s, nor even as the
King's. The cressets, I saw, most of them, were of brass, not silver;
the brocades, which were Portuguese, were a little faded here and there;
and there was not near the show of gold and silver plate that I had
expected. But of all the sights there, I think Her Majesty was the most
melancholy. She was dressed very splendid; and her skirt was so stiff
with bullion that it scarce fell in folds at all. Her pearls were
magnificent, but too many of them; for her _coiffure_ was full of them.
She resembled, to my mind, a sorrowful child dressed up for a play. Her
complexion was very dark and faded, though her features were
well-formed, all except her mouth. She was a little like a very pretty
monkey, if such a thing can be conceived. She sat under her state, with
an empty chair beside her--very upright, with the Countess of Suffolk
and her other ladies round about her and behind her. She appeared
altogether ill at ease, and eyed continually down the length of the
gallery along which His Majesty would come, if indeed he came at all;
for he had a way of sending a sudden message that he could not; and all
the world knew where he would be instead.

To-night, however, he kept his word and came.

I was in one of the antechambers at the time, talking to a couple of
gentlemen and to one of the Queen's Portuguese chaplains who knew a
little Italian, when I heard the music playing, and ran out in time to
see him go past from the way that led from his own lodgings. He seemed
in a very merry mood this evening, and was smiling as he walked, very
fast, as usual. He was in a dark yellow and gold brocade that set off
the darkness of his complexion wonderful well, and a dark brown periwig
with his hat upon it; and he wore his Garter and Star. The crowd closed
in behind his gentlemen so that I could not get near him; and when I
came up he was on his chair by Her Majesty, and she smiling and
tremulous with happiness, and the Moors coming up one by one to kiss his
hand.

I could not hear very well what the interpreter was saying, when all
this was done; but I heard him speak of a gift of thirty ostriches that
this Moorish mission had brought as a gift to him.

His Majesty laughed loud when he heard that.

"I can send nothing more proper back again," said he, "than a flock of
geese. I have enough and to spare of them."

Then, when all about were laughing, he turned very solemn. "You had best
not tell them that," he said;