The night after our arrival Sir Walter Raleigh gave a grand banquet at the Mermaid Club to the principal wits of London.
Burbage, Florio, Field, William and myself were invited as special guests, in honor of the poetic and dramatic association.
Representative authors and actors of the various theatrical companies were present at the festive war of wits.
The Queen's men, and those who played under the patronage of Leicester, Pembroke, Burleigh, and the Lord Admiral were there, while Henslowe, the owner of the Rose Theatre on Bankside, with his son-in-law, Edward Alleyn, the noted actor, shone in all their borrowed glory.
Spenser, Drayton, Marlowe, Kyd, Nash, Chettle, Peele, Greene, and a young author, Ben Jonson, were a few of the literary luminaries present.
A contingent of London lords, patrons of authors and actors graced the scene. Essex, Southampton, Pembroke, Cecil, Mortimer, Burleigh and Lord Bacon occupied prominent places at the angle table of the club, where Raleigh sat as master of ceremonies.
Promptly at eleven o'clock, the great courtier, sailor and discoverer arose from his elevated chair and proposed a toast to the Virgin and Fairy Queen!
All stood to their tankards and drank unanimously to the Virgin Queen.
I thought I observed a flash of secret smiles pictured on the lips of Essex, Spenser, Bacon and Raleigh when Elizabeth was toasted as the Virgin Queen; and William whispered in my ear:
"Her virtues graced with eternal gifts,
Do breed love's settled passions in my heart!"