ELIZABETH'S VISIT TO KENILWORTH

WALTER SCOTT

SIR WALTER SCOTT was born at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1771; he died at Abbotsford in 1832. During his youth he suffered from ill health and spent much time in the open air on his grandfather's farm. Here he became familiar with the ballads and traditions of the Scottish border, of which he afterward made use in his poems and novels. Scott has often 5 been called The Wizard of the North," so wonderful was the power and rapidity of his work. His first novel, Waverley, met with instant success and was followed quickly by Guy Mannering, Ivanhoe, Kenilworth, Quentin Durward, and many others, the series being known as the Waverley Novels, from the name of the first one. The following selection is from Kenilworth. 10

NOTE. The description given by the author is founded upon Robert Laneham's account of Elizabeth's entertainment at Kenilworth, written in 1575.

It was the twilight of a summer night (July 9th, 1575), the sun having for some time set, and all were in anxious 15 expectation of the queen's immediate approach. The multitude had remained assembled for many hours, and their numbers were still rather on the increase. A profuse distribution of refreshments, together with roasted oxen and barrels of ale set abroach in different places of the road, 20 had kept the populace in perfect love and loyalty towards the queen and her favorite, which might have somewhat abated had fasting been added to watching. They passed away the time, therefore, with the usual popular amusements of whooping, hallooing, shrieking, and playing 25

rude tricks upon each other, forming the chorus of discordant sounds usual on such occasions. These prevailed all through the crowded roads and fields, and especially beyond the gate of the chase, where the greater number 5 of the common sort were stationed, when all of a sudden a single rocket was seen to shoot into the atmosphere, and at the instant, far heard over flood and field, the great bell of the castle tolled.

Immediately there was a pause of dead silence, suc10 ceeded by a deep hum of expectation, the united voice of many thousands, none of whom spoke above their breath, or, to use a singular expression, the whisper of an immense multitude.

Presently there came a shout of applause, so tremen15 dously vociferous that the country echoed for miles round. The guards, thickly stationed upon the road by which the queen was to advance, caught up the acclamation, which ran like wildfire to the castle, and announced to all within that Queen Elizabeth had entered the royal chase of Ken20 ilworth. The whole music of the castle sounded at once, and a round of artillery, with a salvo of small arms, was discharged from the battlements; but the noise of drums and trumpets, and even of the cannon themselves, was but faintly heard amidst the roaring and reiterated wel25 comes of the multitude.

As the noise began to abate, a broad glare of light was seen to appear from the gate of the park, and, broadening

and brightening as it came nearer, advanced along the open and fair avenue that led towards the gallery tower. The word was passed along the line, "The Queen! The Queen! Silence, and stand fast!" Onward came the cavalcade, illuminated by two hundred thick waxen torches, 5 in the hands of as many horsemen, which cast a light like that of broad day all around the procession, but especially on the principal group, of which the queen herself, arrayed in the most splendid manner, and blazing with jewels, formed the central figure. She was mounted on a 10 milk-white horse, which she reined with peculiar grace and dignity; and in the whole of her stately and noble carriage you saw the daughter of a hundred kings.

The ladies of the court who rode beside her majesty had taken especial care that their own appearance should 15 not be more glorious than the occasion demanded, so that no inferior luminary might appear to approach the orbit of royalty. But their personal charms, and the magnificence by which they were distinguished, exhibited them as the very flower of a realm so far famed for splendor and 20 beauty.

Leicester, who glittered like a golden image with jewels and cloth of gold, rode on her majesty's right hand, as well in quality of her host as of her master of the horse. The black steed that he mounted had not a single white hair 25 on his body, and was one of the most renowned chargers in Europe, having been purchased by the earl at large

expense for this royal occasion. As the noble animal chafed at the slow pace of the procession, and, arching his stately neck, champed on the silver bits which restrained him, the foam flew from his mouth and specked 5 his well-formed limbs as if with spots of snow. The rider well became the high place which he held and the proud steed which he bestrode, for no man in England, or perhaps in Europe, was more perfect than Dudley in horsemanship and all other exercises belonging to his quality. 10 He was bareheaded, as were all the courtiers in the train, and the red torchlight shone upon his long curled tresses of dark hair, and on his noble features.

The train, male and female, who attended immediately upon the queen's person were of course of the bravest 15 and the fairest, the highest-born nobles and the wisest counselors of that distinguished reign. Thus marshaled, the cavalcade approached the gallery tower which formed the extreme barrier of the castle.

Elizabeth received most graciously the homage of the 20 Herculean porter, and, bending her head to him in requital, passed through his guarded tower, from the top of which was poured a clamorous blast of warlike music, which was replied to by other bands of minstrelsy placed at different points on the castle walls, and by others again 25 stationed in the chase, while the tones of the one, as

they yet vibrated on the echoes, were caught up and answered by new harmony from different quarters.