told the cause of it, for Master Shakspeare to appear before her forthwith. "We charge you, Master Shakspeare, with high treason!" exclaimed Queen Elizabeth, when he presented himself according to her bidding, whereupon he began to be somewhat alarmed, and others nigh unto the presence were exceeding curious to know what he had done to bring upon himself so weighty an accusation. "Please your majesty, I" "The offence hath been proved to us," said the queen, interrupting of him very quickly, and then the courtiers looked marvellous serious. "You have drawn away divers of the subjects of this realm from their duty to their lawful sovereign, which is treason of the very greatest magnitude. Is it not so, Master Bacon?" inquired Queen Elizabeth, seeing that excellent fine lawyer in the circle before her. "Please your majesty, there can be no doubt of it," replied he with a smile, for he saw into her majesty's humour, —though few of the others were so quickwitted. We "You have by sundry sorts of jests and other pointed weapons," continued the queen, "very dangerous when not in discreet and lawful hands, excited numberless of our nobles, and officers, besides others of lower quality, into violent disturbances against the peace of the realm. charge you on your allegiance, confess what hath led you into this notorious misbehaving. As soon as they heard this speech, the courtiers seemed struck with a wonderful admiration of her majesty's conceit, and with very different faces to those they had put on awhile since, they waited the issue. "Please your majesty," replied Master Shakspeare, looking in no way daunted at the charge. "Before I enter on my confession, let me humbly represent to you, that this is the first time any sovereign hath made treason a laughing matter." "If such it be, methinks it is like to make the offender laugh on the other side of his mouth," exclaimed the queen merrily, at the which the mirth became general. "That I dispute not, believe me," answered he. "I plead guilty of the offence of which your majesty hath justly accused me, but I would venture to say in extenuation, that although I might perchance succeed in the shaking of your 218 SHAKSPEARE AND HIS FRIENDS. majesty's sides, it hath never been my intention in any way to disturb your majesty's crown." "Odds boddikins!" exclaimed the queen-an oath she much affected when in a pleasant humour-and laughing very heartily, as did her courtiers also. "We believe you, and willingly admit the innocency of your intentions, but we let you not off a fitting punishment, and a heavy, proceed you not on the instant to tell us what caused the loud burst of laughter that made us send to you our messenger; and if there seemeth to us to have been sufficient provocation for it, you shall be allowed to depart from our presence free and unharmed." "Your majesty's gracious condescension I cannot sufficiently express my appreciation of," replied Master Shakspeare very respectfully. "But in honest truth, the cause was in indifferent proportion to the effect. your majesty shall judge. This was it However, of that "I called my Rachel 'Plain-face!" In a pet Methinks it be scarce necessary to add, that the offender was allowed to go from the presence unpunished. Were endeth the Story of SHAKSPEARE AND HIS FRIENDS. NOTE. Should the courteous reader, from what he hath here perused, desire of me some further account of this inestimable rare and sweet-minded gentleman, and to know what befel Harry Daring in his adventures in the Spanish Main, and to become acquainted with what happened unto my Lord Southampton in his wooing of the lovely Mistress-Varnon, besides learning the doings of others of whom mention is made in this story, I say unto him in the words of the drawer of mine hostess of the Mermaid, “ Anon—andn, sir !” |