Year: 1876

IL was the evening OF the day
set for Queen Elizabeth's visit to
Kenilworth. Great multitudes oi
people had been for many hours as
sembled on the walls in chase, and
park and gardens, to witness the
splendid sight. But her majesty
had been detained till twilight at
Warwick, to receive the homage OF
her subjects, and now it was an
nounced that the grand entrance
would be made by torchlight. At
length the great bell of the castle
tolled, and single rocket shot up
in the air. Then all held their
breath and listened. At first they
could only heara dull, sealike sound,
in the direction of Warwick Castle
but it came nearer and grew
louder, till they could distinguish
the tramp of horses, music and
shouting and the clang of armor.


When the Queen entered the
royal chase, hundreds of great rock
cts were sent Kissing and blazing
into the sky, and such a mighty
shout was set up by the multitude
that it was almost a wonder it didn't
jostle the stars out of their places.
Yet they did not seem at all dis
turbed by the tumult, but staid
quietly in their orbits, and winked
at one another as though making
fun of the Earrs fireworks. The
whole music of the castle burst
forth-then there was q round of
artillery and atremendous discharge
of blunderbusses.


The procession moved slowly and
stately from the gate to the park,
illuminated by two hundred great
wax torches, borne by armed horse
men.


The Queen, who was young at
that time, and though not hand
some was noble and grand-looking
came mounted on a a beautiful
milk-white horse, which she man.
aged finely, for she was an admira-
BILE rider. She was dressed in the
richest silks, velvet and lace-and
from head to foot she seemed al
most blazing with costly jewels.
Beside the Queen rode the Earl
of Leicester on jet-clack steed,
one of the handsomest in the world,
with trappings of velvet and gold,
and silver bits. The Earl was gor-
geously dressed, and glittered all
over with gold and gems. He sat
on his horse so elegantly, and was so
proud in his bearing, that he might
have been mistaken for a king had
he not rode bare-headed like the
rest of the courties. After the
Queen and the Eral, followed q
train of noblemen and ladies,
guards, pages, knights, gentlemen
and soldiers-a long and splendid
cavalcade. On either side stood a
line of people, closely packed to-
gether, all bowing and shouting
their loyal welcomes.


AS the Queen was approaching
the outer tower, she checked her
horse to speak to one of her ladies,
when suddenly there broke or
rather slid through the line of SOL
diers, a little girl, who flung her.
self at her majesty's feet, and grasp
ed her robe, crying


ga boon, great Queen, a boon y


A rude soldier strobe forward
and lifted his broad-sword over the
head of the child, when quick as
fash, boy scarcely larger than the
girl, leaped out of the crowd and
snatched the sword from the SOL
dier's hand, saying boldly


"Thou art a cowardly knave !"


The man turned upon him in
rage-caught back the sword, and
might have killed him with it,
had not the Queen cried


"Hold, villain ! BY my faith i
think the lad is right! Would'st
butcher babes like thesei Then
art thou one of King Herod's men
and none of ours. Stand back y


Then turning her eye on the little
girl, who stood trembling at her
side, she looked at her a moment
in silent surprise. And well she
might, for the child was as beauti-
full as an angel. She could scarcely
have been more than ten years Of
age, she was very fair and delicate,