The time approacheth for their
approaches, but no time shall stay me from wishing, that however this
succeed the world may long enjoy its chiefest ornament, which decks it
with herself, and herself with the love of goodness."

The rolling mount was now moved close to the queen, the music sounded,
and one of the boys accompanied with cornets sung a fresh summons to the
fortress.

When this was ended, another boy, turning to the challengers and their
retinue, sung an alarm, which ended, the two canons were shot off, 'the
one with sweet powder and the other with sweet water, very odoriferous
and pleasant, and the noise of the shooting was very excellent consent
of melody within the mount. And after that, was store of pretty
scaling-ladders, and the footmen threw flowers and such fancies against
the walls, with all such devices as might seem fit shot for Desire. All
which did continue till time the defendants came in.' These were above
twenty in number, and each accompanied by his servants, pages, and
trumpeters. Speeches were delivered to the queen on the part of these
knights, several of whom appeared in some assumed character; sir Thomas
Perrot and Anthony Cook thought proper to personate Adam and Eve; the
latter having 'hair hung all down his helmet.' The messenger sent on the
part of Thomas Ratcliff described his master as a forlorn knight, whom
despair of achieving the favor of his peerless and sunlike mistress had
driven out of the haunts of men into a cave of the desert, where moss
was his couch, and moss, moistened by tears, his only food. Even here
however the report of this assault upon the castle of Perfect Beauty had
reached his ears, and roused him from his slumber of despondency; and in
token of his devoted loyalty and inviolable fidelity to his divine lady,
he sent his shield, which he in treated her to accept as the ensign of
her fame, and the instrument of his glory, prostrating himself at her
feet as one ready to undertake any adventures in hope of her gracious
favor.--Of this romantic picture of devoted and despairing passion the
description of Amadis de Gaul at the Poor Rock seems to have been the
prototype.

On the part of the four sons of sir Francis Knolles, Mercury appeared,
and described them as 'legitimate sons of Despair, brethren to hard
mishap, suckled with sighs, and swathed up in sorrow, weaned in woe, and
dry nursed by Desire, longtime fostered with favorable countenance, and
fed with sw