“When I see it done, I will own that Pacolet is really the magician thou proclaimest him,” replied the king. I am half inclined to test the truth of the fellow’s assertion. How say you, fair cousin?” he added, to Lady Jane. Shall we have this Pacolet here, and make him exhibit the wondrous power of his steed?”
“‘T would be a curious sight, no doubt, if the man himself were not put in jeopardy,” she replied.
“Nay, if the horse be brought, I crave your Majesty’s permission to ride him,” said Xit. “I have an extraordinary desire to perform the feat.”
“But thou mayst break thy neck, and I have no desire to lose thee.”
“Your Majesty is most gracious, but the risk is nothing compared with the honor to be acquired.”
“Let the knave have his way, good my liege,” observed Sir Thomas Seymour. “No harm shall befall him. To-morrow afternoon, at this hour, I will have Pacolet and his steed brought hither, and if it shall please your Majesty to attend, I will promise you good sport.”
“We will not fail you, gentle uncle; and we hope our fair cousin will condescend to be present likewise?”
As may be supposed, the Lady Jane did not refuse her assent, and after another short turn upon the ramparts, the king and those with him returned to the palace.
On the following afternoon Edward, who had been looking forward with some eagerness to the diversion promised him by his uncle, again appeared on the ramparts, but with a much more numerous retinue than on the previous occasion. In addition to Sir Thomas Seymour and the Marquis of Dorset, the royal party now comprised the Earl of Arundel, lord chamberlain, Sir John Gage, and Sir John Markham. Amongst the ladies, besides the Marchioness of Dorset and her daughter, the Lady Jane Grey, were the princess Elizabeth and the queen-dowager. The two latter were bidden to the exhibition by the amiable young monarch with the express design of composing the differences which he saw still existed between them and his uncle. But he failed in effecting a reconciliation. Both his sister and the queen remained immovable. Elizabeth treated Sir Thomas with the utmost disdain, and would not vouchsafe him either a word or a look. Though not so scornful in manner as the princess, Catherine was equally cold and reserved, and haughtily repelled her faithless suitor’s advances. Unable to comprehend the cause of the quarrel, Edward was nevertheless much distressed by it, and expressed his regrets to his uncle, who shrugged his shoulders carelessly, as if it were a matter that gave him very little concern. Secretly, however, Sir Thomas had used every endeavor to re-establish himself in the queen’s good graces. He had besought a private interview, but the request was refused. He had written to her more than one moving epistle, full of regrets, despair, protestations, and promises. These missives were conveyed by the trusty hand of his esquire, but no response came back. Still Sir Thomas, though rebuffed, was not discouraged. The storm would soon blow over, he thought. After the sharpest frost must come a thaw. The storm, however, was of some duration, and the frost lasted longer than he anticipated.
Whatever might be passing within, Sir Thomas took care not to let his appearance or manner be affected by it. Gay and full of spirit as ever, he seemed only anxious about his royal nephew’s amusement. Seymour’s chief aim, in fact, seemed to bring Edward and the Lady Jane together, and if he failed in all else, in this he entirely succeeded. During the whole time he remained on the ramparts, Edward kept his fair cousin near him, and seemed completely engrossed by her, much to the delight of the Marchioness of Dorset, who could not sufficiently express her gratitude to the contriver of the meeting.
But it is time to ascertain what preparations had been made for Xit’s aërial expedition. The Brass Mount had been selected as the starting-point of the magic steed. The summit of this bastion, the largest, the loftiest, and the strongest of the Tower fortifications, was capable of accommodating a great number of persons, but only the royal party and those engaged in the exhibition were admitted upon it. The Brass Mount was defended by high embattled walls, on the inner side of which was a platform, whereon some of the heaviest guns in the fortress were placed, with their muzzles protruding through the crenellated walls. One of these guns had been dismounted, and its carriage appropriated to the Enchanted Horse, which was now set upon it, with its head towards the opening in the parapet, as if ready for flight.
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189