when most suddenly the Custos of St. George's chapel entered the apartment, followed by divers canons and servitors, and one or two sisters of the order of St. Austin, In truth I can but ill depict, how the good Christopher Urswicke and his followers started at thus seeing me, as it might seem, wooing the daughter of a king, and a virgin devoted unto the cloister. The red flush of anger rose upon their cheeks, and a dark light seemed to come forth of their eyes, whilst from every tongue the words of wrath came full rapidly and fiercely. "Saints of Heaven!" cried the Custos, "and is it thus the very house and daughter of God are profaned by a foreign stranger! is it thus that a maiden of royal blood, as the holy 'Vangil saith,' de domo et familia David,' one of the very house and line of David, can forget her high estate and sacred espousals, to listen, in an hour of danger, and even in her father's palace, to the rude homage of a nameless soldier-Lady," continued he, solemnly shaking his head, "this is not well,--this is not well." "It is indeed not well, most reverend Decanus," answered I, starting upon my feet, "to deem that the Lady Bride would hear, or that I should speak, aught to which angels and men might not alike listen. You call me a nameless soldier, and unto you I may indeed be such; but were my lineage inade known, there would not be found a loftier in the broad realm of England! And yet do I esteem it no small honour to have rescued the Lady Bride, when her holy sisters had fled from her, and her servitors were more likely to have fired VOL. II.-F her lodging in their brawling cups, than to have saved her from the flames: had their aid been at hand, mine had been uncalled for." It was in truth somewhat strange that, speaking at a venture as I now did, I should so exactly guess the cause of that night's brief and sudden alarm; the which did at length prove to have arisen from the carousing lackeys, who had set fire unto those low wooden buildings beneath the Lady Bride's window in the lodgings of the Decanus. As I spake, methought I saw some of the servitors, who seemed hastily to have taken up their weapons, start forward; and in especial one tall stout fellow, in rusty armour, whose face was shaded by his headpiece: howbeit, the spirit of mine ancestors was quick within my veins, and I recked not the number or 'vantage of my foes, but bore me against them with lofty speech and unyielding look. Nevertheless, the boisterous clamour was again renewed; and though it might be that little harm was intended me, yet all menaced; when the Lady Bride, in a resolute though gentle voice, commanded that none should harm me; since I had saved her life with much hazard unto myself, and, for more security, had conducted her unto the cloisters. "Small danger, I trow, was there, Lady Bride," thereupon answered one of the Austin nuns, "since all the fearful blaze, as the stranger hath well said, came but from some drunken servitors who had fired their lodging, which thou knowest might never have burned the stone chambers Love." i "Then small, I trow, sister Maude," returned the Lady Bride with a gentle quickness of answer, "small, I trow, was the courage wanted to withstand it; albeit certain of my companions did fly éven from that light danger." But, whilst she spake, her deportment, which was uncommonly mild as the soft gale of even-tide, became so full of dignity and boldness, that they who stood by were at once subdued into silence, as she commanded that I should go forth in the morning without farther question, seeing that I was bearing unto London certain jewels belonging to the late queen her mother. And this her so generous effort on my behalf, did well show unto me that courage, not less than virtue, doth evermore spring in a truly royal bosom, being divinely implanted and brought forth therein by God. Upon this, however, they no longer flouted me, but gave their best care to the Lady Bride in conveying her unto another lodging; and thus was that fair one and myself again most rudely parted. Yet, as she went forth, she once more looked round unto me, and, as our eyes met, I saw holy resignation in her visage, which admonished me of our duty, though blended, as methought, with somewhat of regret for our separating thus; and she also waved her hand unto me with gratitude and dignity. The ancient Custos then told me, that as I had not scrupled to address a betrothed daughter of the church with unholy words even within the college walls, I might no longer look for harbour or entertainment there, but that I must begone when the castle should first be opened in the morning; unto which he secretly added, "I well believe the princess is most virtuous, and your self an honest soldier; though, for your own sake, as a benefactor unto our chapel, I wish you a safe and speedy departure. Keep out of the main road if you may, and go any whither rather than to London for a brief space; and so I commit you unto the keeping of God." I followed this counsel as closely as I might. travelling a most wearisome journey through wild and cross roads unto Leicester, where I made the Lady Margaret's offering at the church of the Gray-Friars, and added thereunto mine own poor dole for the health of the soul of king Richard; both of the which pious gifts have since been seized upon as spoil by the turbulent son of Harry Tudor, and even my father's sepulchre laid in ruins by his riotous followers. Albeit my road thither was full of hazard, far longer and more wearisome than it would have been to have gone unto London, and thence to Leicester, yet did I beguile it by divers thoughts of the Lady Bride and my converse with her; wherein mine heart did exult, in despite of all the contumely which I had endured. He only, who hath witnessed the sweet smile, and heard the melting voice of peerless beauty, when benignly listening unto a suppliant's suit, he only, I say, can imagine unto himself the delight with which I thought over all her words and glances. And even now, too, when time hath shorn away the brown locks of youth and manhood,-now, when the bright blue eyes have become dim and shaded, and mine enfeebled limbs stiff and weak, and my "strong men bow themselves,”—even now doth my breast glow with a fire not its own, when I bethink me of that blissful hour. I was |