me; 'thou hast done great service to the realm, and to religion. It was
good to save Earl Brandir, a loyal and Catholic nobleman; but it was
great service to catch two of the vilest bloodhounds ever laid on by
heretics. And to make them shoot one another: it was rare; it was rare,
my lad. Now ask us anything in reason; thou canst carry any honours, on
thy club, like Hercules. What is thy chief ambition, lad?'

'Well,' said I, after thinking a little, and meaning to make the most
of it, for so the Queen's eyes conveyed to me; 'my mother always used to
think that having been schooled at Tiverton, with thirty marks a year to
pay, I was worthy of a coat of arms. And that is what she longs for.'

'A good lad! A very good lad,' said the King, and he looked at the
Queen, as if almost in joke; 'but what is thy condition in life?'

'I am a freeholder,' I answered, in my confusion, 'ever since the time
of King Alfred. A Ridd was with him in the isle of Athelney, and we hold
our farm by gift from him; or at least people say so. We have had three
very good harvests running, and might support a coat of arms; but for
myself I want it not.'

'Thou shalt have a coat, my lad,' said the King, smiling at his own
humour; 'but it must be a large one to fit thee. And more than that
shalt thou have, John Ridd, being of such loyal breed, and having done
such service.'

And while I wondered what he meant, he called to some of the people in
waiting at the farther end of the room, and they brought him a little
sword, such as Annie would skewer a turkey with. Then he signified to me
to kneel, which I did (after dusting the board, for the sake of my
best breeches), and then he gave me a little tap very nicely upon my
shoulder, before I knew what he was up to; and said, 'Arise, Sir John
Ridd!'

This astonished and amazed me to such extent of loss of mind, that when
I got up I looked about, and thought what the Snowes would think of it.
And I said to the King, without forms of speech,--

'Sir, I am very much obliged. But what be I to do with it?'

CHAPTER LXIX

NOT TO BE PUT UP WITH

The coat of arms, devised for me by the Royal heralds, was of great
size, and rich colours, and full of bright imaginings. They did me the
honour to consult me first, and to take no notice of my advice. For I
begged that there might be a good-sized cow on it, so as to stamp our
pats of butter before they went to market: also a horse on the other
side, and