The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-02-12
The LORD ADMIRAL's PLAYERS.
They Made a Brave Showing In the Good
Old DAYS of Daeen Re~s


Old Days of Queen Bess-
At early dawn the Oxford carrier
had brought the news that the players
of the lord high admiral were coming
mp TO Stratford out of London from the
south to play on May day there; and
this was what had set the town TO buz-
Zlng like a swarm For there were in
England then but three great com
panies, the high chamberlain's, the earl
OF fembroke's men, and the staSe-play
ers of my Lord Charles Howard, high
admiral of the realm; and the day on
which they came into a Midland mar
ket-town to play was one TO mark with
red and gold upon the calendar of the
uneventful year.
Away by the old mill-bridge there
were fishermen angling for dace and
perch; but when the shout came down
from the London road they dropped
their poles and ran. through the will
lows and over the gravel. spIashing and
thrashing among the rusheS and sandy
shadows not To be last - hen the play
erS came. And old John Carter. COM
ing down the Warwick road with a load
Of hay, laid on the lash until piebald
Dobbin snorted in diSmay and broke
into a numbering run - reach the old
stone bridge in time.
he distant hur--mru now were com
ing ON again. riding in double file
They had flung their bauuers o. The
breeze, and ON thr changing q, iud. - mn
the thumpiuE 90 bsrz+e' huof-, cane -
suatchr- rtr -pgu.l af tyftI-drum-
msr draw nC hi- drumhs.li tight. aIli
issttiuzr a- b. drrvs. aHI ths muftirsi
is-a,ts 90 "a truulf f-srrr proving ~ Hps.
The ur-t 90 thr risisr- tt.sl rrarlfsi 1.ld
iuuruu urI1Er. auI rl- taaun~rs
-fraiu..l uT-su rts-ir -raFsz lu th= fre-h-
-uiHz river vlud. Ihf trauT.stsrs. au.i
rt. iruuuzsr- .f-L tHrlr hara+- prauE.
IuE, "a hIt- TllulsH- waving ia fHF hrrrz-
and tL- AprII -aaI.-hr dancing au thr
HraE.u born. ausI th- silsrr t--lli-- uf
fhr krrIissiruuI>
Thee saus- fls taHu~rs of thr cam-
pauE- slrIlulr Iaatu gsIfb "a SILKY sygIsh.
and ulflr.uE again With "a -uap hkr a
| hrusai-.a-aFI whip The greatest one
| Was rn-s-rs-i. and ou It vac a gallant
snip upon % flowing SEA- barring uI-on
/ ifs uaiu-aI the arms gf ms Lord
,harIt- Howard. high admiral % Eng
I land Z pm It- u ate N,az "a giant beard
I I'd man with h-..'s tail holding .
/ trident in hi, hand ami blowing upon
I she'll. the Triton OF the seas which
] England ruled: this fiag as bright sea-
/ blue. The third was white. and ON IL
] WAS q Ted Wild ru~.a with golden heart,
/ the common standard OF the company
After 1h, flags came tNo-Score men,
! the PLAYERS of the admiral. the firing
/ men. grcomS, hor>r-boy> and serving
/ kuaveS. we'll mounted on good horses,
and all Of them clad in scarlet tabards
hlaxoHed with the Coat-armor of their
master. Jpon their cps they wore the
famous badge of the Towards, a ram
J pant silver demi-lion: and beneath their
rabargls At the side could be seen their
| ierkins OF many colored silk, their sal
| yer-buclled belts, and long, thin Span
| ish rapiers, slapping their horses on the
| flanks at every stride. Their legs were
cased in high topped riding boots OF
1awny cordovan. with gilt spurs, and
the housings of their saddles were OF
blue with the gilt anchors of the ad
miralty upon them On their brides
were iingIing bits of steel, which made
a constant tinkling like = thousand Int
tie bells very far away
Some had faces a. smooth as boys
and were quite young: and others Wor'
sharp-pointei boards with stiff waNe'
muStacbeS, and were older men with
tinse OF iron IL their hair and lines o
iron in their faces, hardened bS the Inf
they led. and some again were smooth
shaven, so often and 80 closely tha
their faces were blue with the beard be
meath the skin But, Oh, To Nlchola
Atwood and the rest of Stratfor
boys. they were a dashing, rakish, ad
mir.,hle lot. with the air OF Somethln
even greater than lords, and a kee
lSnowingness in their sparkling world
iv ewes that made a common wise ma
seem almost a fool beside them!-Joh
| Ir,,.r IN ~ Nicholas