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.