kenilworth-第97章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


described。

The　porter　uttered　a　sort　of　yell；　which　came　not　amiss　into　his
part；　started　up　with　his　club；　and　dealt　a　sound　douse　or　two　on
each　side　of　him；　and　then；　like　a　coach…horse　pricked　by　the
spur；　started　off　at　once　into　the　full　career　of　his　address；
and　by　dint　of　active　prompting　on　the　part　of　Dickie　Sludge；
delivered；　in　sounds　of　gigantic　intonation；　a　speech　which　may
be　thus　abridgedthe　reader　being　to　suppose　that　the　first
lines　were　addressed　to　the　throng　who　approached　the　gateway；
the　conclusion；　at　the　approach　of　the　Queen；　upon　sight　of　whom；
as　struck　by　some　heavenly　vision；　the　gigantic　warder　dropped
his　club；　resigned　his　keys；　and　gave　open　way　to　the　Goddess　of
the　night；　and　all　her　magnificent　train。

　　〃What　stir；　what　turmoil；　have　we　for　the　nones？
　　Stand　back；　my　masters；　or　beware　your　bones！
　　Sirs；　I'm　a　warder；　and　no　man　of　straw；
　　My　voice　keeps　order；　and　my　club　gives　law。

　　Yet　softnay；　staywhat　vision　have　we　here？
　　What　dainty　darling's　thiswhat　peerless　peer？
　　What　loveliest　face；　that　loving　ranks　unfold；
　　Like　brightest　diamond　chased　in　purest　gold？
　　Dazzled　and　blind；　mine　office　I　forsake；
　　My　club；　my　key；　my　knee；　my　homage　take。
　　Bright　paragon；　pass　on　in　joy　and　bliss；
　　Beshrew　the　gate　that　opes　not　wide　at　such　a　sight　as　this！〃

＇This　is　an　imitation　of　Gascoigne's　verses　spoken　by　the
Herculean　porter；　as　mentioned　in　the　text。　　The　original　may　be
found　in　the　republication　of　the　Princely　Pleasures　of
Kenilworth；　by　the　same　author；　in　the　History　of　Kenilworth
already　quoted。　　Chiswick；　1821。＇

Elizabeth　received　most　graciously　the　homage　of　the　Herculean
porter；　and；　bending　her　head　to　him　in　requital；　passed　through
his　guarded　tower；　from　the　top　of　which　was　poured　a　clamorous
blast　of　warlike　music；　which　was　replied　to　by　other　bands　of
minstrelsy　placed　at　different　points　on　the　Castle　walls；　and　by
others　again　stationed　in　the　Chase；　while　the　tones　of　the　one；
as　they　yet　vibrated　on　the　echoes；　were　caught　up　and　answered
by　new　harmony　from　different　quarters。

Amidst　these　bursts　of　music；　which；　as　if　the　work　of
enchantment；　seemed　now　close　at　hand；　now　softened　by　distant
space；　now　wailing　so　low　and　sweet　as　if　that　distance　were
gradually　prolonged　until　only　the　last　lingering　strains　could
reach　the　ear；　Queen　Elizabeth　crossed　the　Gallery…tower；　and
came　upon　the　long　bridge；　which　extended　from　thence　to
Mortimer's　Tower；　and　which　was　already　as　light　as　day；　so　many
torches　had　been　fastened　to　the　palisades　on　either　side。　　Most
of　the　nobles　here　alighted；　and　sent　their　horses　to　the
neighbouring　village　of　Kenilworth；　following　the　Queen　on　foot；
as　did　the　gentlemen　who　had　stood　in　array　to　receive　her　at　the
Gallery…tower。

On　this　occasion；　as　at　different　times　during　the　evening；
Raleigh　addressed　himself　to　Tressilian；　and　was　not　a　little
surprised　at　his　vague　and　unsatisfactory　answers；　which；　joined
to　his　leaving　his　apartment　without　any　assigned　reason；
appearing　in　an　undress　when　it　was　likely　to　be　offensive　to　the
Queen；　and　some　other　symptoms　of　irregularity　which　he　thought
he　discovered；　led　him　to　doubt　whether　his　friend　did　not　labour
under　some　temporary　derangement。

Meanwhile；　the　Queen　had　no　sooner　stepped　on　the　bridge　than　a
new　spectacle　was　provided；　for　as　soon　as　the　music　gave　signal
that　she　was　so　far　advanced；　a　raft；　so　disposed　as　to　resemble
a　small　floating　island；　illuminated　by　a　great　variety　of
torches；　and　surrounded　by　floating　pageants　formed　to　represent
sea…horses；　on　which　sat　Tritons；　Nereids；　and　other　fabulous
deities　of　the　seas　and　rivers；　made　its　appearance　upon　the
lake；　and　issuing　from　behind　a　small　heronry　where　it　had　been
concealed；　floated　gently　towards　the　farther　end　of　the　bridge。

On　the　islet　appeared　a　beautiful　woman；　clad　in　a　watchet…
coloured　silken　mantle；　bound　with　a　broad　girdle　inscribed　with
characters　like　the　phylacteries　of　the　Hebrews。　　Her　feet　and
arms　were　bare；　but　her　wrists　and　ankles　were　adorned　with　gold
bracelets　of　uncommon　size。　　Amidst　her　long；　silky　black　hair
she　wore　a　crown　or　chaplet　of　artificial　mistletoe；　and　bore　in
her　hand　a　rod　of　ebony　tipped　with　silver。　　Two　Nymphs　attended
on　her；　dressed　in　the　same　antique　and　mystical　guise。

The　pageant　was　so　well　managed　that　this　Lady　of　the　Floating
Island；　having　performed　her　voyage　with　much　picturesque　effect；
landed　at　Mortimer's　Tower　with　her　two　attendants　just　as
Elizabeth　presented　herself　before　that　outwork。　　The　stranger
then；　in　a　well…penned　speech；　announced　herself　as　that　famous
Lady　of　the　Lake　renowned　in　the　stories　of　King　Arthur；　who　had
nursed　the　youth　of　the　redoubted　Sir　Lancelot；　and　whose　beauty
'had　proved　too　powerful　both　for　the　wisdom　and　the　spells　of
the　mighty　Merlin。　　Since　that　early　period　she　had　remained
possessed　of　her　crystal　dominions；　she　said；　despite　the　various
men　of　fame　and　might　by　whom　Kenilworth　had　been　successively
tenanted。　　'The　Saxons；　the　Danes；　the　Normans；　the　Saintlowes；
the　Clintons；　the　Montforts；　the　Mortimers；　the　Plantagenets；
great　though　they　were　in　arms　and　magnificence；　had　never；　she
said；　caused　her　to　raise　her　head　from　the　waters　which　hid　her
crystal　palace。　　But　a　greater　than　all　these　great　names　had　now
appeared；　and　she　came　in　homage　and　duty　to　welcome　the　peerless
Elizabeth　to　all　sport　which　the　Castle　and　its　environs；　which
lake　or　land；　could　afford。

The　Queen　received　this　address　also　with　great　courtesy；　and
made　answer　in　raillery；　〃We　thought　this　lake　had　belonged　to
our　own　dominions；　fair　dame；　but　since　so　famed　a　lady　claims　it
for　hers；　we　will　be　glad　at　some　other　time　to　have　further
communing　with　you　touching　our　joint　interests。〃

With　this　gracious　answer　the　Lady　of　the　Lake　vanished；　and
Arion；　who　was　amongst　the　maritime　deities；　appeared　upon　his
dolphin。　　But　Lambourne；　who　had　taken　upon　him　the　part　in　the
absence　of　Wayland；　being　chilled　with　remaining　immersed　in　an
element　to　which　he　was　not　friendly；　having　never　got　his　speech
by　heart；　and　not　having；　like　the　porter；　the　advantage　of　a
prompter；　paid　it　off　with　impudence；　tearing　off　his　vizard；　and
swearing；　〃Cogs　bones！　　he　was　none　of　Arion　or　Orion　either；　but
honest　Mike　Lambourne；　that　had　been　drinking　her　Majesty's
health　from　morning　till　midnight；　and　was　come　to　bid　her
heartily　welcome　to　Kenilworth　Castle。〃

This　unpremeditated　buffoonery　answered　the　purpose　probably
better　than　the　set　speech　would　have　done。　　The　Queen　laughed
heartily；　and　swore　（in　her　turn）　that　he　had　made　the　best
speech　she　had　heard　that　day。　　Lambourne；　who　instantly　saw　his
jest　had　saved　his　bones；　jumped　on　shore；　gave　his　dolphin　a
kick；　and　declared　he　would　never　meddle　with　fish　again；　except
at　dinner。

At　the　same　time　that　the　Queen　was　about　to　enter　the　Castle；
that　memorable　discharge　of　fireworks　by　water　and　land　took
place；　which　Master　Laneham；　formerly　introduced　to　the　reader；
has　strained　all　his　eloquence　to　describe。

〃Such；〃　says　the　Clerk　of　the　Council…chamber　door　〃was　the　blaze
of　burning　darts；　the　gleams　of　stars　coruscant；　the　streams　and
hail　of　fiery　sparks；　lightnings　of　wildfire；　and　flight…shot　of
thunderbolts；　with　continuance；　terror；　and　vehemency；　that　the
heavens　thundered；　the　waters　surged；　and　the　earth　shook；　and
for　my　part；　hardy　as　I　am；　it　made　me　very　vengeably　afraid。〃

＇See　Laneham's　Account　of　the　Queen's　Entertainment　at
Killingworth　Castle；　in　1575；　a　very　diverting　tract；　written　by
as　great　a　coxcomb　as　ever　blotted　paper。　　＇See　Note　6＇　　The
original　is　extremely　rare；　but　it　has　been　twice　reprinted；　once
in　Mr。　Nichols's　very　curious　and　interesting　collection　of　the
Progresses　and　Public　Processions　of　Queen　Elizabeth；　vol。i。　　and
more　lately　in　a　beautiful　antiquarian　publication；　termed
KENILWORTH　ILLUSTRATED；　printed　at　Chiswick；　for　Meridew　of
Coventry　and　Radcliffe　of　Birmingham。　　It　contains　reprints　of
Laneham's　Letter；　Gascoigne's　PrinceIy　Progress；　and　other　scarce
pieces；　an