Elizabeth at this period of her reign was fifty-six years of age. Her face, although exceedingly majestic, shewed the deep furrows of care--the care which is the heir-loom of the diadem; her nose was somewhat hooked; her lips, narrow; her teeth, discoloured. In her ears she wore two enormous pearls with rich drops; and her small crown rested upon a ma.s.s of false red hair. Her bosom it was her pleasure to display uncovered (the custom of all English ladies before marriage); on her neck was a necklace of costly jewels. The dress she wore was of white silk, embroidered with enormous pearls, larger than beans. Over this dress she wore a costly mantle of coloured silk, shot with silver threads; and her long train was borne by a marchioness. In addition to all this, she wore, in place of a chain, a magnificent collar of gold and jewels. Her aspect upon the whole was at first sight pleasing; but on a steady view of her countenance, there was to be found the unendurable look of a line of kings. The eye that could gaze down a lion; the fierce glance of the royal Harry, was there; a glance which proclaimed the excitable nature of the Tudor blood.

She remained stationary for a few brief moments as soon as she entered the room, and seemed to comprehend the whole a.s.semblage in one rapid glance. She then advanced, with her bevy of attendant ladies, and, at her pleasure, spoke first to one and then another of the n.o.bles present.

To one or two giving her hand to kiss, as a mark of special favour, her favourites (albeit they had already been favoured with a private audience) being every now and then appealed to; whilst the moment her eye detected any person of peculiar note, or not immediately belonging to her circle, she fixed him like a basilisk.

"Ah! Master Spenser," she said, as she stopped near the author of the "Faery Queen," "hast thou received the guerdon I promised thee for thy song yet? We rated Burleigh soundly for disobeying our orders, and bringing forth that jangling rhyme of thine, which touched our honour.

Let me see how went it;" and the Queen repeated, with good emphasis and discretion, the words of the poet:

"I was promised on a time.

To have reason for my rhyme:

Since that time until this season, I have had nor rhyme nor reason."

"The radiant Gloriana," said Spenser, "doth overmuch honour my poor couplet by repeating it; nevertheless the rhyme still hath reason. Of that, our shepherd of the ocean[24] can testify."

[Footnote 24: Raleigh.]

"How! Raleigh," said the Queen, "hath not thy friend received the hundred pounds I promised him? This is overbold of Burleigh!" And the eye of the Queen shewed the lioness' glance as she looked around for the offender. Burleigh, however, had antic.i.p.ated a storm, and sought the lower end of the room; meanwhile Raleigh, who seldom let an opportunity pa.s.s for pressing any suit he had to carry, replied that Spenser had as yet received nothing of the promised coin.

"My friend is as unlucky as myself," he said; "for neither hath he received his guerdon, any more than I myself have obtained the grant of lands your gracious bounty half promised."

"Ah!" said the Queen, (who spite of her partiality for the wit, genius, and valour of the adventurous and daring knight, little relished his rapacity). "Ah!" she said, "what, that suit of the fields at Mitcham again? And when will you cease to be a beggar, Raleigh?"

Raleigh saw he had half offended, but his impudence and readiness brought him through. "When your Majesty ceases to be a benefactress," he said, gracefully bowing.

The angry spot left the Queen's brow. She smiled and shook her head.

"Thou art an accomplished courtier," she said, as she pa.s.sed on, "but thou gettest not the Mitcham meadows of us yet notwithstanding."

"What mutterest thou, Tarleton?" she continued sharply, to one of the attendant clowns or comedians, whom she frequently admitted to her presence.

"I mutter nothing that I will not stand to, Madona," said Tarleton; "and that which your Majesty calls muttering, was but an a.s.surance to my gossip, Raleigh, of all he requires, Raleigh hath but to open his mouth, and the tid bits from your royal table are sure to be cast into it."

"So!" said the Queen, rather angrily.

"Yes," returned the bold jester, "Look but on my lord there--he of the dark eye and olive complexion. By my fay, he hath swollen to such a huge bulk in the sunshine of your royal eye, that anon we shall all be overwhelmed!"

This sally of Tarleton's against the Earl of Leicester was received with a t.i.tter of applause, and Burleigh, who had indeed tutored the poor jester, greatly enjoyed it.

Elizabeth saw the feeling, and affecting to hear it with unconcern, turned to another of the court fools. "Well, Pace," she said, "and now I suppose we shall hear from you also of our faults."

"What is the use of speaking of that which all the town is talking of?"

growled Pace.

Although the Queen permitted considerable license to men of this cla.s.s, she was more deeply offended than she chose to shew, and pa.s.sed on without another word. A few moments afterwards, however, both Pace and Tarleton were observed, at a hint from one of the gentlemen-at-arms, to quit the presence.

"Ah, Bacon," said the Queen to her ample-browed Lord Keeper, "we are sorry to see thee still suffering from the old enemy, the gout. Remain not standing here, my lord; go sit thee down. We make use of your good head, not your bad legs!"

Lord Bacon, nothing loth, bowed and hobbled off.

"My Lord Bacon's soul lodgeth well," she observed to one of her ladies, "and truly do we honour him therefore. We are the enemy of all dwarfs and monsters in shape, and would have all appointments, either civil or military, bestowed on men of good appearance. What sayest thou?"

"Certies, I am woman enough to be of your Majesty's opinion," answered the lady; "and yet your Majesty cannot always suit wit and judgment with a splendid dwelling: witness your royal choice of Sir Robert Cecil."

"True," said the Queen, "Cecil hath both a mean look and an ugly expression; but we cannot want the crook back."

The Queen now turned, and taking Leicester aside, held him for some time in conversation, during which all kept aloof. She then, as it was near the hour of dining, again pa.s.sed down the line, still speaking to and noticing all she felt any inclination to propitiate, Leicester, Raleigh, and one or two of the more privileged courtiers following. As she pa.s.sed into the second chamber, she observed amongst the _elite_ several whose rank had not ent.i.tled them to be in the presence-chamber; and wherever her eye fell on a handsome face and form, she stopped and made inquiry concerning such persons.

"I pray you, Mignonne," she said, turning to one of her ladies, "who is yonder handsome youth--he who stands there near the door?"

"I know not his name, Madam," said the lady.

"Pshaw," said the Queen, "I have ever those about me who are ignorant.

Leicester," she continued, "what is the name of yonder youth?"

"He whom your Majesty's eye hath fascinated, even to the crimsoning of his cheeks," said Leicester, "is Charles Blount."

"Nay," said the Queen, "I could have sworn there was good blood in his veins. He is brother of Lord William Mountjoye, is he not so?"

"He is, Madam," said Leicester, "his younger brother, and now studying at the inns of court. He was in Drake's ship, and did good service against the Spaniard."

"Nay," said Elizabeth, "by my fay, an he was with Drake, he was like to be where blows were rife. Bid him approach."

The youth accordingly came forward and knelt to the Queen, who, still more struck by his handsome form and features, gave him her hand to kiss.

"Come again to Court, good Master Blount," she said, "and I will bethink me of your future fortunes."

The young man again blushed, and being extremely bashful, stammered some incoherent reply of thanks which, still more interested the Queen, and again she added words of encouragement.

The Earls of Ess.e.x and Leicester smiled contemptuously, and Ess.e.x, who stood near the Queen, made some sneering remark, which was partially overheard. Not even, however, could the favourite Ess.e.x escape censure at such a moment.

"Ha!" she said (turning sharply upon him), "say'st thou, my Lord? Stand back, lest we teach you manners here."

Ess.e.x bit his lip, but he was fain to obey, observing to my Lord Southampton "that every fool he thought was coming into favour."

"Then," said Southampton, who stood near, "'tis fit we introduce something not altogether so silly, and there is one here to-day I much wish her Majesty to notice. Ha! and look ye, she hath already found him."

"Of whom speak ye?" inquired Ess.e.x.

"Of one well beloved by thee," said Southampton. "See thou not the man there standing amidst the throng, somewhat behind the beefeaters?"

"I do," said Ess.e.x. "'Tis Will Shakespeare."

Meanwhile, whilst Ess.e.x, whose proud spirit being somewhat chafed, had thus remained behind the royal party, the Queen pa.s.sed on talking right and left as was her wont, and discussing matters of political interest with those near her. "We will think of this matter, my Lord of Effingham," she said, in answer to something that n.o.ble had said. "I am ready, as thou hast seen, to arm for defence, but I make no wars."

"Nevertheless, your majesty should strike a blow at Spain ere he recover the effects of his discomfiture. I hear again of formidable preparations being in contemplation to avenge the destruction of his ships. Nay, Philip hath affirmed, and that on oath, that he will be revenged even if he is reduced to p.a.w.n the last candlestick on his altar."

"Nay, my Lord," said the Queen, "if the dollars of silver and ingots of gold, and which the wretched Indians work for in their native mines, could effect the conquest of this realm, he would a.s.suredly succeed, hut I fear him not. We have stout hearts and heavy blades here in England to oppose to his glittering coin. Whilst you yourself, Raleigh, Frobisher, Drake, and other daring spirits are ready for the sea, we shall hold our own, my Lord."

"Nevertheless, your Majesty will, I trust, hear at a future opportunity what myself and my Lord of Ess.e.x have to urge in favour of an expedition against Spain."