WALTER RALEIGH AND QUEEN ELIZABETH

The gates opened and ushers began to issue forth in array, preceded and flanked by the band of gentlemen pensioners. After these came the queen, amid a crowd of lords and ladies.

Walter Raleigh had never yet approached so near his sovereign, and he pressed forward as far as the line of warders permitted. Unbonneting, he fixed his eager gaze on the queen's approach, with a mixture of respectful curiosity and modest admiration.

The night had been rainy, and just where the young gentleman stood, a little pool of muddy water interrupted the queen's passage. As she hesitated, Walter, throwing his cloak from his shoulders, laid it on the miry spot. Elizabeth looked at the young man, who accompanied this act of devoted courtesy with a profound reverence. The queen nodded her head, passed on, and embarked in her barge.

"Come along, Sir Coxcomb," said Blount; "your gay cloak will need the brush today."

"This cloak," said the youth, "shall never be brushed while in my possession.”

Their discourse was here interrupted by one of the band of pensioners.

"I was sent, ," said he, "to a young gentleman who hath no cloak, or a muddy one. You, sir, I think," addressing Walter, "are the man. Please follow me."

He ushered the youth into one of the wherries which lay ready to attend the queen's barge. From this, Walter was desired to step into the queen's barge. The mud-dyed cloak still hung upon his arm and formed the natural topic with which the queen introduced the conversation.

"You have this day spoiled a gay mantle in our behalf. Go to the wardrobe keeper, and he shall have orders to replace the suit which you cast away in our service. Thou shalt have a suit, and that of the newest cut, I promise thee, on the word of a princess."

"May it please your grace," said Walter, hesitating, "if it became me to choose -"

"Thou wouldst have gold, I warrant me," said the queen, interrupting him.

Walter modestly assured the queen that gold was still less his wish than the raiment her majesty had before offered.

"How, boy!" rejoined the queen, "neither gold nor garment? What is't thou wouldst have of me, then?"

"Only permission, madam- if it is not asking too high an honor permission to wear the cloak which did you this trifling service."

"Permission to wear thine own cloak, thou silly boy?" said the queen.

"It is no longer mine," said Walter. "When your majesty's foot touched it, it became a fit mantle for a prince, but far too rich for its former owner."

The queen blushed.

"Young man, what is thy name and birth?"

"Raleigh is my name, most gracious queen, the youngest son of a large but honorable family of Devonshire."

"Raleigh?" said Elizabeth, after a moment's recollection. "Have we not heard of your service in Ireland?"

"I have been so fortunate as to do some service there, madam," replied Raleigh; "scarce, however, of consequence sufficient to reach your grace's ears.

"Master Raleigh," said the queen, "see thou fail not to wear thy muddy cloak, till our pleasure be further known. And here," she added, giving him a jewel of gold in the form of a chessman, "I give thee this to wear at the collar."

Raleigh knelt, and as he took from her hand the jewel, kissed the fingers which gave it.

Sir Walter Scott.

2. Study of Story.

By what act did Walter Raleigh attract the attention of the queen?

How did she wish to repay his service?

What favor did he ask of the queen?

What gift did he receive from the queen?

How do you account for the fact that Raleigh was the only one who thought of covering over the muddy place? What characteristics does Walter Raleigh show in this meeting with the queen that would seem to promise success in his future?

In what way is Raleigh connected with the history of our country?

How is Queen Elizabeth connected with the history of our country?

3. Word Study.

Look up in the Glossary the pronunciation and meaning of the following:

Study the picture on page 238 and be prepared to discuss

the following questions:

(a) What do you think the man is telling young Walter Raleigh and his companion?

(b) What shows you that the boys are interested in the

story?

(c) What stories of Raleigh's later life show the influence of the sea-tales he heard during his boyhood?

LESSON 66 COMPOSITION

Write for the school paper the story of Walter Raleigh's cloak.

Test your work by the form given on page 5.

Memorize the following lines from Tennyson, and quote them in your story:

For manners are not idle, but the fruit

Of loyal nature and of noble mind.

What forms of the verb go are used above in the six tenses?

Notice that three forms, go, went, and gone, with the help of have, has, had, shall, and will, make the six tense forms.

What forms of the verb write are used to make the six tenses? What forms of the verb break? What forms of the verb know?

Because of the fact that the present tense, the past tense, and the past participle, only, are ordinarily needed as the basis for forming all the tenses, these three forms are called the principal parts of a verb.