"Be he so much a Narcissus then?" inquired Master Shakspeare laughingly. "By Gog and Magog, he was as ugly a fellow to look upon as you may meet with any where," replied Harry. "He was pimple-nosed, wall-eyed, and bull-headed, and had a twist in his mouth that was as good as a joke to laugh at. It may be supposed I had but small difficulty in persuading him to dine with me, seeing that for some time past he had been made to forget that such things as dinners had ever been invented. Coming back I spied a wretched old fellow clothed in rags picking up some sticks in the road. I made up to him and gave him alms. On his turning round to thank me, who should it turn out to be but Gregory Vellum." "Is he so much in want?" asked Master Francis. "Nay, he be in no want at all," answered Harry. my making myself known to him, he made a pathetic lamentation upon the extravagance of people leaving such fine pieces of wood to rot in the streets, and straightway put the sticks in one pocket, and the money I had given him in another. Thinking to have some sport, I did invite him also to the tavern, of the which he eagerly availed himself." "Asked he not after me?" inquired his nephew. "Not one word," replied Harry, "his speech was all a lamentation upon his own poverty-that I and many others know to be nothing better than a sham. Well, from him I went straight to the Mitre, where there was a drawer of my acquaintance, and him I ordered to get ready as famous a dinner as the house could afford, which was done to the infinite satisfaction of all I invited, not one of whom failed to attend. It did amuse me famously to notice the attentions paid to me by Master Tickletoby, whom old Lather had informed who I was, as they came along. He seemed striving, by his commendations, to make me forget he had given me the birch so oft. However, there I sat, king of the feast, making every one enjoy himself to his heart's content. Old Lather could eat but little, he was so pleased. Geoffrey Sarsnet seemed to forget he was so nigh to the compter. Gregory Vellum eat as if he meant to put provision in him for a month, notwithstanding which I spied him, when he thought none were looking, stuffing what he could in his pocket, to serve for another meal. Big Jack o' the Turnstile, long-legged Tom, the tailor's son round the corner, and Peter Perriwinkle, our neighbour the chandler's apprentice, rarely opened their mouths save to put some thing in them. Indeed, they looked wonderfully shy. But when the wine had been on table a sufficient time (and though I took but little myself, I caused it to be drunk of others without stint), they three were the noisiest of the. whole lot. The jolly mercer now became as jolly as ever, and had his jest as ready as any, and his laugh the loudest of all. From joking they soon proceeded to singing. At first it did require some pressing to get a song out of either, but before long every one was shouting of some ditty at the top of his voice. Still I made the wine flow down their throats as brisk as I could. At last there was a scene which for exquisite fine fun beateth all I ever met." 66 By your description of it, it must have been a droll company indeed, Harry," observed Master Shakspeare. "But the best comes to be told," said Harry Daring, laughing so he could scarce get on. "There sat Master Tickletoby bolt upright in his chair, staring at me as though he thought I was a ghost. Geoffrey Sarsnet was snoring by the side of him; Big Jack o' the Turnstile was for drubbing Peter Perriwinkle because he would not allow that the son of a blacksmith was a better gentleman than a chandler's apprentice; but on his getting up to have at him, he measured his length on the floor, from which he made no effort to rise. Long-legged Tom was crying like a babe, and must needs think of going home to his mother; but on making for the door he stumbled over Big Jack o' the Turnstile, and there he lay, unable to move; and Peter Perriwinkle, hastening to pick him up, in a trice was as badly off as the others. Old Lather knelt in a corner of the room, saying of his prayers over a basin, and Gregory Vellum was singing of the hundredth psalm whilst draining of an empty bottle under the table." "O' my life, a ridiculous scene!" exclaimed Master Shakspeare, who had been famously amused by Harry's description of it, as was also Master Francis. "Then paying the drawer, I took myself off," continued the other, "and laughed right heartily the whole way I came here, at thinking of what sport I had had with those I had left behind me. Indeed, had you caught sight of Big Jack o' the Turnstile, in his fine buckram suit, looking as though he thought himself a lord, you would not have forgot it in a hurry, I promise you. Then he would commend the wine as being the best he had ever tasted; which was true enough, for of such drink hitherto had he known about as much as doth a blind puppy of daylight." "In truth, Harry, I would have given something to have been of the party," observed Master Shakspeare. "But I must now have you both with me to the playhouse," he added, as he rose from his seat. His companions jumped up immediately, and in a few minutes they were proceeding together in the direction of the playhouse in the Blackfriars. CHAPTER IV. Ye have no cause to fear-be bolde, JOHN HEYWOOD. Be of our patron's mind whate'er he says, Noble friend, You bind me ever to you: this shall stand PRIOR. WEBSTER. It was some few weeks after the conversation related in the preceding chapter, Sir Robert Cecil sat in the armoury at Burleigh House, intent upon the perusing of a goodly quarto volume. There sat a devilish sneer upon his countenance the whilst he turned over the pages, as if he saw in them naught but matter for to be despised; and as he proceeded, he read not as a student who hath any liking for his subject, and goeth through it regularly, but as one who dippeth into a book only to find something he might cavil at, and careth not to know more of it. In this mood, and in this employment was he, when the door opened and in walked my Lord Henry Howard. "Ever at study!" exclaimed he, as, upon closing of the door carefully, he advanced cheerfully towards him. "Me thinks, one so learned in the natures of men, need care but little for the learning of books." 66 I am looking into this precious work of Raleigh's," replied Sir Robert, somewhat contemptuously. "Ha!" cried the other, with a like feeling. "What hath this right famous discoverer of nothing to say for himself? Hath he described all the fine kingdoms he meant to have conquered, had he been allowed, or spoke of the wondrous riches he would have brought home had they fallen in his way ?" I'faith you are not far off," answered Cecil. "The book, as much as I have seen of it, is filled with nothing better than marvellous descriptions. Here you may meet with an exceeding tempting account of some famous rich city-there whole pages concerning of an open country that beateth every thing for fruitfulness-a little further, gold and jewels lie thick as blackberries in a hedge-by and by, you shall come to a plentiful lot of monsters, and in the next place, countless multitudes of Indians, all sick to have the Queen of England for their ruler." "But what hath he done ?" asked my lord, sarcastically. "Why he hath spent all his money," replied Sir Robert, and thereupon both laughed heartily. "The book seemeth to have been writ for the purpose of bolstering up his reputation at court, and to induce others, by its alluring representations, to embark with him in another adventure to the ⚫ same place." "As for his reputation at court," observed his companion, "the result of this expedition hath done for him in that quarter. I have just left a circle of those that have most constant access to the queen, and rarely have I heard any one so mauled as was this once powerful Sir Walter Raleigh. To be called a braggart, an impostor, a mere adventurer, and a writer of the very impudentest fables, be the smallest part of what they said of him. It is evident enough her majesty holdest him now in wonderful small respect. As I have heard, she doth scarcely notice his many cunning attempts to get himself again into her good graces." "'Tis plain he would give his ears to be in favour again," said the other; "he hath here writ a pitiful dedication to my lord admiral and myself, because we contributed somewhat more largely than others to his adventure. Little knoweth he how much the queen had to do in it. As I told you, he now taketh me to be the powerfullest friend he hath, and would willingly move me to exercise my influence in his behalf, to get him again to court. This would I willingly do, seeing my own interest in it, but at present it is scarce practicable; for my Lord Essex hath got such exceeding power with her majesty, she careth not for Raleigh's presence, and there are many about her who, thinking to be in favour with her favourite, miss no opportunity of speaking in disparagement of his rival. "To say the truth, my Lord Essex hath become so pestilent proud, there be no bearing with him," observed the Lord Howard. "Disliked I Raleigh less for assuming so much of the oracle, I would willingly assist in putting down the other." "That_anon,” replied Cecil significantly; "he seemeth to hold me of but little account, yet have I managed so with the queen, that she could not do without me if she would; and I doubt not, before long, she will give me such a place of trust as may in some measure reward me for my painstaking." "I'faith that be good news-but how didst manage it?" inquired his companion. "I made myself useful to her," said Sir Robert. "By means of my agents abroad I gave her intelligence of what was going on, before she could have a notion of it from any other quarter; and this made her well pleased with me, for she delighteth above all things to astonish her ministers by seeming to know more than they do, and thereby make them the more on the alert to get knowledge of such things. And then I have been ever ready to do her bidding in matters in which she could not safely have trusted others. I have gone on secret messages-I have ridden hard and fast on long journeys-I have endured fatigue of body and trouble of mind-ventured into peril, and suffered contumely, with as much apparent cheerfulness of heart, as if I took wonderful pleasure in it: and all to obtain the queen's confidence." "I heard say a short time since you were gone on a special mission from her majesty to the famous Dr. Dee," remarked the other; "some said it was that the cunning man might consult the stars as to whether it was propitious to attack the Spaniards; others knew for certain you were sent by the queen's command to know if it would be safe for her |