Mifliketh Leicester's Policy. 163 oft would preach against her Majesty's private practices as fuperftitious; quoting her royal proclamations as the Devil's device to vex the Saints. Surely they be no good fubjects, nor better than great noblemen who”"Confpire with Atheists and Papifts to fet up that Scotch Jezabel!" So propitiously begun, who could presume even a partial delay-who predict a failure? Yet the ruddiest morning is the fooneft overclouded, and the more complete the calm the nearer cometh the hurricane. Thus, the motives which the old courtier had avowed as his fyftematic policy, at once shocked and alarmed his pupil. The fact that Leicester seemed unconfcious of their bafenefs, startled Effex: for he was too young and inexperienced to weigh them by other standard than Honesty ruled by. He had (fome Parafites might fay) inherited odd fentiments of paft generations-been bred up, perhaps, too much with Sir Thomas's conceits of integrity; having thoughtfully read a page or two of Ecclefiaftical Polity alfo-or, again, the morals of Trinity were, compared with prefent enlightenment, straight, fcholaftic, recondite. Yet it seemed to Effex, meditating on this day's converfation more than on its gaudy trappings, that here was an Earl of noble blood—the man, emphatically of most mark in the realm— the prime favourite, confidential friend of her Most Gracious Majesty herself, who spake to him, a boy, of the great Court of England merely as a ftage to play his greatness on! No object fave that! Where the duty— patriotifm-glory? What is there none among the Lords and Councillors, not one-is not Burghley, Walfingham-true-honeft? Here is he, the chief among them, who answers for himself and them: No! we are all felfish! Each hath his feveral aim. Let the State perish fo Statecraft thrive! Let the people wafte, fo we their vouched patrons fatten! Let the Queen herself-gracious Mistress whence all goodness flows!-die childlefs, unmarried, rather than our fpoil ceafe! Let who will be what else he will, I by and for myself alone am chief! Effex had now learned his firft leffon in Court morals. CHAPTER XII. "How well in thee appears The conftant fervice of the antique world, AS YOU LIKE IT, act II. fc. III. HE Sun of Pageantry hath fcarcely fet. With the change of religion, it is true, many displays purely Romish have gone out of vogue. Others, abstractedly innocent, have been put down by proclamation: for where folk congregate—and the people be now multiplying fast-it hath been found hard for the constables, blue beadles, and night watch to keep Rule and Order. But there be still other amusements against which the Puritan element of the Reformation makes an obftinate ftand. Emphatically a middle class movement, Puritanism is without extended fympathies: and, banded by a shibboleth which too often paffes for devoutness, this party is now become as obnoxious to the lower orders, through its affected afceticism, as it hath always been repugnant to the mind and feeling of the nobles. Mad for a new or fuper or re-reformation of religion, they be like that man who would never cease to whet and whet his knife till there was no steel left that you could call a blade. Secular knowledge, intellectual elevation, the culture of the finer taftes and elegancies, be as offenfive to them as the childish hobby-horse, the romantic May-day games! Fairs and feasts, country ales and village waffails, with scarf, flag, gaud, and trinket, are as enormities fneered at, preached at, cried down, and eventually put down either by law or custom. Yet the love of pageantry is dear to the English heart! The lefs educated, the less occupied, regard whatever ministers to their imagination or fenfual pleasure as an unmixed good. And one fees that when there is little better than ballads of Robin Hode and legends of the Worthies to amuse them, it would be vain to expect any mental advance beyond the defire for fuch illuftrations as The New Ways the Old Times. 167 Arthur's fhew and the Morisco dances, proceffions, plays, and brawls. But these later years of Elizabeth are, in fact, a tranfition period. Gradually old things are paffing away: -old customs, old thoughts, old feelings. All things, even the human mind, is becoming new ;-starting from a new point, as it were, and to another end. Lo, the schoolmaster is abroad! Prayers are used in the vulgar tongue! In the church, on the stage, in philofophy, in poetry, the world is making vaft reaches :-'tis a spring-tide in the affairs of men! And while the thoughtful and progressive mind watches with hope this rapid elevation of the national character, there ftill lingers-always will linger-among the simple and uneducated, regrets for the good old times, their shews, their games, their rough jollity, their barbarous profufion. On his return Effex was attended by 'Zekiel and two youths who officiated in the toilet. The fplendid costume of the Court, after having been again and again admired, was now laid afide; and a plain riding fuit of chestnut Cloth guarded with filver lace put on. The pages withdrew; and the old fervant, with that privilege which was his due, began to question his Lord touching the fpectacle of the |