RALEIGH'S FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE QUEEN

The royal barge, manned with Queen Elizabeth's watermen, richly attired in the regal liveries, and having the banner of England displayed, lay at the great stairs which ascended from the river Thames, and along with it two or three other boats for transporting such part of her retinue as were not in immediate attendance on the royal person. The yeomen of the guard, the tallest and most handsome men whom England could produce, guarded with their halberds the passage from the palace-gate to the riverside, and all seemed in readiness for the Queen's coming forth, although the day was yet early.

Walter Raleigh caused his boat to be pulled toward a landing place at some distance from the principal one, which it would not at that moment have been thought respectful to approach, and jumped on shore, followed by his cautious and timid companions. As they approached the gate of the palace, one of the sergeant porters told them they could not at present enter, as her majesty was in the act of coming forth.

"Nay, I told you as much before," said Blount; "do, I pray you, my dear Walter, let us take boat and return.”

"Not till I see the Queen come forth," returned the youth composedly.

"Thou art mad, stark mad, by the mass," answered Blount. "And thou," said Walter, "art turned coward of the sudden. I have seen thee face half a score of shag-headed Irish kerns to thy own share of them, and now thou wouldst blink and go back to shun the frown of a fair young lady."

At this moment the gates opened, and ushers began to issue

forth in array, headed and flanked by the band of Gentlemen Pensioners. And after this, amid a crowd of lords and ladies, yet so disposed around her that she could see and be seen on all sides, came Elizabeth herself, then in the prime of womanhood, and in the full glow of what in a sovereign was called beauty, and who would in the lowest rank of life have been judged a noble figure joined to a striking and commanding physiognomy. She leant on the arm of Lord Hunsdon, whose relation to her by her mother's side often procured for him such marks of Elizabeth's intimacy.

Walter had probably never yet approached so near the person of his sovereign, and he pressed forward as far as the line of warders permitted, in order to avail himself of the present opportunity. His companion, on the contrary, cursing his imprudence, kept pulling him backward, till Walter shook him off impatiently, and let his rich cloak drop carelessly from one shoulder; a natural action, which served, however, to display to the best advantage his well-proportioned person.

Unbonneting at the same time, he fixed his eager gaze on the Queen's approach, with a mixture of respectful curiosity and modest yet ardent admiration, which suited so well with his fine features, that the warders, struck with his rich attire and noble countenance, suffered him to approach the ground over which the Queen was to pass, somewhat closer than was permitted to ordinary spectators.

Thus the adventurous youth stood full in Elizabeth's eye, an eye never indifferent to the admiration which she deservedly excited among her subjects, or to the fair proportions of external form which chanced to distinguish any of her courtiers. Accordingly she fixed her glance on the youth, as he approached

the place where she stood, with a look in which surprise at his boldness seemed to be mingled with resentment, while a trifling accident happened which attracted her attention toward him yet more strongly.

The night had been rainy, and just where the young gentleman stood, a small quantity of mud interrupted the Queen's passage. As she hesitated to pass on, the gallant, throwing his cloak from his shoulders, laid it on the miry spot so as to insure her stepping over it dry shod. Elizabeth looked at the young man, who accompanied this act of devoted courtesy with profound reverence and a blush that overspread his whole countenance. The Queen was confused, and blushed in return, nodded her head, hastily passed on, and embarked in her barge without saying a word.

"Come along, Sir Coxcomb," said Blount; "your gay cloak will need the brush to-day, I wot."

"This cloak," said the youth, taking it up and folding it, “shall never be brushed while in my possession."

"And that will not be long, if you learn not a little more economy."

Their discourse was here interrupted by one of the band of Pensioners. "I was sent," said he, after looking at them attentively, "to a gentleman who hath no cloak, or a muddy one. You, sir, I think," addressing the younger cavalier, “are the man; you will please to follow me."

"He is in attendance on me," said Blount noble Earl of Sussex's master of horse."

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on me, the

"I have nothing to say to that," answered the messenger;

'my orders are directly from her Majesty, and concern this gentleman only."

So saying, he walked away followed by Walter, leaving the others behind, Blount's eyes almost starting from his head with the excess of his astonishment. At length he gave vent to it in an exclamtion: "Who in wonder would have thought this?" And shaking his head with a mysterious air, he walked to his own boat, embarked and returned to Deptford.

The young cavalier was in the meanwhile guided to the water side by the Pensioner, who showed him considerable respect, a circumstance which, to persons in his situation, might be considered as an augury of no small consequence. He ushered him into one of the wherries which lay ready to attend the Queen's barge, which was already proceeding up the river.

The two rowers used their oars with such expedition at the signal of the Gentleman Pensioner that they soon brought their little skiff under the stern of the Queen's boat, where she sat beneath an awning, attended by two or three ladies and nobles of her household. She looked more than once at the wherry in which the young adventurer was seated, spoke to those around her, and seemed to laugh.

At length one of the attendants, by the Queen's order apparently, made a sign to the wherry to come alongside, and the young man was desired to step from his own skiff into the Queen's barge, which he performed with graceful agility at the fore part of the boat, and was brought aft to the Queen's presThe youth underwent the gaze of Majesty, not the less gracefully that his self-possession was mingled with embarrassment. The muddied cloak still hung on his arm and formed the natural topic with which the Queen introduced the conversation.

ence.

"You have this day spoiled a gay mantle in our service, young

man. We thank you for your service, though the manner of offering it was unusual, and something bold."

"In a sovereign's need," answered the youth, “it is each liegeman's duty to be bold."

"By my word, that was well said, my lord," said the Queen, turning to a grave person who sat by her, and answered with a grave inclination of the head and something of a mumbled assent. "Well, young man, your gallantry shall not go unrewarded. Go to the wardrobe keeper, and he will have orders to supply the suit which you have cast away in our service. Thou shalt have a suit, and that of the newest cut, I promise thee, on the word of a princess."

"May it please your Grace," said Walter hesitating, "it is not for so humble a servant of your Majesty to measure out your bounties; but if it became me to choose

"

"Thou wouldst have gold, I warrant me," said the Queen, interrupting him; “fie, young man. I take shame to say, that in our capital, such and so various are the means of thriftless folly, that to give gold to youth is giving fuel to fire, furnishing them with the means of self-destruction. If I live and reign those means of unchristian excess shall be abridged. Yet thou mayst be poor," she added, "or thy parents may be. It shall be gold if thou wilt, but thou shalt answer to me for the use on't."

Walter waited patiently until the Queen had done, and then modestly assured her that gold was still less in his wish than the raiment her Majesty had before offered.

"How, boy," said the Queen, "neither gold nor garment? What is it thou wouldst have of me, then?"

"Only permission, Madam - if it is not asking too high an