of the bear-garden. There you may see the bear lying at guard with his red pinky eyes, watching the onset of the mastiff, like a wily captain, who maintains his defence that an assailant may be tempted to venture within his danger. And then comes Sir Mastiff, like a worthy

champion, in full career at the throat of his adversary; and then shall Sir Bruin teach him the reward for those who, in their over-courage, neglect the policies of war, and, catching him in his arms, strain him to his breast, like a lusty wrestler, until rib after rib crack like the shot

of a pistolet. And then another mastiff, as bold, but with better aim and sounder judgment, catches Sir Bruin by the nether-lip, and hangs fast, while he tosses about his blood and slaver, and tries in vain to shake Sir Talbot from his hold. And then

"Nay, by my honour, my lord," said the Queen, laughing, “you have described the whole so admirably, that, had we never seen a bear-baiting, as we have beheld many, and hope to see many more, your words were sufficient to put the whole bear-garden before our eyes. But come, who speaks next in this case? My Lord of Leicester, what say you?"

"Am I then to consider myself as unmuzzled, please your grace?" replied Leicester.

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'Surely, my lord--that is, if you feel hearty enough to take part in our game," answered Elizabeth; "and yet, when I think of your 13 cognizance of the bear and ragged staff, methinks we had better hear some less partial orator."

"Nay, on my word, gracious Princess," said the Earl, though my brother Ambrose of Warwick and I do carry the ancient cognizance your highness deigns to remember, I nevertheless desire nothing but fair play on all sides; or as they say, 'fight dog, fight bear.' And in behalf of the players, I must needs say that they are witty knaves, whose rants and jests keep the minds of the commons from busying themselves with state affairs, and listening to traitorous speeches, idle rumours, and disloyal insinuations. When men are agape to see how Marlow, Shakespeare, and other play artificers work out their fanciful plots, as they call them, the mind of the spectators is withdrawn from the conduct of their rulers."

11"We would not have the mind of our subjects withdrawn from the consideration of our own conduct, my VI.-Moffatt's Ex. Reader.

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lord," answered Elizabeth; "because the more closely it is examined, the true motives by which we are guided will appear the more manifest."

"I have heard, however, madam," said the Dean of St. Asaph's, an eminent 5 Puritan, " that these players are wont, in their plays, not only to introduce profane and lewd expressions, tending to foster sin, but even to bellow out such reflections on government, its origin and its object, as tend to render the subject discontented, and shake the solid foundations of civil society. And it seems to be, under your Grace's favour, far less than safe to permit these naughty foul-mouthed knaves 16 to ridicule the godly for their decent gravity, and, in blaspheming Heaven, and slandering its earthly rulers, to set at defiance the laws both of God and man."

"If we could think this were true, my lord," said Elizabeth, "we should give sharp correction for such offences. But it is ill arguing against the use of anything from its abuse. And touching this Shakespeare, we think there is that in his plays that is worth twenty beargardens: and that this new undertaking of his Chronicles, as he calls them, may entertain with honest mirth, mingled with useful instruction, not only our subjects, but 17 even the generation which may succeed to us."

"Your Majesty's reign will need no such feeble aid to make it remembered to the latest posterity," said Leicester. "And yet, in his way, Shakespeare hath so touched some incidents of your Majesty's happy government, as may countervail what has been spoken by his reverence the Dean of St. Asaph's. There are some lines, for example -I would my nephew, Philip Sidney, were here, they are scarce ever out of his mouth-they are spoken in a mad tale of fairies, love-charms, and I wot not what besides; but beautiful they are, however short they may and must

"Master

fall of the subject to which they bear a bold relation; and Philip murmurs them, I think, even in his dreams." "You tantalize us, my lord," said the Queen. Philip Sidney is, we know, a 18 minion of the 19 Muses, and we are pleased it should be so. Valour never shines to more advantage than when united with the true taste and 20 love of letters. But surely there are some others among our young courtiers who can recollect what your lordship has forgotten amid weightier affairs. Master Tressilian, you are described to me as a worshipper of 21 Minervaremember you aught of these lines?"

NOTE.-These lessons are taken from Sir Walter Scott's Kenilworth, a work which introduces some of the chief personages of Queen Elizabeth's reign. The Earl of Leicester had secretly taken a lady named Amy Robsart from her home, and married her. He was accused by her friends in the Queen's presence of having done so. Being anxious to keep his marriage secret from the Queen, he meanly denied the charge.

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1 derogation, that which lowers any one's dignity. 2 defamation, slander; the malicious utterance of falsehoods, tending to destroy the good name of another. This apology contains both flattery and falsehood. Squire of the Cloak: it is said that Sir Walter Raleigh first came under the Queen's notice by placing his richly embroidered cloak over a puddle which was directly in her path. 'gallant, brave, noble, courteous. walking, etc.: Lord Willoughby, in a flattering speech, says he will walk in starlight, that is, in the company of the court ladies; while he forsakes the brilliant light of the moon, that is, the Queen's presence. Diana, anciently regarded as the goddess of the moon; here, the moon itself. The Queen replied: Queen Elizabeth was fond of flattery, but did not allow it to influence her actions. Sir W. Scott says, "Throughout her life she united the occasional caprice of her sex with that sense and sound policy in which neither man nor woman ever excelled her." 8 $ gamesome, gay, sportive. Irish clan: Ireland was in a very unsettled state during the first part of Queen Elizabeth's reign. It was with great difficulty the people were kept in subjection. A clan is a tribe. 10 hospital, evidently refers to the royal palace at Greenwich. This was restored by

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William III. and Mary, and given by them to be used as an hospital for disabled sailors. "bearwards, keepers of bears. race of both will decay: as Sussex feared, bear-baiting gradually declined, and soon went out of use. 13 cognizance, a badge worn by a retainer or dependant, to indicate the person or party to which he belonged. The badge of Leicester's people was the bear and ragged staff. 14 We would not have, etc: this reply expresses exactly Queen Elizabeth's regard for her subjects. It was her delight and desire to be called the Mother of her people. Puritan, a name first given in Queen Elizabeth's reign to those clergymen of the Church of England who refused to conform to its liturgy, ceremonies, and discipline, saying that the Church was too much like the Roman Catholic, and that Christians should disregard ceremony, and follow as far as possible the pure word of God. Hence the name, which was probably given in derision. 1 to ridicule the godly : a great mistake; Shakespeare and other eminent writers ridicule not the godly, but only wicked persons who pretend to be religious. 17 the generation: the Queen might have said generations, for the choicest plays of the present day are those of Shakespeare. 18 Minion, means favourite. Muses, nine goddesses who presided over poetry, music, and the arts and sciences. 20 letters, literature, books. " Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and of the fine arts.

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1TRESSILIAN'S heart was too heavy, his prospects in life too fatally blighted, to profit by the opportunity which the Queen thus offered to him of attracting her attention, but he determined to transfer the advantage to his more ambitious young friend; and, excusing himself on the score of want of recollection, he added, that he believed the beautiful verses, of which my Lord of Leicester had