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kenilworth-第118章

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personal vanity; or could more justly estimate the quantity of
flattery which she could condescend to swallow。  Being confined
in the Tower for some offence; and understanding the Queen was
about to pass to Greenwich in her barge; he insisted on
approaching the window; that he might see; at whatever distance;
the Queen of his Affections; the most beautiful object which the
earth bore on its surface。  The Lieutenant of the Tower (his own
particular friend) threw himself between his prisoner and the
window; while Sir Waiter; apparently influenced by a fit of
unrestrainable passion; swore he would not be debarred from
seeing his light; his life; his goddess!  A scuffle ensued; got
up for effect's sake; in which the Lieutenant and his captive
grappled and struggled with fury; tore each other's hair; and at
length drew daggers; and were only separated by force。  The Queen
being informed of this scene exhibited by her frantic adorer; it
wrought; as was to be expected; much in favour of the captive
Paladin。  There is little doubt that his quarrel with the
Lieutenant was entirely contrived for the purpose which it
produced。

*

Note 6。 Ch。 XVII。ROBERT LANEHAM。

Little is known of Robert Laneham; save in his curious letter to
a friend in London; giving an account of Queen Elizabeth's
entertainments at Kenilworth; written in a style of the most
intolerable affectation; both in point of composition and
orthography。  He describes himself as a BON VIVANT; who was wont
to be jolly and dry in the morning; and by his good…will would be
chiefly in the company of the ladies。  He was; by the interest of
Lord Leicester; Clerk of the Council Chamber door; and also
keeper of the same。  〃When Council sits;〃 says he; 〃I am at hand。
If any makes a babbling; PEACE; say I。  If I see a listener or a
pryer in at the chinks or lockhole; I am presently on the bones
of him。  If a friend comes; I make him sit down by me on a form
or chest。  The rest may walk; a God's name!〃  There has been
seldom a better portrait of the pragmatic conceit and self…
importance of a small man in office。

*

Note 7。 Ch。 XVIII。DR。 JULIO。

The Earl of Leicester's Italian physician; Julio; was affirmed by
his contemporaries to be a skilful compounder of poisons; which
he applied with such frequency; that the Jesuit Parsons extols
ironically the marvellous good luck of this great favourite in
the opportune deaths of those who stood in the way of his wishes。
There is a curious passage on the subject:

〃Long after this; he fell in love with the Lady Sheffield; whom I
signified before; and then also had he the same fortune to have
her husband dye quickly; with an extreame rheume in his head (as
it was given out); but as others say; of an artificiall catarre
that stopped his breath。

〃The like good chance had he in the death of my Lord of Essex (as
I have said before); and that at a time most fortunate for his
purpose; for when he was coming home from Ireland; with intent to
revenge himselfe upon my Lord of Leicester for begetting his wife
with childe in his absence (the childe was a daughter; and
brought up by the Lady Shandoes; W。 Knooles; his wife); my Lord
of Leicester hearing thereof; wanted not a friend or two to
accompany the deputy; as among other a couple of the Earles own
servants; Crompton (if I misse not his name); yeoman of his
bottles; and Lloid his secretary; entertained afterward by my
Lord of Leicester; and so he dyed in the way of an extreame flux;
caused by an Italian receipe; as all his friends are well
assured; the maker whereof was a chyrurgeon (as it is beleeved)
that then was newly come to my Lord from Italy…a cunning man
and sure in operation; with whom; if the good Lady had been
sooner acquainted; and used his help; she should not have needed
to sitten so pensive at home; and fearefull of her husband's
former returne out of the same country。。。。。。Neither must you
marvaile though all these died in divers manners of outward
diseases; for this is the excellency of the Italian art; for
which this chyrurgeon and Dr。 Julio were entertained so
carefully; who can make a man dye in what manner or show of
sickness you willby whose instructions; no doubt; but his
lordship is now cunning; especially adding also to these the
counsell of his Doctor Bayly; a man also not a little studied (as
he seemeth) in his art; for I heard him once myselfe; in a
publique act in Oxford; and that in presence of my Lord of
Leicester (if I be not deceived); maintain that poyson might be
so tempered and given as it should not appear presently; and yet
should kill the party afterward; at what time should be
appointed; which argument belike pleased well his lordship; and
therefore was chosen to be discussed in his audience; if I be not
deceived of his being that day present。  So; though one dye of a
flux; and another of a catarre; yet this importeth little to the
matter; but showeth rather the great cunning and skill of the
artificer。〃PARSONS' LEICESTER'S COMMONWEALTH; p。23。

It is unnecessary to state the numerous reasons why the Earl is
stated in the tale to be rather the dupe of villains than the
unprincipled author of their atrocities。  In the latter capacity;
which a part at least of his contemporaries imputed to him; he
would have made a character too disgustingly wicked to be useful
for the purposes of fiction。

I have only to add that the union of the poisoner; the
quacksalver; the alchemist; and the astrologer in the same person
was familiar to the pretenders to the mystic sciences。

*

Note 8。 Ch。 XXXII。FURNITURE OF KENILWORTH。

In revising this work; I have had the means of making some
accurate additions to my attempt to describe the princely
pleasures of Kenilworth; by the kindness of my friend William
Hamper; Esq。; who had the goodness to communicate to me an
inventory of the furniture of Kenilworth in the days of the
magnificent Earl of Leicester。  I have adorned the text with some
of the splendid articles mentioned in the inventory; but
antiquaries especially will be desirous to see a more full
specimen than the story leaves room for。

EXTRACTS FROM KENILWORTH INVENTORY; A。D。 1584。

A Salte; ship…fashion; of the mother of perle; garnished with
silver and divers workes; warlike ensignes; and ornaments; with
xvj peeces of ordinance whereof ij on wheles; two anckers on the
foreparte; and on the stearne the image of Dame Fortune standing
on a globe with a flag in her hand。  Pois xxxij oz。

A gilte salte like a swann; mother of perle。  Pois xxx oz。 iij
quarters。

A George on horseback; of wood; painted and gilt; with a case for
knives in the tayle of the horse; and a case for oyster knives in
the brest of the Dragon。

A green barge…cloth; embrother'd with white lions and beares。

A perfuming pann; of silver。  Pois xix oz。

In the halle。  Tabells; long and short; vj。 Formes; long and
short; xiiij。

HANGINGS。
(These are minutely specified; and consisted of the following
subjects; in tapestry; and gilt; and red leather。)

Flowers; beasts; and pillars arched。  Forest worke。  Historie。
Storie of Susanna; the Prodigall Childe; Saule; Tobie; Hercules;
Lady Fame; Hawking and Hunting; Jezabell; Judith and Holofernes;
David; Abraham; Sampson; Hippolitus; Alexander the Great; Naaman
the Assyrian; Jacob; etc。

BEDSTEADS; WITH THEIR FURNITURE。
(These are magnificent and numerous。  I shall copy VERBATIM the
description of what appears to have been one of the best。)

A bedsted of wallnut…tree; toppe fashion; the pillers redd and
varnished; the ceelor; tester; and single vallance of crimson
sattin; paned with a broad border of bone lace of golde and
silver。  The tester richlie embrothered with my Lo。 armes in a
garland of hoppes; roses; and pomegranetts; and lyned with
buckerom。  Fyve curteins of crimson sattin to the same bedsted;
striped downe with a bone lace of gold and silver; garnished with
buttons and loops of crimson silk and golde; containing xiiij
bredths of sattin; and one yarde iij quarters deepe。  The ceelor;
vallance; and curteins lyned with crymson taffata sarsenet。

A crymson sattin counterpointe; quilted and embr。  with a golde
twiste; and lyned with redd sarsenet; being in length iij yards
good; and in breadth iij scant。

A chaise of crymson sattin; suteable。

A fayre quilte of crymson sattin; vj breadths; iij yardes 3
quarters naile deepe; all lozenged over with silver twiste; in
the midst a cinquefoile within a garland of ragged staves;
fringed rounde aboute with a small fringe of crymson silke; lyned
throughe with white fustian。

Fyve plumes of coolered feathers; garnished with bone lace and
spangells of goulde and silver; standing in cups knitt all over
with goulde; silver; and crymson silk。  'Probably on the centre
and four corners of the bedstead。  Four bears and ragged staves
occupied a similar position on another of these sumptuous pieces
of furniture。'

A carpett for a cupboarde of crymson sattin; embrothered with a
border of goulde twiste; about iij parts of it fringed with silk
and goulde; lyned with bridges 'That is; Bruges。' sattin; in
length ij yards; and ij bredths of sattin。

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