The Queen conferred on poor Blount the honour of knighthood with a

marked sense of reluctance. That wise Princess was fully aware of the

propriety of using great circumspection and economy in bestowing those

titles of honour, which the Stewarts, who succeeded to her throne,

distributed with an imprudent liberality which greatly diminished their

value. Blount had no sooner arisen and retired than she turned to the

Duchess of Rutland. "Our woman wit," she said, "dear Rutland, is sharper

than that of those proud things in doublet and hose. Seest thou, out of

these three knights, thine is the only true metal to stamp chivalry's

imprint upon?"

"Sir Richard Varney, surely--the friend of my Lord of Leicester--surely

he has merit," replied the Duchess.

"Varney has a sly countenance and a smooth tongue," replied the Queen;

"I fear me he will prove a knave. But the promise was of ancient

standing. My Lord of Sussex must have lost his own wits, I think, to

recommend to us first a madman like Tressilian, and then a clownish fool

like this other fellow. I protest, Rutland, that while he sat on his

knees before me, mopping and mowing as if he had scalding porridge in

his mouth, I had much ado to forbear cutting him over the pate, instead

of striking his shoulder."

"Your Majesty gave him a smart ACCOLADE," said the Duchess; "we who

stood behind heard the blade clatter on his collar-bone, and the poor

man fidgeted too as if he felt it."

"I could not help it, wench," said the Queen, laughing. "But we will

have this same Sir Nicholas sent to Ireland or Scotland, or somewhere,

to rid our court of so antic a chevalier; he may be a good soldier in

the field, though a preposterous ass in a banqueting-hall."

The discourse became then more general, and soon after there was a

summons to the banquet.

In order to obey this signal, the company were under the necessity of

crossing the inner court of the Castle, that they might reach the new

buildings containing the large banqueting-room, in which preparations

for supper were made upon a scale of profuse magnificence, corresponding

to the occasion.

The livery cupboards were loaded with plate of the richest description,

and the most varied--some articles tasteful, some perhaps grotesque, in

the invention and decoration, but all gorgeously magnificent, both from

the richness of the work and value of the materials. Thus the chief

table was adorned by a salt, ship-fashion, made of mother-of-pearl,

garnished with silver and divers warlike ensigns and other ornaments,

anchors, sails, and sixteen pieces of ordnance. It bore a figure of

Fortune, placed on a globe, with a flag in her hand. Another salt was

fashioned of silver, in form of a swan in full sail. That chivalry might

not be omitted amid this splendour, a silver Saint George was presented,

mounted and equipped in the usual fashion in which he bestrides the

dragon. The figures were moulded to be in some sort useful. The horse's

tail was managed to hold a case of knives, while the breast of the

dragon presented a similar accommodation for oyster knives.




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