Elizabeth and Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was a favourite courtier of Queen Elizabeth. An old story tells us of the way he won her favour.
One day, as the queen and her ladies were out walking, dressed in fine robes of silk and lace, they came to a miry puddle in the road. The queen stopped in dismay, for she did not like getting her feet wet and dirty. As she was thinking how best to step through the mud, a young man in a rich suit came along the road.
Directly he saw the queen, young Raleigh, for it was he, sprang forward, and, taking off his velvet cloak, spread it over the mud for her to walk upon.
Elizabeth was much pleased; she rewarded Raleigh with a post in the palace. There, one day, he wrote upon a window which he knew the queen would pass: "Fain would I climb, but that I fear to fall". When Elizabeth saw this, she added these words: "If thy heart fail thee, climb not at all". However, Raleigh did climb very soon to a high place, for he was clever and brave as well as polite, and he served the queen in many ways.
It is said that his ships first brought potatoes and tobacco to England from America, and that he was the first man in this country to smoke.
One day, a servant brought a jug of ale into the room where Raleigh was sitting and smoking. The man was much alarmed to see smoke coming from his master's mouth, and he quickly emptied the jug of ale over Raleigh's head, to put out the fire which he thought was burning within him.