being appealed to as the guarantee of their authenticity, might be evidence enough for thee. But since thou listst to be so fórmal —Varney, or rather my Lord of Leicester, for the affair becomes yours, «(these words, though spoken at random, thrilled through the Earl's marrow and bones) «< what evidence have you as touching these certificates ? »

Varney hastened to reply, preventing Leicester, - «So please your Majesty, my young Lord of Oxford, who is here in presence, knows Master Anthony Foster's hand and his character.>>

The Earl of Oxford, a young unthrift, whom Foster had more than once accommodated with loans on usurious interest, acknowledged, on this appeal, that he knew him as a wealthy and independent franklin, supposed to be worth much money, and verified the certificate produced to be his hand-writing.

<< And who speaks to the Doctor's certificate?»> said the Queen. « Alasco, methinks, is his name.»

Masters, her Majesty's physician (not the less willingly that he remembered his repulse from Say's Court, and thought that his present testimony might gratify Leicester, and mortify the Earl of Sussex and his faction, ») acknowledged he had more than once consulted with Doctor Alasco, and spoke of him as a man of extraordinary learning and hidden acquirements, though not altogether in the regular course of practice. The Earl of Huntingdon, Lord Leicester's brother-in-law, and the old Countess of Rutland,

next sang his praises, and both remembered the thin beautiful Italian hand in which he was wont to write his receipts, and which corresponded to the certificate produced as his.

« And now, I trust, Master Tressilian, this matter is ended, » said the Queen, «We will do something ere the night is older to reconcile old Sir Hugh Robsart to the match. You have done your duty something more than boldly ; but we were no woman had we not compassion for the wounds which true love deals; so we forgive your audacity, and your uncleansed boots withal, which have well nigh overpowered my Lord of Leicester's perfumes.

So spoke Elizabeth, whose nicety of scent was one of the characteristics of her organization, as appeared long afterwards when she expelled Essex from her presence, on a charge against his boots, similar to that which she now expressed against those of Tressilian.

་་

But Tressilian had by this time collected himself, astonished as he had at first been by the audacity of the falsehood so feasibly supported, and placed in array against the evidence of his own eyes. He rushed forward, kneeled down, and caught the Queen by the skirt of her robe. « As you are Christian woman, » he said, « Madam, as you are crowned Queen, to do equal justice among your subjects as you hope yourself to have fair hearing (which God grant you) at that last bar at which we must all plead, grant me one small request! Decide not this matter so

hastily. Give me but twenty four hours interval, and I will, at the end of that brief space, produce evidence which will shew to demonstration, that these certificates, which state this unhappy lady to be now ill at ease in Oxfordshire, are false as hell! »

« Let go my train, sir! » said Elizabeth, who was startled at his vehemence, though she had too much of lion in her to fear; « the fellow must be distraught that witty knave, my godson Harrington, must have him into his rhymes of Orlando Furioso!-And yet, by this light, there is something strange in the vehemence of his demand.-Speak, Tressilian; what wilt thou do if, at the end of these four-and-twenty hours, thou canst not confute a fact so solemnly proved as this lady's illness? »>

«

I will lay down my head on the block, » answered Tressilian.

Pshaw! » replied the Queen. « God's light! thou speak'st like a fool. What head falls in England but by just sentence of English law? -I ask thee, man -if thou hast sense to understand me wilt thou, if thou shalt fail in this improbable attempt of thine, render me a good and sufficient reason why thou doest undertake it? >>

Tressilian paused, and again hesitated; bęcause he felt convinced, that if, within the interval demanded, Amy should become reconciled to her husband, he would in that case do her the worst of offices, by again ripping up the

whole circumstances before Elizabeth, and showing how that wise and jealous princess had been imposed upon by false testimonials. The consciousness of this dilemma renewed his extreme embarrassment of look, voice, and manner; he hesitated, looked down, and on the Queen repeating her question with a stern voice and flashing eye, he admitted with faultering words, «< That it might be he could not positively—that is, in certain events-explain the reasons and grounds on which he acted. »

«Now, by the soul of King Henry,» said the Queen, «< this is either moonstruck madness, or very knavery!-Seest thou, Raleigh, thy friend is far too Pindaric for this presence. Have him. away, and make us quit of him, or it shall be the worse for him; for his flights are too unbridled for aught but Parnassus, or Saint Luke's Hospital. But come back instantly thyself, when he is placed under fitting restraint. We wish we had seen the beauty which could make such havoc in a wise man's brain. >>

Tressilian was again endeavouring to address the Queen, when Raleigh, in obedience to the orders he had received, interfered, and, with Blount's assistance, half led half forced him out of the presence-chamber, where he himself indeed began to perceive his presence did his cause more harm than good.

When they had attained the anti-chamber, Raleigh entreated Blount to see Tressilian safely conducted into the apartments allotted to

the Earl of Sussex's followers, and, if necessary, recommanded that a guard should be mounted on him.

<«< This extravagant passion, « he said, « and, as it would seem, the news of the lady's illness, has utterly wrecked his excellent judgment. But it will pass away if he be kept quiet. Only let him break forth again at no rate; for he is already far in her Highness's displeasure, and should she be again provoked, she will find for him a worse place of confinement, and sterner keepers.

>>

I judged as much as that he was mad, » said Nicholas Blount, looking down upon his own crimson stockings and yellow roses, « whenever I saw him with these damned boots, which stunk so in her nostrils.—I will but see him stowed, and be back with you presently.—But, Walter, did the Queen ask who I was ?-methought she glanced an eye at me. »

<< Twenty-twenty eye-glances she sent, and I told her all how thou wert a brave soldier, and But for God's sake, get off Tressilian. »>

a

« I will-I will,» said Blount; «but methinks this court-haunting is no such bad pastime, after all. We shall rise by it, Walter, my brave lad. Thou said'st I was a good soldier, and a — What besides, dearest Walter ?>>

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<< An all unutterable-codshead.-For God's sake begone. >>

Tressilian, without farther resistance or expostulation, followed, or rather suffered himself