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if she requested of the Countess of Shrewsbury to use her with as much kindness as might be consistent with her safe keeping. And with this intimation of her pleasure, the council was dismissed. Never was more anxious and ready way made my Lord of Leicester," than as he passed through the crowded anti-rooms to go towards the river-side, in order to attend her Majesty to her barge-Never was the voice of the ushers louder, to "make room-make room for the noble Earl" -Never were these signals more promptly and reverentially obeyed-Never were more anxious eyes turned on him to obtain a glance of favour, or even of mere recognition, while the heart of many a humble follower throbbed betwixt desire to offer his congratulations, and fear of intruding himself on the notice of one so infinitely above. him. The whole court considered the issue of this day's audience, expected with so much doubt and anxiety, as a decisive triumph on the part of Leicester, and felt assured that the orb of his rival satellite, if not altogether obscured by his lustre, must revolve hereafter in a dimmer and

more distant sphere. So thought the court and courtiers, from high to low; and they acted accordingly.

On the other hand, never did Leicester return the general greeting with such ready and condescending courtesy, or endeavour more successfully to gather (in the words of one, who at that moment stood at no great distance from him) "golden opinions from all sorts of men."

For all the favourite Earl had a bow, a smile at least, and often a kind word. Most of these were addressed to courtiers, whose names have long gone down the tide of oblivion; but some, to such as sound strangely in our ears, when connected with the ordinary matters of human life, above which the gratitude of posterity has long elevated them. A few of Leicester's interlocutory sentences ran as follows:

Poynings, good morrow, and how does your wife and fair daughter? Why come they not to court? Adams, your suit is naught-the Queen > will grant no more monopolies-but I may serve you in another matter.-My good Alderman Aylford, the suit of the City, affecting Queenhithe,

shall be forwarded as far as my poor interest can serve.-Master Edmund Spencer, touching your Irish petition, I would willingly aid you, from my love to the Muses; but thou hast nettled the Lord Treasurer."

"My lord," said the poet, "were I permitted to explain".

"Come to my lodging, Edmund," answered the Earl-" not to-morrow, or next day, but soon. -Ha, Will Shakespeare-wild Will!-thou hast given my nephew, Philip Sidney, love-powderhe cannot sleep without thy Venus and Adonis under his pillow! We will have thee hanged for the veriest wizard in Europe. Heark thee, mad wag, I have not forgotten thy matter of the patent, and of the bears."

The player bowed, and the Earl nodded and passed on-so that age would have told the tale -in ours, perhaps, we might say the immortal had done homage to the mortal. The next whom the favourite accosted, was one of his own zealous dependants.

"How now, Sir Francis Denning," he whispered, in answer to his exulting salutation," that

smile hath made thy face shorter by one-third than when I first saw it this morning.-What, Master Bowyer, stand you back, and think you I bear malice? You did but your duty this morning; and, if I remember aught of the passage betwixt us, it shall be in thy favour."

Then the Earl was approached, with several fantastic congees, by a person quaintly dressed in a doublet of black velvet, curiously slashed and pinked with crimson satin. A long cock's feather in the velvet bonnet, which he held in his hand, and an enormous ruff, stiffened to the extremity of the absurd taste of the times, joined with a sharp, lively, conceited expression of countenance, seemed to body forth a vain, hair-brained coxcomb, and small Wit; while the rod he held, and an assumption of formal authority, appeared to express some sense of official consequence, which qualified the natural pertness of his manner. A perpetual blush, which occupied rather the sharp nose than the thin cheek of this personage, seemed to speak more of "good life," as it was called, than of modesty; and the manner in which he approached to the Earl, confirmed that suspicion.

"Good even to you, Master Robert Laneham," said Leicester, and seemed desirous to pass forward, without farther speech. vga tot voiumuos

"I have a suit to your noble lordship," said the figure, boldly following him.-yl & ex 201 "And what is it, good master keeper of the council-chamber door ?"

100 Clerk of the council-chamber door," said Master Robert Laneham, with emphasis, by way of reply, and of correction. ve Du 07 J1013

"Well, qualify thine office as thou wilt, man,” replied the Earl; "what would'st thou have with me ?"

Simply," answered Laneham," that your lordship would be, as heretofore, my good lord, and procure me licence to attend the Summer Progress unto your lordship's most beautiful, and 'all-to-be unmatched Castle of Kenilworth.”

"To what purpose, good Master Laneham," replied the Earl; "bethink you my guests must needs be many."

"Not so many," replied the petitioner, “ but that your nobleness will willingly spare your old servitor his crib and his mess. Bethink you, my lord, how necessary is this rod of mine, to fright