“The frown of your Highness bows me to the earth,” answered Cecil, dropping his gaze to the floor, and really feeling very great terror. “Indeed, indeed, my liege, I had determined to cast him utterly from me, but when I heard his right eloquent tongue, which certainly hath few peers, discourse of your Highness’s captivating charms—of your admirable learning, politics, piety, and matchless goodness, my heart warmed to him in despite of me, and, from being his enemy, I became his friend.”
“Well, well, I pardon thee for once,” said the Queen; “but speak of him no more. Certes, he hath as winning a discourse as I have ever heard.”
“To hear him,” observed Cecil, with more confidence, “likening your Highness in authority to Semiramis, in resolution to Zenobia, in piety to Helena, and in beauty to Cleopatra. In good faith, ’twas moving!”
“Did he do this?” asked the Queen, in a low voice.
“With more earnestness than I can speak of, my liege,” replied Cecil. “But when he did enlarge on your Highness’s bountiful disposition, and, with piteous sighs, set forth how many great things your Highness had done for his poor self—saying, ’twas she gained me this, or ’twas her raised me to that, and ’twas her royal hand (and thereat he would look so grievously sorrowful) that presented me with such a thing; and, withal, delivering himself with such admirable tenderness—i’faith, mine eyes were almost moved to tears.”
The Queen made no reply for a brief space. “By my troth,” she said, at length, “I can well believe thee. But I will not pardon him. No—not a jot! Still, an’ thou likest, on thine own conjecture, to tell him not to be of desperate mind, thou mayst.”
“Knowing the royal nature of your Highness, I will even advise him so,” answered Cecil. “But if thou wouldst suffer me, as ’twere without thy privity, to place him behind some screen, where, unseen by thee, he might behold thee pass by, and so once more view thy face, ’twould be more comfortable to his poor heart than aught that can be said by me.”
“By my troth, thou movest me!” returned the Queen. “But I will not pardon him! He knoweth a mode may persuade me, though. Counsel him to think on’t.”