secure the ready cash.

As an intellectual climax to the splendid, royal nuptials, King James
invited to the wedding banquet three thousand of the most noted men and
women of the world and informed his guests that at the conclusion of the
feast the most wonderful dramatic artist of the age--William Shakspere,
would recite in monologue from his own plays rare bits of philosophic
eloquence.

The benevolent reader will be glad to know and see that I have carefully
preserved the following autographic note of His Majesty King James,
inviting William to the wedding banquet:

"WHITEHALL, Feb. 14th, 1613.

"To WILLIAM SHAKSPERE, "Our Royal
Dramatic Poet.

"GREAT SIR: You will appear this evening at seven o'clock, at
Whitehall, to entertain by monologue, at nuptial banquet, three
thousand guests.

"JAMES, Rex."

The Archbishop of Canterbury tied the nuptial knot. The bride and groom,
arrayed in white satin and German purple, respectively, looked magnificent
as they knelt at the palace altar to receive the final blessing of the
Episcopal Church amid the glorious greetings of wealth and power.

Fourteen salutes from the royal artillery in honor of Frederick and
Elizabeth and St. Valentine's Day, echoed from the heights of Whitehall,
and carrier pigeons with love notes were sent flying over the temples,
churches and towers of London to notify all loyal subjects that the throne
of old Albion had been strengthened by an infusion of Germanic blood.

Promptly at seven o'clock St. Valentine's evening, Richard Burbage, Ben
Jonson, Shakspere and myself drove up in our festooned carriage to the
palace portals of Whitehall, and were ushered into the presence of the
great assembly doing honor to the royal bride and groom, Frederick and
Elizabeth.

The King sat on a throne chair at the head of the banquet board, with his
daughter and son-in-law on his left, while the Queen sat on his right.

The other royal guests were seated according to their ancestral rank, while
our dramatic quartette occupied a special table, William at the head on the
right of the King and Queen, elevated as an improvised stage, with
Shakspere, the most intellectual man of the world, "the observed of all
observers!"

The play of knife and fork, laugh and jest, toast and talk lasted for two
hours, and then as the foam on the brim of the beakers began to sparkle,
the King, in his royal robes arose, and said:

"My loyal