eturn to Devonshire, he told them that he
thought they ought to wait until he had communicated with the
Queen, and had seen whether she would wish to see the gentlemen in
whom she had kindly expressed interest.

Captain Drake had received the honor of knighthood from the Queen's
hand on his return from his voyage, and was now Sir Francis Drake,
and was for the time the popular idol of the people, whose national
pride was deeply gratified at the feat of circumnavigation, now for
the first time performed by one of their countrymen.

Captain Drake dispatched a letter to her majesty at Westminster,
and the following day a royal messenger arrived, with an order that
he should bring the four gentlemen adventurers with him, and
present them to her majesty. The young men felt not a little awed
at the thought of being received by Queen Elizabeth. But upon their
presentation by Sir Francis, the Queen received them with so much
condescension and grace that their fears were speedily removed.

"I thought," she said to Captain Drake, "that I should see four
huge and bearded paladins. You told me indeed that they were young,
but I had not pictured to myself that they were still beardless
striplings, although in point of size they do credit to their
native country.

"I love to listen to tales of adventure," she continued, "and beg
that you will now recite to me the story of those portions of your
voyage, and journeyings, of which I have not heard from the lips of
Sir Francis."

Then, modestly, Ned recited the story of their journey across
America, and afterwards took up the narrative at the point when
they left the ship, and her majesty was pleased to laugh hugely at
the story of their masquerading as gods. When they had finished she
invited them to a banquet, to be given at Greenwich on the
following day, gave them her hand to kiss, and presented each with
a diamond ring, in token of her royal favor.

The following day they went down in the barge of Sir Francis Drake,
which formed part of the grand cortege which accompanied her
majesty on her water passage to Greenwich. There a royal banquet
was held, with much splendor and display; after which a masque,
prepared by those ingenious authors Mr. Beaumont and Mr. Fletcher,
was enacted before her.

Three days later they embarked upon a country ship, bound for
Plymouth, and after a rough tossing in the Channel, landed there.
They were received with much honor by the mayor and dig