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The dame of honour uttered an exclamation of joy and surprise at so happy a termination; and certainly a worse has been applauded, even when coming from a less distinguished author.

The Queen, thus encouraged, took off a diamond ring, and saying, "We will give this gallant some cause of marvel, when he finds his couplet perfected without his own interference," she wrote her own line beneath that of Raleigh.

The Queen left the pavilion-but retiring slowly, and often looking back, she could see the young cavalier steal, with the flight of a lapwing, towards the place where he had seen her make a pause. "She stayed but to observe," as she said, "that her train had taken;" and then, laughing at the circumstance with the Lady Paget, she took the way slowly towards the palace. Elizabeth, as they returned, cautioned her companion not to mention to any one the aid which she had given to the young poet, and Lady Paget promised scrupulous secrecy. It is to be supposed that she made a mental reservation in favour of Leicester, to whom her ladyship transmitted without delay an anecdote so little calculated to give him pleasure.

Raleigh, in the meanwhile, stole back to the window, and read, with a feeling of intoxication, the encouragement thus given him by the Queen in person to follow out his ambitious career, and returned to Sussex and his retinue, then on the point of embarking to go up the river, his heart beating high with gratified pride, and with hope of future distinction.

1 Tressilian, the friend of Amy Robsart, was in trouble because he did not know what had become of her. 2 Cupid, the god of love, son of Mars and Venus. vestal, a virgin, evidently the Queen. In maiden meditation, etc.: Queen Elizabeth never

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married. This passage, taken from the "Midsummer Night's Dream," evidently refers to the fact that, though surrounded by admirers and flatterers, the Queen kept herself free from them 5 Sheerness, a seaport and naval arsenal on the north-west of the Isle of Sheppey, in the mouth of the Thames. spontaneous, springing from its own will; voluntary; willing. * alchemist, one skilled in alchemy, an ancient science which aimed at changing the baser metals into gold. Elizabeth admired genius, and invited clever men to her court; but she loved beauty, and preferred to bestow more favour on the false but handsome Leicester than upon the worthy but less handsome soldier and servant, the Earl of Sussex. prosaic, pertaining to, or resembling prose; hence dull, incapable of composing poetry. 'Parnassus, the ancient name of a mountain in Greece, the abode of the Muses.

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NOTE. For the following, see Appendix :-Leicester, Raleigh, Burleigh, Shakespeare, lapwing.

ADDRESS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH TO HER ARMY AT TILBURY FORT.

en-thu-si-as'-tic lieu-ten'-ant de-ci'-sion

1PHILIP OF SPAIN long meditated an invasion of England, and in 1588, having completed his preparations, assembled his fleet in the Tagus. So sure was he of success, that he called his fleet the Invincible Armada. His land forces, to the number of fifty thousand men, under the Duke of Parma, were marched to the Netherlands, where a sufficient number of transports was prepared to convey them to England. And, indeed, this whole armament, by land and sea, was so very powerful, that it seemed more than sufficient to overwhelm our little island. Elizabeth, sure of the affection of her people, made every necessary preparation for defence; but the English fleet was so small in comparison with that of the Spaniards, that her chief reliance was on the superior

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The fleet

skill and bravery of her seamen and officers. was commanded by Lord Howard, of Effingham: Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher served under him. The land forces, which were very inferior to Philip's both in numbers and experience, were divided into several bodies. One, commanded by Lord Hunsdon, was appointed to guard the Queen's person. Another, under Lord Leicester, was stationed at Tilbury Fort,

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in Essex. The rest were placed wherever it seemed most likely that the Spaniards would attempt a landing. But the chief support of the kingdom was the Queen herself, who, showing no alarm at the dangers that threatened her, gave her orders with decision, and omitted nothing that could infuse courage into her people, and increase the general security. She appeared on horseback at the camp at 3Tilbury, and riding through the ranks, made so

animating a speech to the soldiers, that a spirit of enthusiastic loyalty was roused in every one of them. The speech well deserves to be remembered; it is as follows:

"MY LOVING PEOPLE,-We have been persuaded of some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you, I do not live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my 'chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and goodwill of my subjects. And therefore I am come amongst you, as you see at this time, not for any recreation and disport, but being resolved in the midst and heat of the battle to live or die among you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honour and my blood even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king-ay, and of a king of England too—and think foul scorn that Parma, or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders realm; to which, rather than dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms; I myself will be your general, judge, and recorder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already for your 'forwardness you have deserved crowns; and we do assure you, on the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the meantime, my lieutenant-general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and by your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over these enemies of my God, my kingdom, and my people."

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