"By my faith, sir," he said, "it touches my reputation that men should

be merry in my house; and we have ill tongues amongst us at Cumnor (as

where be there not?), who put an evil mark on men who pull their hat

over their brows, as if they were looking back to the days that are

gone, instead of enjoying the blithe sunshiny weather which God has sent

us in the sweet looks of our sovereign mistress, Queen Elizabeth, whom

Heaven long bless and preserve!"

"Why, mine host," answered the stranger, "there is no treason, sure, in

a man's enjoying his own thoughts, under the shadow of his own bonnet?

You have lived in the world twice as long as I have, and you must know

there are thoughts that will haunt us in spite of ourselves, and to

which it is in vain to say, Begone, and let me be merry."

"By my sooth," answered Giles Gosling, "if such troublesome thoughts

haunt your mind, and will not get them gone for plain English, we will

have one of Father Bacon's pupils from Oxford, to conjure them away with

logic and with Hebrew--or, what say you to laying them in a glorious red

sea of claret, my noble guest? Come, sir, excuse my freedom. I am an old

host, and must have my talk. This peevish humour of melancholy sits ill

upon you; it suits not with a sleek boot, a hat of trim block, a fresh

cloak, and a full purse. A pize on it! send it off to those who have

their legs swathed with a hay-wisp, their heads thatched with a felt

bonnet, their jerkin as thin as a cobweb, and their pouch without ever

a cross to keep the fiend Melancholy from dancing in it. Cheer up,

sir! or, by this good liquor, we shall banish thee from the joys

of blithesome company, into the mists of melancholy and the land of

little-ease. Here be a set of good fellows willing to be merry; do not

scowl on them like the devil looking over Lincoln."

"You say well, my worthy host," said the guest, with a melancholy smile,

which, melancholy as it was, gave a very pleasant: expression to his

countenance--"you say well, my jovial friend; and they that are moody

like myself should not disturb the mirth of those who are happy. I will

drink a round with your guests with all my heart, rather than be termed

a mar-feast."

So saying, he arose and joined the company, who, encouraged by the

precept and example of Michael Lambourne, and consisting chiefly of

persons much disposed to profit by the opportunity of a merry meal at

the expense of their landlord, had already made some inroads upon the

limits of temperance, as was evident from the tone in which Michael

inquired after his old acquaintances in the town, and the bursts of

laughter with which each answer was received. Giles Gosling himself

was somewhat scandalized at the obstreperous nature of their mirth,

especially as he involuntarily felt some respect for his unknown guest.

He paused, therefore, at some distance from the table occupied by these

noisy revellers, and began to make a sort of apology for their license.




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