"Nay, I understand nought about it," said Blount; "but here are your

honourable lordship's brave kinsmen and friends coming in by scores to

wait upon you to court, where, methinks, we shall bear as brave a front

as Leicester, let him ruffle it as he will."

"Give them the strictest charges," said Sussex, "that they suffer no

provocation short of actual violence to provoke them into quarrel. They

have hot bloods, and I would not give Leicester the advantage over me by

any imprudence of theirs."

The Earl of Sussex ran so hastily through these directions, that it was

with difficulty Tressilian at length found opportunity to express his

surprise that he should have proceeded so far in the affair of Sir Hugh

Robsart as to lay his petition at once before the Queen. "It was the

opinion of the young lady's friends," he said, "that Leicester's

sense of justice should be first appealed to, as the offence had been

committed by his officer, and so he had expressly told to Sussex."

"This could have been done without applying to me," said Sussex,

somewhat haughtily. "I at least, ought not to have been a counsellor

when the object was a humiliating reference to Leicester; and I am

suprised that you, Tressilian, a man of honour, and my friend, would

assume such a mean course. If you said so, I certainly understood you

not in a matter which sounded so unlike yourself."

"My lord," said Tressilian, "the course I would prefer, for my own sake,

is that you have adopted; but the friends of this most unhappy lady--"

"Oh, the friends--the friends," said Sussex, interrupting him; "they

must let us manage this cause in the way which seems best. This is the

time and the hour to accumulate every charge against Leicester and his

household, and yours the Queen will hold a heavy one. But at all events

she hath the complaint before her."

Tressilian could not help suspecting that, in his eagerness to

strengthen himself against his rival, Sussex had purposely adopted the

course most likely to throw odium on Leicester, without considering

minutely whether it were the mode of proceeding most likely to be

attended with success. But the step was irrevocable, and Sussex escaped

from further discussing it by dismissing his company, with the command,

"Let all be in order at eleven o'clock; I must be at court and in the

presence by high noon precisely."

While the rival statesmen were thus anxiously preparing for their

approaching meeting in the Queen's presence, even Elizabeth herself was

not without apprehension of what might chance from the collision of

two such fiery spirits, each backed by a strong and numerous body of

followers, and dividing betwixt them, either openly or in secret, the

hopes and wishes of most of her court. The band of Gentlemen Pensioners

were all under arms, and a reinforcement of the yeomen of the guard

was brought down the Thames from London. A royal proclamation was sent

forth, strictly prohibiting nobles of whatever degree to approach the

Palace with retainers or followers armed with shot or with long weapons;

and it was even whispered that the High Sheriff of Kent had secret

instructions to have a part of the array of the county ready on the

shortest notice.




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