ed and the fresh
Spanish gloves drawn on, they resorted.

The Queen walked freely there without guards--without even swords being
worn by the gentlemen in attendance--loving as she did to display her
confidence in her people. No precautions were taken, but they were
allowed to gather together on the greensward to watch her, as among the
beautiful shady trees she paced along.

The eyes of the two youths were eagerly directed towards her, as they
followed Lord Talbot. Was she not indeed the cynosure of all the
realm? Did she not hold the heart of every loyal Englishman by an
invisible rein? Was not her favour their dream and their reward? She
was a little in advance of her suite. Her hair, of that light sandy
tint which is slow to whiten, was built up in curls under a rich stiff
coif, covered with silver lace, and lifted high at the temples. From
this a light gauze veil hung round her shoulders and over her splendid
standing ruff, which stood up like the erected neck ornaments of some
birds, opening in front, and showing the lesser ruff or frill
encircling her throat, and terminating a lace tucker within her low-cut
boddice. Rich necklaces, the jewel of the Garter, and a whole
constellation of brilliants, decorated her bosom, and the boddice of
her blue satin dress and its sleeves were laced with seed pearls. The
waist, a very slender one, was encircled with a gold cord and heavy
tassels, the farthingale spread out its magnificent proportions, and a
richly embroidered white satin petticoat showed itself in front, but
did not conceal the active, well-shaped feet. There was something
extraordinarily majestic in her whole bearing, especially the poise of
her head, which made the spectator never perceive how small her stature
actually was. Her face and complexion, too, were of the cast on which
time is slow to make an impression, being always pale and fair, with
keen and delicately-cut features; so that her admirers had quite as
much reason to be dazzled as when she was half her present age; nay,
perhaps more, for the habit of command had added to the regality which
really was her principal beauty. Sir Christopher Hatton, with a
handsome but very small face at the top of a very tall and portly
frame, dressed in the extreme of foppery, came behind her, and then a
bevy of ladies and gentlemen.

As the Talbots approached, she was moving slowly on, unusually erect
even for her, and her face composed to severe majesty