, and setting his head against her shoulder, she poured the liquid down his throat. appeared to produce a wonderful good effect, for in a few minutes his cheek lost much of its extreme pallidness; his eyes looked as if with some knowledge of where he was; and he breathed not so hard as he had done but a moment since. Making a movement as if to rise, Joanna placed her arm around his waist, and assisted him up; but she spoke not a word, nor had she done so since he had given such signs of his returning life as showed he had some consciousness of surrounding things.

In truth, she seemed in extreme perplexity as to how she should conduct herself. She knew not what to say, and scarce what to do. So monstrously ashamed was she that the violence of her passion should have led her into so great a wickedness as the attempting of his life, that she felt as if she could urge nothing in defence of it; and scarce dared look him in the face. Every moment she expected him to overwhelm her with reproaches; and the more she thought upon the matter, the more bewildered did she seem to get. At last, when she had got him to stand upright, and found he could do so without assistance, her uneasiness became so great, that she was obliged to leave him and lean upon the back of a chair for support. As for Master Francis, he was in such a state of mind, that he could not for some time, remember what had taken place. He looked about him like one amazed. He thought that something terrible had been done, but he knew not what. It happened that his gaze wandering about the room, met that of Joanna, who was watching him with great anxiety; and then, by degrees the whole scene, till he was deprived of consciousness, came upon his memory. At this, in a sort of horror, he shook in every limb, and looked as if he was about to fall; which seeing, Joanna, regardless of all else but his safety, hastened to support him; but the weakness was only momentary, and gently pushing her from him, with a look of mingled terror and dislike, he turned from her, and slowly left the room.

Joanna moved not, and turned not her eyes from him till the door closed, when she had just strength left to totter to a chair; were she was found about an hour afterward by Dame Margery, with her arm thrown over the back, and her head

A NUMEROUS party were assembled in one of the queen's withdrawing-rooms, consisting principally of the ladies of her court, to hear Master Shakspeare read a new play which he had writ upon her majesty's suggestion, as hath been described. Master Shakspeare stood with his back to the light, and his face to the queen, reading of his manuscript, with his audience in a half circle before him, in the centre of which sat Queen Elizabeth in her chair of state, looking exceeding pleased, and dressed with marvellous grandeur; having at her right hand the earl of Essex attired very gorgeously, and leaning on her majesty's chair with the air of one that is privileged to say what he lists, ever and anon making of such remarks as the circumstances seemed to give good warrant for; and joining in her majesty's mirth, whenever it was exhibited, with a heartiness which showed that in such instances, to play the courtier was nothing but natural to him. It was remarked of all, that never had the queen looked so gracious, for she kept turning and smiling upon the handsome nobleman at her side, and saying of this thing and that thing after so amiable a fashion; and commended Master Shakspeare so liberally, that the whole court were moved with admiration. All present appeared in an excellent fine humor, and listened with the very profoundest attention. Some looked to be in a continual smileothers frequently did indulge themselves with a giggle-and some few, who seemed as though they could not confine their mirth within such modest bounds, must needs laugh aloud.

By this time Master Shakspeare had got into the third act of his play, which hath become so singularly liked of the

"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 honored 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."

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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 can not 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 humor, while 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."

"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, while 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.

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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