"Madam," said the Earl of Leicester, "you who are yourself the fountain

of honour know best what is due to mine. I place it at your disposal,

and only say that the terms on which I have stood with my Lord of Sussex

have not been of my seeking; nor had he cause to think me his enemy,

until he had done me gross wrong."

"For me, madam," said the Earl of Sussex, "I cannot appeal from your

sovereign pleasure; but I were well content my Lord of Leicester should

say in what I have, as he terms it, wronged him, since my tongue never

spoke the word that I would not willingly justify either on foot or

horseback.

"And for me," said Leicester, "always under my gracious Sovereign's

pleasure, my hand shall be as ready to make good my words as that of any

man who ever wrote himself Ratcliffe."

"My lords," said the Queen, "these are no terms for this presence; and

if you cannot keep your temper, we will find means to keep both that and

you close enough. Let me see you join hands, my lords, and forget your

idle animosities."

The two rivals looked at each other with reluctant eyes, each unwilling

to make the first advance to execute the Queen's will.

"Sussex," said Elizabeth, "I entreat--Leicester, I command you."

Yet, so were her words accented, that the entreaty sounded like command,

and the command like entreaty. They remained still and stubborn, until

she raised her voice to a height which argued at once impatience and

absolute command.

"Sir Henry Lee," she said, to an officer in attendance, "have a guard

in present readiness, and man a barge instantly.--My Lords of Sussex and

Leicester, I bid you once more to join hands; and, God's death! he that

refuses shall taste of our Tower fare ere he sees our face again. I will

lower your proud hearts ere we part, and that I promise, on the word of

a Queen!"

"The prison?" said Leicester, "might be borne, but to lose your Grace's

presence were to lose light and life at once.--Here, Sussex, is my

hand."

"And here," said Sussex, "is mine in truth and honesty; but--"

"Nay, under favour, you shall add no more," said the Queen. "Why, this

is as it should be," she added, looking on them more favourably; "and

when you the shepherds of the people, unite to protect them, it shall

be well with the flock we rule over. For, my lords, I tell you plainly,

your follies and your brawls lead to strange disorders among your

servants.--My Lord of Leicester, you have a gentleman in your household

called Varney?"




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