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And you, sir, must get to Fairport, to give directions for the quartering and maintaining the men and horses, 110 and preventing confusion.'

'You are right, Hector I believe I shall do as much with my head as my hand, too. But here comes Sir Arthur Wardour, who, 115 between ourselves, is not fit to accomplish much either one way or other.'

Sir Arthur was probably of a different opinion; for, dressed in his 120 lieutenancy uniform, he was also on the road to Fairport, and called in his way to take Mr. Oldbuck with him, having had his original opinion of his sagacity much confirmed by 125 late events. And in spite of all the entreaties of the womankind that the Antiquary would stay to garrison Monkbarns, Mr. Oldbuck, with his nephew, instantly accepted Sir Arthur's 130 offer.

Those who have witnessed such a scene can alone conceive the state of bustle in Fairport. The windows were glancing with a hundred lights, 135 which, appearing and disappearing rapidly, indicated the confusion within doors. The women of lower rank assembled and clamoured in the the market-place. The yeomanry, pouring 140 from their different glens, galloped through the streets, some individually, some in parties of five or six, as they had met on the road. The drums and fifes of the volunteers beating 145 to arms were blended with the voice of the officers, the sound of the bugles, and the tolling of the bells from the steeple. The ships in the harbour were lit up, and boats from 150 the armed vessels added to the bustle, by landing men and guns destined to assist in the defence of the place. This part of the preparations was superintended by Taffril with much 155 activity. Two or three light vessels

had already slipped their cables and stood out to sea, in order to discover the supposed enemy.

Such was the scene of general confusion, when Sir Arthur Wardour, 160 Oldbuck, and Hector made their way with difficulty into the principal square, where the town-house is situated. It was lighted up, and the magistracy, with many of the neighbouring gentle- 165 men, were assembled. And here, as upon other occasions of the like kind in Scotland, it was remarkable how the good sense and firmness of the people supplied almost all the defi- 170 ciencies of inexperience.

The magistrates were beset by the quartermasters of the different corps for billets for men and horses. 'Let us,' said Bailie Littlejohn, 'take the 175 horses into our warehouses, and the men into our parlours share our supper with the one, and our forage with the other. We have made ourselves wealthy under a free and 180 paternal government, and now is the time to show we know its value.'

A loud and cheerful acquiescence was given by all present, and the substance of the wealthy, with the 185 persons of those of all ranks, were unanimously devoted to the defence of the country.

Captain M'Intyre acted on this occasion as military adviser and aide- 190 de-camp to the principal magistrate, and displayed a degree of presence of mind and knowledge of his profession totally unexpected by his uncle, who, recollecting his usual in- 195 souciance and impetuosity, gazed at him with astonishment from time to time, as he remarked the calm and steady manner in which he explained the various measures of precaution 200 that his experience suggested, and gave directions for executing them. He found the different corps in good order, considering the irregular ma

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At length the bugles of the Glenallan yeomanry were heard, and the earl himself, to the surprise of all who knew his habits and state of health, appeared at their head in 235 uniform. They formed a very handsome and well-mounted squadron, formed entirely out of the earl's Lowland tenants, and were followed by a regiment of five hundred men, 240 completely equipped in the Highland dress, whom he had brought down from the upland glens, with their pipes playing in the van. The clean and serviceable appearance of this 245 band of feudal dependents called forth the admiration of Captain M'Intyre; but his uncle was still more struck by the manner in which, upon this crisis, the ancient military 250 spirit of his house seemed to animate and invigorate the decayed frame of the earl, their leader. He claimed, and obtained for himself and his

followers, the post most likely to be that of danger, displayed great ala- 255 crity in making the necessary dispositions, and showed equal acuteness in discussing their propriety. Morning broke in upon the military councils of Fairport, while all concerned were 260 still eagerly engaged in taking precautions for their defence.

At length a cry among the people announced, "There's the brave Major Neville come at last, with another 265 officer;' and their post-chaise and four drove into the square, amidst the huzzas of the volunteers and inhabitants. The magistrates, with their assessors of the lieutenancy, hastened 270 to the door of their town-house to receive him; but what was the surprise of all present, but most especially that of the Antiquary, when they became aware that the handsome 275 uniform and military cap disclosed the person and features of the pacific Lovel! A warm embrace and a hearty shake of the hand were necessary to assure him that his eyes were 280 doing him justice. Sir Arthur was no less surprised to recognise his son, Captain Wardour, in Lovel's, or rather Major Neville's company. The first words of the young officers were 285 a positive assurance to all present that the courage and zeal which they had displayed were entirely thrown away, unless in so far as they afforded an acceptable proof of their 290 spirit and promptitude.

"The watchman at Halket-head,' said Major Neville, 'as we discovered by an investigation which we made in our route hither, was most natur- 295 ally misled by a bonfire which some idle people had made on the hill above Glen-Withershins, just in the line of the beacon with which his corresponded.'

Oldbuck gave a conscious look to Sir Arthur, who returned it with one

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AMY ROBSART BEFORE QUEEN ELIZABETH.
[From Kenilworth, Ch. XXXIV (1821)]

It chanced upon that memorable morning, that one of the earliest of the huntress train, who appeared from her chamber in full array for 5 the chase, was the princess for whom all these pleasures were instituted, England's Maiden Queen. I know not if it were by chance, or out of the befitting courtesy due to a mis10 tress by whom he was so much honoured, that she had scarcely made one step beyond the threshold of her chamber ere Leicester was by her side, and proposed to her, until the 15 preparations for the chase had been completed, to view the Pleasance, and the gardens which it connected with the Castle-yard.

To this new scene of pleasures 20 they walked, the Earl's arm affording his sovereign the occasional support which she required, where flights of steps, then a favourite ornament in a garden, conducted them from 25 terrace to terrace, and from parterre to parterre. The ladies in attendance, gifted with prudence, or endowed perhaps with the amiable desire of acting as they would be done by, 30 did not conceive their duty to the Queen's person required them, though they lost not sight of her, to approach so near as to share, or perhaps disturb, the conversation betwixt 35 the Queen and the Earl, who was not only her host, but also her most

trusted, esteemed, and favoured servant. They contented themselves with admiring the grace of this illustrious couple, whose robes of state were 40 now exchanged for hunting suits, almost equally magnificent. ...

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The conversation of Elizabeth and the favourite Earl has not reached us in detail. But those who watched 45 at some distance (and the eyes of courtiers and court ladies are right sharp) were of opinion, that on no occasion did the dignity of Elizabeth, in gesture and motion, seem so de- 50 cidedly to soften away into a mien expressive of indecision and tenderness. Her step was not only slow, but even unequal, a thing most unwonted in her carriage; her looks seemed bent on the ground, and there was a timid disposition to withdraw from her companion, which external gesture in females often indicates exactly the opposite tendency 60 in the secret mind. The Duchess of Rutland, who ventured nearest, was even heard to aver, that she discerned a tear in Elizabeth's eye, and a blush on her cheek; and still 65 farther, 'She bent her looks on the ground to avoid mine,' said the Duchess; 'she who, in her ordinary mood, could look down a lion.' To what conclusion these symptoms led 70 is sufficiently evident; nor were they probably entirely groundless. The

progress of a private conversation, betwixt two persons of different sexes, 75 is often decisive of their fate, and gives it a turn very different perhaps from what they themselves anticipated. Gallantry becomes mingled with conversation, and affection and 80 passion come gradually to mix with gallantry. Nobles, as well as shepherd swains, will, in such a trying moment, say more than they intended; and queens, like village maidens, will 85 listen longer than they should.

Horses in the meanwhile neighed, and champed the bits with impatience in the base-court; hounds yelled in their couples; and yeomen, rangers, 90 and prickers lamented the exhaling of the dew, which would prevent the scent from lying. But Leicester had another chase in view, or, to speak more justly towards him, had become 95 engaged in it without premeditation, as the high-spirited hunter which follows the cry of the hounds that have crossed his path by accident. The Queen an accomplished and 100 handsome woman the pride of England, the hope of France and Holland, and the dread of Spain, had probably listened with more than usual favour to that mixture of ro105 mantic gallantry with which she always loved to be addressed; and the Earl had, in vanity, in ambition, or in both, thrown in more and more of that delicious ingredient, 110 until his importunity became the language of love itself.

'No, Dudley,' said Elizabeth, yet it was with broken accents 'No, I must be the mother of my people. 115 Other ties, that make the lowly maiden happy, are denied to her sovereign- No, Leicester, urge it no more Were I, as others, free to seek my own happiness then, 120 indeed but it cannot Delay the chase

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fended you?'

'No, Leicester, not so!' answered the Queen hastily; 'but it is madness, and must not be repeated. Go but go not far from hence and 130 meantime let no one intrude on my privacy.'

While she spoke thus, Dudley bowed deeply, and retired with a slow and melancholy air. The Queen 135 stood gazing after him, and murmured to herself 'Were it possible

were it but possible! but no no Elizabeth must be the wife and mother of England alone.'

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As she spoke thus, and in order to avoid some one whose step she heard approaching, the Queen turned into the grotto in which her hapless, and yet but too successful, rival lay 145 concealed.

The mind of England's Elizabeth, if somewhat shaken by the agitating interview to which she had just put a period, was of that firm and de- 150 cided character which soon recovers its natural tone. It was like one of those ancient druidical monuments, called rocking-stones. The finger of Cupid, boy as he is painted, could 155 put her feelings in motion, but the power of Hercules could not have destroyed their equilibrium. As she advanced with a slow pace towards the inmost extremity of the grotto, 160 her countenance, ere she had proceeded half the length, had recovered its dignity of look, and her mien its air of command.

It was then the Queen became 165 aware that a female figure was placed beside, or rather partly behind, an alabaster column, at the foot of which arose the pellucid fountain, which delay it occupied the inmost recess of the 170

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twilight grotto. The classical mind of Elizabeth suggested the story of Numa and Egeria, and she doubted not that some Italian sculptor had 175 here represented the Naiad, whose inspirations gave laws to Rome. As she advanced, she became doubtful whether she beheld a statue, or a form of flesh and blood. The un180 fortunate Amy, indeed, remained motionless, betwixt the desire which she had to make her condition known to one of her own sex, and her awe for the stately form which approached 185 her, and which, though her eyes had never before beheld, her fears instantly suspected to be the personage she really was. Amy had arisen from her seat with the purpose of 190 addressing the lady, who entered the grotto alone, and, as she at first thought, so opportunely. But when she recollected the alarm which Leicester had expressed at the Queen's 195 knowing aught of their union, and became more and more satisfied that the person whom she now beheld was Elizabeth herself, she stood with one foot advanced and one with200 drawn, her arms, head, and hands perfectly motionless, and her cheek as pallid as the alabaster pedestal against which she leaned. Her dress was of pale sea-green silk, little dis205 tinguished in that imperfect light, and somewhat resembled the drapery of a Grecian nymph, such an antique disguise having been thought the most secure, where so many masquers 210 and revellers were assembled; so that the Queen's doubt of her being a living form was well justified by all contingent circumstances, as well as by the bloodless cheek and the fixed

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that by the doubtful light it could 220 not be distinguished from reality. She stopped, therefore, and fixed upon this interesting object her princely look with so much keenness, that the astonishment which had kept 225 Amy immoveable gave way to awe, and she gradually cast down her eyes and drooped her head under the commanding gaze of the sovereign. Still, however, she remained in all 230 respects, saving this slow and profound inclination of the head, motionless and silent.

From her dress, and the casket which she instinctively held in her 235 hand, Elizabeth naturally conjectured that the beautiful but mute figure which she beheld was a performer in one of the various theatrical pageants which had been placed in 240 different situations to surprise her with their homage, and that the poor player, overcome with awe at her presence, had either forgot the part assigned her, or lacked courage to 245 go through it. It was natural and courteous to give her some encouragement; and Elizabeth accordingly said, in a tone of condescending kindness,

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