unceasing in his efforts to bring it about. For all this the queen did often send him comfortable messages, which did give him some hope he should make his peace with her before long. An expedition against the Spaniards had been talked of, and though it met not with the approbation of her lord treasurer, who liked not any thing that cost much money, and seemed to be attended with more risk than profit; as it was warmly supported by the lord admiral and my Lord Essex, it was thought, among those supposed to be in the secret, my Lord Burghley's opinion would go for naught. The expedition had been originally proposed by Sir Walter Raleigh, some years since; and as the queen had lately sent frequently to consult him on the matter, Dame Elizabeth did imagine he would have some command in it; and this thought of hers pleased her mightily, for she did argue from it he would have such opportunity for distinguishing of himself as must needs end in his being restored to the honourable place he had lost by his marriage with her.

"Put you on your hat and cloak, Master Francis, and come with me," said Sir Walter to his secretary, as they sat together, after the labours of the day were ended, in the library at Durham House, that was in the turret overlooking the Thames. "I wish you to meet certain friends of mine, in whose society I doubt not you will find infinite pleasure."

Master Francis was not long in complying with his patron's request, and shortly afterwards they walked out together till they came to a tavern of excellent great repute, called "The Mermaid," in Friday Street. It seemed to be a goodly structure, being of some size, with a famous porch in the centre, having casements from the ground floor, projecting into the street farther than the ordinary, each story above story, with quaint carvings round about them, and a huge sign over the door, representing a mermaid in the sea, daintily combing of her hair with one hand, and having a looking-glass in the other, into which she appeared to be gazing. There were two or three gentleman-like men loitering about the entrance, conversing with each other.

"Ha! Master Donne !" exclaimed Sir Walter, cordially greeting a young man, dressed very soberly, yet of a simple good natured countenance. "How goeth the world with you?"

"Indeed it goeth but ill with me, Sir Walter,” replied he, "yet why should I repine? It be true enough, I have lost

most of my property; yet my dear wife hath been restored to me. Methinks I should be exceeding content."

"I hope all will end happily at last," remarked Raleigh. Now the reader must know that this Master Donne having been secretary to a certain Lord Elsinore, with whom he had travelled in Spain and Italy, fell in love with my lord's niece, who was the daughter of Sir George More, and upon finding they were both of one mind, privately married her; which did so enrage her father when he came to know of it, that he took away his wife from him, had him dismissed from his office of secretary, and then cast him into prison. He got his liberty presently; but he got not his wife again till he had recourse to law proceedings with his father-in-law, that nearly consumed all his substance.

"My kinsman, Sir Francis Whalley, with whom I am living, is exercising of his best means to get Sir George to be reconciled to me," added Master Donne. "I know not what will come of it, but will hope for the best. Then there hath been my true friend, Dr. Morton, that very excellent and truly good divine, advising me to enter into the church, and offering me a benefice if I would."

"And surely you will do as he advises you, the more especially as your fortune is so low?" remarked Sir Walter. "Indeed I cannot," replied the other. ""Tis a great temptation at this time certainly, the offer of a fair benefice when I have nothing to look to, and a sweet young wife to provide for; but I have such scruples against entering the priesthood, because I am not of that holy disposition methinks it should require, that I cannot bring my conscience to the doing of any such thing."

"O' my life! I do most truly believe you would do the church infinite honour in becoming one of its members," said Raleigh. "I wish all were as conscientious and as worthy." Then turning to another he exclaimed, with a like cordial manner as he had used to Master Donne"And how speedeth Master Cotton in his labours? Hast found any more rare manuscripts and ancient records, such as your laudable industry hath already put you upon the discovery of?"

"Indeed have I, Sir Walter," replied he, who was one of a famous staid demeanour, and in great repute for his knowledge of, and eagerness after, all manner of ancient things. "I have had the good hap to get hold of a marvellous num

ber of such wonderful, curious, and valuable manuscripts, charters, records, and the like precious documents, as scarce any in these kingdoms have met with, the which I shall be proud to show you, call you on me at any time."

"I will not fail to pay you a visit soon," answered Sir Walter. "Master Selden-well met!" exclaimed he to another-" And Master Martin too," he added to a fourth. "Pray tell me who are come ?"

"There are Master Beaumont and Master Fletcher," said

one.

"Arcades ambo!" cried Raleigh laughingly. "Methinks they be the very

Gemini' of our literary zodiac," observed Master Martin in a like humour. 66 They look to be ever so closely coupled."

"Then there have lately gone up Master Shakspeare and Master Jonson," added another.

"If Beaumont and Fletcher be 'Gemini,'" said Master Selden, "surely Shakspeare and Jonson be 'Pisces ;' for, o' my life, never saw I such fish for drinking!" Thereupon there was a laugh amongst them all.

"Not a long while since Master Carew passed me, and went in," remarked Master Donne.

"Doubtless inventing of some new ballad," said Master Cotton," with such a monstrous fire of love in it as might dissolve all the ice betwixt this and the Frozen Ocean."

"Master Constable and Master Sylvester are also there," added another.

"Master Sylvester came before the other in a monstrous haste," observed Master Selden in the same merry humour. "But that can be nothing out of the ordinary; for he be famous for outrunning the constable."

"Well, let us up and join them, my masters!" exclaimed Sir Walter, laughing with the rest; upon which the whole party moved on through the spacious doorway with its fantastic carvings about it, passing a notable fat landlady in the passage, who left off rating one of the drawers to drop her guests a courtesy, and make some courteous inquiry, as every one said a civil word before they went up stairs. As they were entering the room above, they heard such shouts of laughter as showed plain enough there was no lack of good humour amongst the company; and so it appeared, for upon their coming in they noticed that every one was laughing as heartily as he might; and Master Shakspeare and one of a

right merry aspect, whom Master Francis knew to be Ben Jonson, were in the midst of them, evidently causing all the mirth they had heard. The room was long, and of a fair height, having a long old oak table with rounded legs put in the centre, on which a drawer appeared to be setting things ready for supper. The compartments in the wainscot were elaborately carved with all manner of foliage and griffins' heads; and the chimney, which was of a more than ordinary height and capaciousness, was ornamented in a like manner. There was an open cupboard on one side, in which was a rare display of glass and china, and one or two parcel-gilt goblets; and a goodly silver tankard, curiously wrought with a scene of persons going a hawking; and the tapestry round the room was worked with rude designs descriptive of the destruction of the Spanish armada, with labels coming out of the mouths of the principal commanders of the ships, saying of certain things attributed to them.

Master Francis upon first coming in did as he saw others do, put his hat upon a peg, and then turned to see who was of the company. Most of them he knew; for they were the chiefest wits of the time, that he had often met in the chamber of the players, and these greeted him kindly. Whilst looking about him, he could not help observing the drawer, who was a youth marvellous spare of flesh, with long legs and long arms, in a white canvass doublet and saffron-coloured hose, and an exceeding innocent countenance, in which the sense of respect for the company in which he was, seemed to be having a sore struggle with the desire to laugh at the right admirable jests that ever and anon broke from one or other of them.

"Here cometh our King of El Dorado!" exclaimed Ben Jonson good-humouredly, as he noticed the entrance of Sir Walter Raleigh and those who came with him. "Mayhap we shall have something sterling now. O' my life! I be wonderful like good money kept with bad. Methinks, by this time, I must needs have so suspicious a look with me, on account of the rubs I am getting among these base ones, that I cannot help being thought as brass as my company."

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Verily, thy company be brazen enough, of all conscience," replied Master Shakspeare in a like tone and manner. will put thee up to a good thing, Ben. When the next lord mayor's day comes round, offer for a reasonable sum to play the part of one of the men in armour. Nature hath provided

thee with such a complete suit of brass, thou art sure to be able to do it cheaper and more to the life than any."

"Away with thee !-thy wit be all of a quality with thyself!" cried the other, whilst his companion laughed as loud as the rest. "Not only art thou brazen beyond all denial, but thou art a very brazen bull of Phalaris; for thou dost roar' at the expense of thy victims."

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"I'faith be I the bull of Phalaris, thou must needs be the Colossus of Rhodes," replied Master Shakspeare. 'Mayhap it would be greatly to somebody's profit, who would break thee up and sell thee by weight, as was done with that ancient image. But heard I not that the worshipful company of braziers had made thee a handsome offer at so much per pound, wishing to melt thee into candlesticks, hand-irons, stew-pans and the like famous utensils? I hope 'tis true, for thou wouldst then come to a goodly use, which be more than I can hope of thee at present."

"Oh! would I had the (lapis philosophicus, exclaimed Ben Jonson, "I would, with what speed I might, transmute the abominable baseness of thy humour into something more creditable to thee."

"Use it on thyself, Ben, I prythee, for thou wilt find it more to thy profit," answered the other, laughingly. "Had

such transmutation been done, and thou hadst been one of the children of Israel that were hastening away from Pharaoh, there would have been no occasion for them to have melted the trinkets they had filched from the Egyptians."

"And why not, my Edipus ?" asked his companion.

"Because they would have had a golden calf ready at their hands," replied Master Shakspeare. At this the company laughed louder than ever, and the drawer turned his head on one side, to hide the grin that had made its appearance on his

countenance.

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Well, my masters," exclaimed Sir Walter Raleigh, fearing that the liveliness of their wits might, if not interrupted, lead them to loggerheads, "there can be no doubt you are both men of metal;' and if the nature thereof hath an inclination for the brazen, Corinthian brass' it must be at the least."

"That is a pretty compliment, o' my word," cried Master Cotton, "and in honest truth I take them to be of such choice metal, if brass they be, that had they lived in Rome, under