resence, so far as to
thrust themselves into the lower part of the hall.

The Earl of Leicester, seeing his officers had some difficulty to repel
these intruders, without more disturbance than was fitting where the
Queen was in presence, arose and went himself to the bottom of the
hall; Elizabeth, at the same time, with her usual feeling for the common
people, requesting that they might be permitted to remain undisturbed
to witness the pageant. Leicester went under this pretext; but his real
motive was to gain a moment to himself, and to relieve his mind, were it
but for one instant, from the dreadful task of hiding, under the guise
of gaiety and gallantry, the lacerating pangs of shame, anger, remorse,
and thirst for vengeance. He imposed silence by his look and sign upon
the vulgar crowd at the lower end of the apartment; but instead of
instantly returning to wait on her Majesty, he wrapped his cloak around
him, and mixing with the crowd, stood in some degree an undistinguished
spectator of the progress of the masque.

Merlin having entered, and advanced into the midst of the hall, summoned
the presenters of the contending bands around him by a wave of his
magical rod, and announced to them, in a poetical speech, that the isle
of Britain was now commanded by a Royal Maiden, to whom it was the will
of fate that they should all do homage, and request of her to pronounce
on the various pretensions which each set forth to be esteemed the
pre-eminent stock, from which the present natives, the happy subjects of
that angelical Princess, derived their lineage.

In obedience to this mandate, the bands, each moving to solemn music,
passed in succession before Elizabeth, doing her, as they passed, each
after the fashion of the people whom they represented, the lowest
and most devotional homage, which she returned with the same gracious
courtesy that had marked her whole conduct since she came to Kenilworth.

The presenters of the several masques or quadrilles then alleged, each
in behalf of his own troop, the reasons which they had for claiming
pre-eminence over the rest; and when they had been all heard in turn,
she returned them this gracious answer: "That she was sorry she was not
better qualified to decide upon the doubtful question which had been
propounded to her by the direction of the famous Merlin, but that it
seemed to her that no single one of these celebrated nations could claim
pre-eminence over the others, as ha