Kenilworth

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER XXXII.

  The wisest Sovereigns err like private men, And royal hand has sometimes laid the sword Of chivalry upon a worthless shoulder, Which better had been branded by the hangman. What then?--Kings do their best; and they and we Must answer for the intent, and not the event.--OLD PLAY.

  "It is a melancholy matter," said the Queen, when Tressilian waswithdrawn, "to see a wise and learned man's wit thus pitifullyunsettled. Yet this public display of his imperfection of brain plainlyshows us that his supposed injury and accusation were fruitless; andtherefore, my Lord of Leicester, we remember your suit formerly madeto us in behalf of your faithful servant Varney, whose good gifts andfidelity, as they are useful to you, ought to have due reward from us,knowing well that your lordship, and all you have, are so earnestlydevoted to our service. And we render Varney the honour more especiallythat we are a guest, and, we fear, a chargeable and troublesome one,under your lordship's roof; and also for the satisfaction of the goodold Knight of Devon, Sir Hugh Robsart, whose daughter he hath married,and we trust the especial mark of grace which we are about to confer mayreconcile him to his son-in-law.--Your sword, my Lord of Leicester."

  The Earl unbuckled his sword, and taking it by the point, presented onbended knee the hilt to Elizabeth.

  She took it slowly drew it from the scabbard, and while the ladies whostood around turned away their eyes with real or affected shuddering,she noted with a curious eye the high polish and rich, damaskedornaments upon the glittering blade.

  "Had I been a man," she said, "methinks none of my ancestors would haveloved a good sword better. As it is with me, I like to look on one, andcould, like the Fairy of whom I have read in some Italian rhymes--weremy godson Harrington here, he could tell me the passage--even trimmy hair, and arrange my head-gear, in such a steel mirror as thisis.--Richard Varney, come forth, and kneel down. In the name of God andSaint George, we dub thee knight! Be Faithful, Brave, and Fortunate.Arise, Sir Richard Varney."

  [The incident alluded to occurs in the poem of Orlando Innamorato of Boiardo, libro ii. canto 4, stanza 25.

  "Non era per ventura," etc.

  It may be rendered thus:--

  As then, perchance, unguarded was the tower, So enter'd free Anglante's dauntless knight. No monster and no giant guard the bower In whose recess reclined the fairy light, Robed in a loose cymar of lily white, And on her lap a sword of breadth and might, In whose broad blade, as in a mirror bright, Like maid that trims her for a festal night, The fairy deck'd her hair, and placed her coronet aright.

  Elizabeth's attachment to the Italian school of poetry was singularlymanifested on a well-known occasion. Her godson, Sir John Harrington,having offended her delicacy by translating some of the licentiouspassages of the Orlando Furioso, she imposed on him, as a penance, thetask of rendering the WHOLE poem into English.]

  Varney arose and retired, making a deep obeisance to the Sovereign whohad done him so much honour.

  "The buckling of the spur, and what other rites remain," said the Queen,"may be finished to-morrow in the chapel; for we intend Sir RichardVarney a companion in his honours. And as we must not be partial inconferring such distinction, we mean on this matter to confer with ourcousin of Sussex."

  That noble Earl, who since his arrival at Kenilworth, and indeed sincethe commencement of this Progress, had found himself in a subordinatesituation to Leicester, was now wearing a heavy cloud on his brow; acircumstance which had not escaped the Queen, who hoped to appease hisdiscontent, and to follow out her system of balancing policy by a markof peculiar favour, the more gratifying as it was tendered at a momentwhen his rival's triumph appeared to be complete.

  At the summons of Queen Elizabeth, Sussex hastily approached her person;and being asked on which of his followers, being a gentleman and ofmerit, he would wish the honour of knighthood to be conferred, heanswered, with more sincerity than policy, that he would have venturedto speak for Tressilian, to whom he conceived he owed his own life, andwho was a distinguished soldier and scholar, besides a man of unstainedlineage, "only," he said, "he feared the events of that night--" Andthen he stopped.

  "I am glad your lordship is thus considerate," said Elizabeth. "Theevents of this night would make us, in the eyes of our subjects, as madas this poor brain-sick gentleman himself--for we ascribe his conduct tono malice--should we choose this moment to do him grace."

  "In that case," said the Earl of Sussex, somewhat discountenanced, "yourMajesty will allow me to name my master of the horse, Master NicholasBlount, a gentleman of fair estate and ancient name, who has served yourMajesty both in Scotland and Ireland, and brought away bloody marks onhis person, all honourably taken and requited."

  The Queen could not help shrugging her shoulders slightly even at thissecond suggestion; and the Duchess of Rutland, who read in the Queen'smanner that she had expected that Sussex would have named Raleigh, andthus would have enabled her to gratify her own wish while she honouredhis recommendation, only waited the Queen's assent to what he hadproposed, and then said that she hoped, since these two high nobles hadbeen each permitted to suggest a candidate for the honours of chivalry,she, in behalf of the ladies in presence, might have a similarindulgence.

  "I were no woman to refuse you such a boon," said the Queen, smiling.

  "Then," pursued the Duchess, "in the name of these fair ladies present,I request your Majesty to confer the rank of knighthood on WalterRaleigh, whose birth, deeds of arms, and promptitude to serve our sexwith sword or pen, deserve such distinction from us all."

  "Gramercy, fair ladies," said Elizabeth, smiling, "your boon isgranted, and the gentle squire Lack-Cloak shall become the good knightLack-Cloak, at your desire. Let the two aspirants for the honour ofchivalry step forward."

  Blount was not as yet returned from seeing Tressilian, as he conceived,safely disposed of; but Raleigh came forth, and kneeling down, receivedat the hand of the Virgin Queen that title of honour, which was neverconferred on a more distinguished or more illustrious object.

  Shortly afterwards Nicholas Blount entered, and hastily apprised bySussex, who met him at the door of the hall, of the Queen's graciouspurpose regarding him, he was desired to advance towards the throne. Itis a sight sometimes seen, and it is both ludicrous and pitiable; whenan honest man of plain common sense is surprised, by the coquetry of apretty woman, or any other cause, into those frivolous fopperieswhich only sit well upon the youthful, the gay, and those to whom longpractice has rendered them a second nature. Poor Blount was in thissituation. His head was already giddy from a consciousness of unusualfinery, and the supposed necessity of suiting his manners to the gaietyof his dress; and now this sudden view of promotion altogether completedthe conquest of the newly inhaled spirit of foppery over his naturaldisposition, and converted a plain, honest, awkward man into a coxcombof a new and most ridiculous kind.

  The knight-expectant advanced up the hall, the whole length of which hehad unfortunately to traverse, turning out his toes with so much zealthat he presented his leg at every step with its broadside foremost,so that it greatly resembled an old-fashioned table-knife with a curvedpoint, when seen sideways. The rest of his gait was in proportionto this unhappy amble; and the implied mixture of bashful rear andself-satisfaction was so unutterably ridiculous that Leicester's friendsdid not suppress a titter, in which many of Sussex's partisanswere unable to resist joining, though ready to eat their nails withmortification. Sussex himself lost all patience, and could not forbearwhispering into the ear of his friend, "Curse thee! canst thou not walklike a man and a soldier?" an interjection which only made honest Blountstart and stop, until a glance at his yellow roses and crimson stockingsrestored his self-confidence, when on he went at the same pace asbefore.

  The Queen conferred on poor Blount the honour of knighthood with amarked sense of reluctance. That wise Princess was fully aware of thepropriety of using great circumspection and economy in bestowing
thosetitles of honour, which the Stewarts, who succeeded to her throne,distributed with an imprudent liberality which greatly diminished theirvalue. Blount had no sooner arisen and retired than she turned to theDuchess of Rutland. "Our woman wit," she said, "dear Rutland, is sharperthan that of those proud things in doublet and hose. Seest thou, out ofthese three knights, thine is the only true metal to stamp chivalry'simprint upon?"

  "Sir Richard Varney, surely--the friend of my Lord of Leicester--surelyhe 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 ancientstanding. My Lord of Sussex must have lost his own wits, I think, torecommend to us first a madman like Tressilian, and then a clownish foollike this other fellow. I protest, Rutland, that while he sat on hisknees before me, mopping and mowing as if he had scalding porridge inhis mouth, I had much ado to forbear cutting him over the pate, insteadof striking his shoulder."

  "Your Majesty gave him a smart ACCOLADE," said the Duchess; "we whostood behind heard the blade clatter on his collar-bone, and the poorman fidgeted too as if he felt it."

  "I could not help it, wench," said the Queen, laughing. "But we willhave 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 inthe field, though a preposterous ass in a banqueting-hall."

  The discourse became then more general, and soon after there was asummons to the banquet.

  In order to obey this signal, the company were under the necessity ofcrossing the inner court of the Castle, that they might reach the newbuildings containing the large banqueting-room, in which preparationsfor supper were made upon a scale of profuse magnificence, correspondingto the occasion.

  The livery cupboards were loaded with plate of the richest description,and the most varied--some articles tasteful, some perhaps grotesque, inthe invention and decoration, but all gorgeously magnificent, both fromthe richness of the work and value of the materials. Thus the chieftable 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 ofFortune, placed on a globe, with a flag in her hand. Another salt wasfashioned of silver, in form of a swan in full sail. That chivalry mightnot be omitted amid this splendour, a silver Saint George was presented,mounted and equipped in the usual fashion in which he bestrides thedragon. The figures were moulded to be in some sort useful. The horse'stail was managed to hold a case of knives, while the breast of thedragon presented a similar accommodation for oyster knives.

  In the course of the passage from the hall of reception to thebanqueting-room, and especially in the courtyard, the new-made knightswere assailed by the heralds, pursuivants, minstrels, etc., with theusual cry of LARGESSE, LARGESSE, CHEVALIERS TRES HARDIS! an ancientinvocation, intended to awaken the bounty of the acolytes of chivalrytowards those whose business it was to register their armorial bearings,and celebrate the deeds by which they were illustrated. The call was,of course, liberally and courteously answered by those to whom it wasaddressed. Varney gave his largesse with an affectation of complaisanceand humility. Raleigh bestowed his with the graceful ease peculiar toone who has attained his own place, and is familiar with its dignity.Honest Blount gave what his tailor had left him of his half-year's rent,dropping some pieces in his hurry, then stooping down to look for them,and then distributing them amongst the various claimants, with theanxious face and mien of the parish beadle dividing a dole amongpaupers.

  The donations were accepted with the usual clamour and VIVATS ofapplause common on such occasions; but as the parties gratified werechiefly dependants of Lord Leicester, it was Varney whose namewas repeated with the loudest acclamations. Lambourne, especially,distinguished himself by his vociferations of "Long life to Sir RichardVarney!--Health and honour to Sir Richard!--Never was a more worthyknight dubbed!"--then, suddenly sinking his voice, he added--"since thevaliant Sir Pandarus of Troy,"--a winding-up of his clamorous applausewhich set all men a-laughing who were within hearing of it.

  It is unnecessary to say anything further of the festivities of theevening, which were so brilliant in themselves, and received with suchobvious and willing satisfaction by the Queen, that Leicester retiredto his own apartment with all the giddy raptures of successful ambition.Varney, who had changed his splendid attire, and now waited on hispatron in a very modest and plain undress, attended to do the honours ofthe Earl's COUCHER.

  "How! Sir Richard," said Leicester, smiling, "your new rank scarce suitsthe humility of this attendance."

  "I would disown that rank, my Lord," said Varney, "could I think it wasto remove me to a distance from your lordship's person."

  "Thou art a grateful fellow," said Leicester; "but I must not allow youto do what would abate you in the opinion of others."

  While thus speaking, he still accepted without hesitation the officesabout his person, which the new-made knight seemed to render as eagerlyas if he had really felt, in discharging the task, that pleasure whichhis words expressed.

  "I am not afraid of men's misconstruction," he said, in answer toLeicester's remark, "since there is not--(permit me to undo thecollar)--a man within the Castle who does not expect very soon to seepersons of a rank far superior to that which, by your goodness, I nowhold, rendering the duties of the bedchamber to you, and accounting itan honour."

  "It might, indeed, so have been"--said the Earl, with an involuntarysigh; and then presently added, "My gown, Varney; I will look out on thenight. Is not the moon near to the full?"

  "I think so, my lord, according to the calendar," answered Varney.

  There was an abutting window, which opened on a small projecting balconyof stone, battlemented as is usual in Gothic castles. The Earl undid thelattice, and stepped out into the open air. The station he had chosencommanded an extensive view of the lake and woodlands beyond, where thebright moonlight rested on the clear blue waters and the distant massesof oak and elm trees. The moon rode high in the heavens, attended bythousands and thousands of inferior luminaries. All seemed already tobe hushed in the nether world, excepting occasionally the voice of thewatch (for the yeomen of the guard performed that duty wherever theQueen was present in person) and the distant baying of the hounds,disturbed by the preparations amongst the grooms and prickers for amagnificent hunt, which was to be the amusement of the next day.

  Leicester looked out on the blue arch of heaven, with gestures and acountenance expressive of anxious exultation, while Varney, who remainedwithin the darkened apartment, could (himself unnoticed), with asecret satisfaction, see his patron stretch his hands with earnestgesticulation towards the heavenly bodies.

  "Ye distant orbs of living fire," so ran the muttered invocation of theambitious Earl, "ye are silent while you wheel your mystic rounds; butWisdom has given to you a voice. Tell me, then, to what end is my highcourse destined? Shall the greatness to which I have aspired be bright,pre-eminent, and stable as your own; or am I but doomed to draw a briefand glittering train along the nightly darkness, and then to sink downto earth, like the base refuse of those artificial fires with which menemulate your rays?"

  He looked on the heavens in profound silence for a minute or two longer,and then again stepped into the apartment, where Varney seemed to havebeen engaged in putting the Earl's jewels into a casket.

  "What said Alasco of my horoscope?" demanded Leicester. "You alreadytold me; but it has escaped me, for I think but lightly of that art."

  "Many learned and great men have thought otherwise," said Varney; "and,not to flatter your lordship, my own opinion leans that way."

  "Ay, Saul among the prophets?" said Leicester. "I thought thou wertsceptical in all such matters as thou couldst neither see, hear, smell,taste, or touch, and that thy belief was limited by thy senses."

  "Perhaps, my lord," said Varney, "I may be misled on the presentoccasion by my wish to find the pred
ictions of astrology true. Alascosays that your favourite planet is culminating, and that the adverseinfluence--he would not use a plainer term--though not overcome, wasevidently combust, I think he said, or retrograde."

  "It is even so," said Leicester, looking at an abstract of astrologicalcalculations which he had in his hand; "the stronger influence willprevail, and, as I think, the evil hour pass away. Lend me your hand,Sir Richard, to doff my gown; and remain an instant, if it is nottoo burdensome to your knighthood, while I compose myself to sleep.I believe the bustle of this day has fevered my blood, for it streamsthrough my veins like a current of molten lead. Remain an instant, Ipray you--I would fain feel my eyes heavy ere I closed them."

  Varney officiously assisted his lord to bed, and placed a massive silvernight-lamp, with a short sword, on a marble table which stood close bythe head of the couch. Either in order to avoid the light of the lamp,or to hide his countenance from Varney, Leicester drew the curtain,heavy with entwined silk and gold, so as completely to shade his face.Varney took a seat near the bed, but with his back towards his master,as if to intimate that he was not watching him, and quietly waitedtill Leicester himself led the way to the topic by which his mind wasengrossed.

  "And so, Varney," said the Earl, after waiting in vain till hisdependant should commence the conversation, "men talk of the Queen'sfavour towards me?"

  "Ay, my good lord," said Varney; "of what can they else, since it is sostrongly manifested?"

  "She is indeed my good and gracious mistress," said Leicester, afteranother pause; "but it is written, 'Put not thy trust in princes.'"

  "A good sentence and a true," said Varney, "unless you can unite theirinterest with yours so absolutely that they must needs sit on your wristlike hooded hawks."

  "I know what thou meanest," said Leicester impatiently, "though thou artto-night so prudentially careful of what thou sayest to me. Thou wouldstintimate I might marry the Queen if I would?"

  "It is your speech, my lord, not mine," answered Varney; "butwhosesoever be the speech, it is the thought of ninety-nine out of anhundred men throughout broad England."

  "Ay, but," said Leicester, turning himself in his bed, "the hundredthman knows better. Thou, for example, knowest the obstacle that cannot beoverleaped."

  "It must, my lord, if the stars speak true," said Varney composedly.

  "What, talkest thou of them," said Leicester, "that believest not inthem or in aught else?"

  "You mistake, my lord, under your gracious pardon," said Varney; "Ibelieve in many things that predict the future. I believe, if showersfall in April, that we shall have flowers in May; that if the sunshines, grain will ripen; and I believe in much natural philosophy tothe same effect, which, if the stars swear to me, I will say the starsspeak the truth. And in like manner, I will not disbelieve that whichI see wished for and expected on earth, solely because the astrologershave read it in the heavens."

  "Thou art right," said Leicester, again tossing himself on his couch"Earth does wish for it. I have had advices from the reformed churchesof Germany--from the Low Countries--from Switzerland--urging this as apoint on which Europe's safety depends. France will not oppose it. Theruling party in Scotland look to it as their best security. Spain fearsit, but cannot prevent it. And yet thou knowest it is impossible."

  "I know not that, my lord," said Varney; "the Countess is indisposed."

  "Villain!" said Leicester, starting up on his couch, and seizingthe sword which lay on the table beside him, "go thy thoughts thatway?--thou wouldst not do murder?"

  "For whom, or what, do you hold me, my lord?" said Varney, assuming thesuperiority of an innocent man subjected to unjust suspicion. "I saidnothing to deserve such a horrid imputation as your violence infers. Isaid but that the Countess was ill. And Countess though she be--lovelyand beloved as she is--surely your lordship must hold her to be mortal?She may die, and your lordship's hand become once more your own."

  "Away! away!" said Leicester; "let me have no more of this."

  "Good night, my lord," said Varney, seeming to understand this as acommand to depart; but Leicester's voice interrupted his purpose.

  "Thou 'scapest me not thus, Sir Fool," said he; "I think thy knighthoodhas addled thy brains. Confess thou hast talked of impossibilities as ofthings which may come to pass."

  "My lord, long live your fair Countess," said Varney; "but neither yourlove nor my good wishes can make her immortal. But God grant she livelong to be happy herself, and to render you so! I see not but you may beKing of England notwithstanding."

  "Nay, now, Varney, thou art stark mad," said Leicester.

  "I would I were myself within the same nearness to a good estate offreehold," said Varney. "Have we not known in other countries howa left-handed marriage might subsist betwixt persons of differingdegree?--ay, and be no hindrance to prevent the husband from conjoininghimself afterwards with a more suitable partner?"

  "I have heard of such things in Germany," said Leicester.

  "Ay, and the most learned doctors in foreign universities justify thepractice from the Old Testament," said Varney. "And after all, where isthe harm? The beautiful partner whom you have chosen for true love hasyour secret hours of relaxation and affection. Her fame is safe herconscience may slumber securely. You have wealth to provide royally foryour issue, should Heaven bless you with offspring. Meanwhile you maygive to Elizabeth ten times the leisure, and ten thousand times theaffection, that ever Don Philip of Spain spared to her sister Mary; yetyou know how she doted on him though so cold and neglectful. It requiresbut a close mouth and an open brow, and you keep your Eleanor and yourfair Rosamond far enough separate. Leave me to build you a bower towhich no jealous Queen shall find a clew."

  Leicester was silent for a moment, then sighed, and said, "It isimpossible. Good night, Sir Richard Varney--yet stay. Can you guess whatmeant Tressilian by showing himself in such careless guise before theQueen to-day?--to strike her tender heart, I should guess, with allthe sympathies due to a lover abandoned by his mistress and abandoninghimself."

  Varney, smothering a sneering laugh, answered, "He believed MasterTressilian had no such matter in his head."

  "How!" said Leicester; "what meanest thou? There is ever knavery in thatlaugh of thine, Varney."

  "I only meant, my lord," said Varney, "that Tressilian has taken thesure way to avoid heart-breaking. He hath had a companion--a femalecompanion--a mistress--a sort of player's wife or sister, as Ibelieve--with him in Mervyn's Bower, where I quartered him for certainreasons of my own."

  "A mistress!--meanest thou a paramour?"

  "Ay, my lord; what female else waits for hours in a gentleman'schamber?"

  "By my faith, time and space fitting, this were a good tale to tell,"said Leicester. "I ever distrusted those bookish, hypocritical,seeming-virtuous scholars. Well--Master Tressilian makes somewhatfamiliar with my house; if I look it over, he is indebted to it forcertain recollections. I would not harm him more than I can help. Keepeye on him, however, Varney."

  "I lodged him for that reason," said Varney, "in Mervyn's Tower, wherehe is under the eye of my very vigilant, if he were not also my verydrunken, servant, Michael Lambourne, whom I have told your Grace of."

  "Grace!" said Leicester; "what meanest thou by that epithet?"

  "It came unawares, my lord; and yet it sounds so very natural that Icannot recall it."

  "It is thine own preferment that hath turned thy brain," said Leicester,laughing; "new honours are as heady as new wine."

  "May your lordship soon have cause to say so from experience," saidVarney; and wishing his patron good night, he withdrew. [See Note 8.Furniture of Kenilworth.]