demeaned himself to the prince, and presented a petition, which was read by the master of the requests, and set forth that the attorney and solicitor, by means of certain law-stuff, had confounded his highness and the court, to believe that those things which they saw and perceived to have been in very deed done the night before, were nothing else but fond illusions, fancies, dreams, and enchantments; and that the fault was in the negligence of the prince's council and great officers of state, by whose advice the state was misgoverned; in proof whereof, he cited instances, coupled with allegations not to be denied. This was deemed a quick boldness, and gave great offence to his highness's government: but, in the end, the prisoner was freed and pardoned, and those that were concerned in the draught of the petition were committed to the tower. The law sports of this night, in the state of Graya, being thus ended, consultation was forthwith held, for immediate reform in the prince's council, and it was concluded that graver councils should take place, and good order be maintained to which end a watch and ward was ordained at the four ports, with whifflers under the four barons, and the lord warden to oversee all, so that none but of good quality might be adinitted to the court.

On the 3rd of January, at night, there was an honorable presence from the court of her majesty, of great and noble personages, who came by invitation to the prince; namely, the Right Honorable, the lord Keeper, the earls of Shrewsbury, Cumberland, Northumberland, Southampton, and Essex; the lords Bathurst, Windsor, Mountjoy, Sheffield, Compton, Rich, Burleigh, Mounteagle, and the lord Thomas Howard; Sir Thomas Heneage, Sir Robert Cecil, and a goodly number of knights, ladies, and worshipful personages; all of whom were disposed in honorable and convenient places, to their great liking and content.

When all were so placed, and settled in right order, the prince entered with his wonted state, and ascended his throne at the high end of the hall, under his highness's arms: after him came the ambassador of Templaria, with bis train likewise, and was placed by the prince as he was before; his train also had places particularly assigned for them. Then, after variety of music was presented this device :

At the side of the hall, behind the curtain, was erected an altar to the goddess of Amity; her arch-flamen stood ready to attend the sacrifice and incense that should, by her servants, be offered unto her round about sat nymphs and fairies with instruments of music, and made pleasant melody with viols and voices, in praise of the goddess.

Then issued, from another room, the first pair of friends, Theseus and Perithous, arm in arm, and offered incense upon the altar, which shone and burned very clear; which done, they departed.

There likewise came Achilles and Patroclus; after them, Pylades and Orestes; then Scipio and Lælius: and all these did as the former, and departed.

Lastly came Graius and Templarius, arm in arm, and lovingly, to the altar, and offered their incense as the rest, but the goddess did not accept of their service, which appeared by the smoke and vapor that choked the flame. Then the archflamen preferred certain mystical ceremonies and invocations, and caused the nymphs to sing hymns of pacification to the goddess, and then the flame burnt more clear, and continued longer in brightness and shining to Graius and Templarius, than to any of those pairs of friends that had gone before them; and so they departed.

Then the arch-flamen pronounced Graius and Templarius to be as true and perfect friends, and so familiarly united and linked with the bond and league of sincere friendship and amity, as ever were Theseus and Perithous, Achilles and Patroclus, Pylades and Orestes, or Scipio and Lælius, and did further divine that this love should be perpetual. And, lastly, he denounced any that should seek to break or weaken the same, and foretold happiness to their friends; and, with sweet and pleasant melody, the curtain was drawn as at the first.

Thus was this show ended, which was devised that those present might understand that the unkindness which was growing betwixt the Templarians and the Grayians, by reason of the former night of errors, was clean rooted out and forgotten, and that they were more firm friends than ever.

The prince then informed the ambassador of Templaria that the show had contented him exceedingly, because it represented that their ancient amity was so flourishing that no friendship could

equal the love and goodwill of the Grayians and Templarians.

Then his highness offered to the lord ambassador, and certain of his retinue, the knighthood of the helmet; and his highness ordered his king at arms to place the ambassador and his said followers, and also some of his own court, that they might receive the dignity; which being done, and the master of the jewels attending with the collar of the order, the prince descended from his chair of state, and took the collar, and put it about the lord ambassador's neck, he kneeling down on his left knee, and said to him "Sois Chivaler;" and the like to the rest, to the number of twenty-four.

So the prince and the lord ambassador took their places again, in their chairs; and the rest according to their condition.

Then Helmet, his highness's king at arms, stood forth before the prince in his surcoat of arms, and caused the trumpets to sound, and made the following speech:

"The most mighty and puissant prince, Sir Henry, my gracious lord and sovereign prince of Peerpoole, &c. (setting forth his title at length) hath heretofore, for the special gracing of the nobility of his realm, and honouring the deserts of strangers, his favourites, instituted a most honourable order of knighthood of the HELMET, whereof his honour is sovereign, in memory of the arms he beareth, worthily given to one of his noble ancestors, many years past, for saving the life of his then sovereign; in regard as the helmet defendeth the chiefest part of the body, the head, so did he guard and defend the sacred person of the prince, the head of the state. His highness at this time had made choice of a number of virtuous and noble personages, to admit them into his honourable society; whose good example may be a spur and encouragement to the young nobility of his dominions, to cause them to aspire to the height of all honourable deserts. To the honourable order are annexed strict rules of arms, and civil government, religiously to be observed by all those that are admitted to this dignity. You, therefore, most noble gentlemen, whom his highness at this time so greatly honoureth with his royal order, you must, every one of you, kiss your helmet, and thereby promise and vow to observe and practise, or otherwise, as the case shall require, shun and avoid all those constitutions and ordinances, which, out of the records of my office of arms, I shall read unto you."

Then the king at arms took his book and turned to the articles of the order, and read them, the chief whereof followeth.

"Imprimis. Every knight of this honourable order, whether he be a natural subject, or stranger born, shall promise never to bear arms against his highness's sacred person, nor his state, but to assist him in all his lawful wars, and maintain all his just pretences and titles; especially his highness's title to the land of the Amazons, and the Cape of Good Hope. ❝Item. No knight of this order shall, in point of honour, resort to any grammar rules out of the books de Duello, or such like, but shall, out of his own brave mind and natural courage, deliver himself from scorn, as to his own discretion shall seem convenient.

"Item. No knight of this order shall be inquisitive towards any lady or gentleman, whether her beauty be English or Italian, or whether with caretaking she have added half-a-foot to her stature; but shall take all to the best. Neither shall any knight of the aforesaid order presume to affirm that faces were better twenty years ago than they are at this present time, except such knight shall have passed three climacterical years.

"Item. Every knight of this order is bound to perform all requisite and manly service, as the case requireth, to all ladies and gentlemen, beautiful by nature or by art; ever offering his aid without any demand thereof: and, if in case he fail so to do, he shall be deemed a match of disparagement to any of his highness's widows, or wards, female; and his excellency shall in justice forbear to make any tender of him to any such ward or widow.

"Item. No knight of this order shall procure any letters from his highness to any widow or maid, for his enablement and commendation to be advanced to marriage; but all prerogative, wooing set apart, shall for ever cease as to any of these knights, and shall be left to the common laws of the land, declared by the statute Quia electiones libera esse debent.

"Item. No knight of this honourable order, in case he shall grow into decay, shall procure from his highness relief and sustentation, any monopolies or privileges; except only these kinds following-that is to say, upon every tobacco-pipe not being one foot wide,

upon every lock that is worn, not being seven foot long, upon every health that is drank, not being of a glass five feet deep, &c.

"Item. No knight of this order shall put out any money upon strange returns, or performances to be made by his own person; as to hop up the stairs to the top of St. Paul's, without intermission, or any other such like agilities or endurances, except it may appear that the same performances or practices do enable him to some service or employment, as if he do undertake to go a journey backward, the same shall be thought to enable him to be an ambassador into Turkey.

"Item. No knight of this order that hath had any license to travel into foreign countries, be it by map, card, sea, or land, and hath returned from thence, shall presume, upon the warrant of a traveller, to report any extraordinary varieties; as that he hath ridden through Venice, on horse-back, post; or that, in December, he sailed by the cape of Norway; or that he hath travelled over most part of the countries of Geneva; or such like hyperboles, contrary to the statute, Propterea quod qui diversos terrarum ambitus errant et vagantur, &c.

"Item. Every knight of this order shall do his endeavour to be much in the books of the worshipful citizens of the principal city next adjoining to the territories of Peerpoole; and none shall unlearnedly, or without looking, pay ready money for any wares or other things pertaining to the gallantness of his honour's court, to the ill example of others, and utter subversion of credit betwixt man and man.

"Item. Every knight of this order shall endeavour to add conference and experience by reading; and therefore shall not only read and peruse Guizo, the French Academy, Galiatto the courtier, Plutarch, the Arcadia, and the Neoterical writers, from time to time; but also frequent the Theatre, and such like places of experience; and resort to the better sort of ordinaries for conference, whereby they may not only become accomplished with civil conversations, and able to govern a table with discourse, but also sufficient, if need be, to make epigrams, emblems, and other devices appertaining to his honour's learned revels.

"Item. No knight of this order, in walking the streets or other places of resort, shall bear his hands in his pockets of his great rolled hose, with the Spanish wheel, if it be not either to defend his hands from the cold, or else to guard forty shillings sterling, being in the same pockets.

"Item. No knight of this order shall lay to pawn his collar of knighthood for a hundred pounds; and, if he do, he shall be ipso facto discharged, and it shall be lawful for any man whatsoever, that will retain the same collar for the sum aforesaid, forthwith to take upon him the said knighthood, by reason of a secret virtue in the collar; for in this order it is holden for a certain rule that the knighthood followeth the collar, and not the collar the knighthood.

"Lastly. All the knights of this honourable order, and the renowned sovereign of the same, shall yield all homage, loyalty, unaffected admiration, and all humble service, of what name or condition soever, to the incomparable empress of the Fortunate Island." When the king at arms had read the articles of the order of the knighthood, and all had taken their places as before, there was variety of concert-music: and in the mean while the knights of the order, who were not strangers, brought into the hall a running banquet in very good order, and gave it to the prince, and lords, and others, strangers, in imitation of the feast that belongeth to all such honorable institutions.

This being done, there was a table set in the midst of the stage, before the prince's seat, and there sat six of the lords of his privy council, who at that time were appointed to attend in council the prince's leisure. Then the prince required them to advise him how he should best qualify himself for his future government, and each of them gave advice, as appeareth elsewhere at length, but in brief to the effect here set forth,

The first counsellor advised war.

The second counsellor advised the study of philosophy.

The third counsellor advised the gaining of fame by buildings and foundations. The fourth counsellor advised absoluteness of state and treasure.

The fifth counsellor advised the practice of virtue, and a gracious government.

The sixth counsellor advised to immediate pastimes and sports.

The prince, being unresolved how to determine amidst such variety of weighty counsel,resolved meanwhile to make choice of the last advice, and deliberate afterwards upon the rest; and he delivered a speech to that effect, and then arose from his speech to revel, and took a lady to dance withal, as likewise did the lord ambassador, and the pensioners and courtiers; so that the rest of the night was passed in such pastimes, which, being carefully conducted, did so delight the nobility and other gentle visitors, that Graya recovered its lost dignity, and was held in greater honor than before.

Upon the following day, the prince, attended by his courtiers, and accompanied by the ambassador of Templaria, with his train, made a progress from his court of Graya to the lord mayor's house, called Crosby Place, in Bishopsgate Street, whither he had been invited by his lordship to dinner. His highness was bravely mounted upon a rich foot-cloth; the ambassador likewise riding near him; the gentlemen attending with the prince's officers, and the ambassador's favourites going before, and the others coming behind the prince. Every one had his feather in his cap, the Grayans using white, and the Templarians using ashcolored feathers. The prince's attendants were to the number of fourscore, all bravely appointed, and mounted on great horses, with foot-cloths according to their rank. Thus they rode very gallantly from Gray's Inn, through Chancery Lane, Fleet Street, and so through Cheapside and Cornhill, to Crosby Place, where was a sumptuous and costly dinner for the prince and all his attendants, with variety of music and all good entertainment. Dinner being ended, the prince and his company revelled a while, and then returned again in the same order as he went; the streets being filled with people, who thought there had been some great prince in very deed passing through the city. This popular show greatly pleased the lord mayor and his commonalty, as well as the great lords, and others of good condition.

Shortly after this show the ambassador of Templaria was gracefully recalled to give an account of his mission, and was honorably dismissed, and accompanied homeward by the nobles of Peerpoole.

The next grand night was upon Twelfth

Day, at night. When the honourable and worshipful company of lords, ladies, and knights, were, as at other times, assembled and conveniently placed, according to their condition; and when the prince was enthroned, and the trumpet had sounded, there was presented a show concerning his highness's state and authority, taken from the device of the prince's arms, as as they were blazoned in the beginning of his reign, by his king at arms.

First, six knights of the helmet, and three others attired like miscreants, whom, on returning from Russia, they had surprised and captured, for conspiracy against his highness's government, but could not prevail on them to disclose their names. Then entered two goddesses, Virtue and Amity, who informed the prince that the captives were Envy, Malcontent, and Folly, whose attempts against the state of Graya had been frustrated by these goddesses, who now willed the knights to depart with the offenders. On their departure, Virtue and Amity promised support to his highness against all foes, and departed to pleasant music. Then entered the six knights in a stately masque, and danced a newly devised measure; and afterwards took to them divers ladies and gentlemen, and danced the galliards, and then departed with music.

Then to the sound of trumpets entered the king at arms to the prince, and proclaimed the arrival of an ambassador from the mighty emperor of Russia and Muscovy, on weighty affairs of state. And, by order of the prince, the ambassador was admitted, and he came in the attire of Russia, with two of his own country in like habits, and, making his obeisance, humbly delivered his letters of credence to the prince, who caused them to be read aloud by the king at arms; and then the ambassador made his speech to the prince, soliciting, on behalf of his sovereign, succor from the state of Graya, against the Tartars, and announcing the entrance of a ship richly laden, as a present to the prince. To which speech his highness vouchsafed a princely answer; and, the ambassador being placed in a chair near the throne, there was served up a running banquet to the prince, and the lords and ladies, and the company present, with variety of music.

Then entered a postboy with letters of intelligence concerning the state, from divers parts of his highness's provinces, and delivered them to the secretary, who

made the prince acquainted therewith, and caused them to be read openly and publicly. The first letter, from the canton of Knightsbridge, complained that certain foreigners took goods by force. The second letter, from sea, directed to the lord high admiral, advised of an invasion of Peerpoole by an armada of amazons; also letters from Stapulia and Bernardia, and Low Holborn, informed of plots and rebellion, and insurrection in those parts. After these letters were read, the prince made a long speech, complaining of the cares of his government, and appointed certain lords to suppress these disorders, and then declared his intention of going to Russia. Then, at the end of his speech, the prince, for his farewell, took a lady to dance, and the rest of the courtiers consorted with ladies, and danced in like manner; and, when the revel was finished, the prince departed on his journey to Russia, and the court broke up.

But

His highness remained in Russia until Candlemas, and after glorious conquests, of which his subjects were advised, they purposed to prepare for him a triumphant reception when he should return. these good intentions were frustrated by the readers and ancients, who (on account of the term) had caused the scaffold in the hall (of Grays Inn) to be taken away and enjoined that they should not be rebuilt. Yet, notwithstanding this discomfiture, order was taken by the prince's faithful adherents to make his arrival known, by an ingenious device as followeth :

Upon the 28th of January, the readers and all the society of the Inn being seated at dinner in the hall, there suddenly sounded a trumpet, and, after the third blast, the king at arms entered in the midst and proclaimed the style and title of his sovereign lord Sir Henry, the right excellent and all-conquering Prince of Portpoole, and in his highness's name commanded all his officers, knights, pensioners, and subjects to attend his person at his port of Blackwallia on the first of February, there to perform all offices of obedience and subjection as became their loyalty to so gracious a sovereign.

When the coming of the prince from Russia was thus noised abroad, and it became known that his highness would come up the Thames by Greenwich, where the queen (Elizabeth) then held her court, it was expected that his highness would

land there and do homage to her majesty of England, and the rather because in Christmas there was expectation of his going thither to offer some pastime, which he had not done.

Upon the first of February the prince and his train came in gallant show upon the river Thames, and were met at Blackwall, where, being so near his own territories, he quitted his navy of ships and went with his retinue on board fifteen barges gallantly furnished with standards, pendants, flags, and streamers. Every barge had music and trumpets, and others ordnance and ammunition; and thus bravely appointed they proceeded towards the stairs at Greenwich, where the ordnance was discharged, and the whole fleet sailed round about; and the second time, when the admiral, in which the prince was, came directly before the court stairs, his highnessdespatched two gentlemen with the following letter to Sir Thomas Heneage, then there with her majesty, "Henry, Prince of Portpoole, to the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Heneage, "Most Honourable Knight,

"I have now accomplished a most tedious and hazardous journey, though very honourable, into Russia, and returning within the view of the court of your renowned queen, my gracious sovereign, to whom I acknowledge homage and service, I thought good, in passing by, to kiss her sacred hands, as a tender of the zeal and duty I owe unto her majesty; but, in making the offer, I found my desire was greater than the ability of my body, which, by length of my journey and my sickness at sea, is so weakened, as it were very dangerous for me to adventure it. Therefore, most honourable friend, let me entreat you to make my humble excuse to her majesty for this present: and to certify her highness that I do hope, by the assistance of the divine providence, to recover my former strength about Shrovetide; at which time I intend to repair to her majesty's court (if it may stand with her gracious pleasure), to offer my service, and relate the success of my journey. And so praying your honour to return me her majesty's answer, I wish you all honour and happiness. "Dated from ship-board,

At our Ark of Vanity,

The 1st of February, 1594."The letter being delivered and her ma jesty made acquainted with the contents