een, your godmother, sending her own Chamberlain
to take charge of you, and to be your Guardian,
and Governor of the Island. Sure, the wind
itself must slacken coming to this sheltered place.

_3rd Prince_: That is a great thing. I would
not wish the rough wind to be blowing upon me.

_4th Prince_: Or the dust to be rising and coming
in among us to spoil our suits.

_5th Prince_: Or to be walking out on the hard
roads, or climbing over stone walls, or tearing
ourselves in hedges.

_1st Prince_: That is the reason we were sent
here by the Queen, our Godmother, in place of
being sent to any school. To be kept safe and
secure.

_2nd Prince_: Not to be running here and there
like our own poor five first cousins, that used to
be slipping out and rambling in their young youth,
till they were swallowed up by the sea.

_3rd Prince_: It was maybe by some big fish of
the sea.

_2nd Prince_: It might be they were brought
away by sea-robbers coming in a ship.

_3rd Prince_: Foolish they were and very foolish
not to stay in peace and comfort in the house where
they were safe.

_Servant_: There is no fear of _ye_ stirring from
where you are, having every whole thing ye can
wish.

_4th Prince_: Here is the Guardian coming!

(_They all rise_.)

_Guardian_: (_A very old man, much encumbered
with wraps, coming slowly in_.) Are you all here,
all the five of you?

_All_: We are here!

_Guardian_: (_Standing, leaning on a stick, to
address them_.) It's a pity that these being holidays,
your teachers and tutors are far away.

Gone off afloat in a cedar boat to a College of
Learning out in Cathay.

_1st Prince_: It's a pity indeed they're not here
to-day.

_Guardian_: For it's likely you looked in your
almanacs, or judged by the shape of the lessening
moon,
That your Godmother's Dowager Messengers are
due to arrive this afternoon.

_2nd Prince_: We did and we think they'll be
here very soon.

_Guardian_: But I know they'll be glad that each
royal lad, put under my rule in place of a school,
Can fashion his life without trouble or strife, and
be shielded from care in a nice easy chair.

_3rd Prince_: As we always are and we always
were.

_Guardian_: It is part of my knowledge that lads
in a college, and made play one and all with a bat
and a ball,
Come often to harm with a knock on the arm,
and their hands get as hard as the hands of a clown.

_4th Prince_: But ours are as soft as thistledown.

_G