t-king, Francis the First of
France, had the day before sent to his royal brother as a special token
of affection. There was the sparkling wine of Champagne, and the fiery
wine of the Island of Cyprus, which the Republic of Venice had sent to
the king as a mark of respect. There were the heavy wines of the Rhine,
which looked like liquid gold, and diffused the fragrance of a whole
bouquet of flowers, and with which the Protestant princes of Northern
Germany hoped to fuddle the king, whom they would have gladly placed
at the head of their league. There, too, were the monstrous, gigantic
partridge pastries, which the Duke of Burgundy had sent, and the
glorious fruits of the south, from the Spanish coast, with which the
Emperor Charles the Fifth supplied the King of England's table. For it
was well known that, in order to make the King of England propitious,
it was necessary first to satiate him; that his palate must first be
tickled, in order to gain his head or his heart.

But to-day all these things seemed insufficient to give the king the
blissful pleasure which, at other times, was wont to be with him when he
sat at table. He heard John Heywood's jests and biting epigrams with a
melancholy smile, and a cloud was on his brow.

To be in cheerful humor, the king absolutely needed the presence of
ladies. He needed them as the hunter needs the roe to enjoy the pleasure
of the chase--that pleasure which consists in killing the defenceless
and in declaring war against the innocent and peaceful.

The crafty courtier, Earl Douglas, readily divined Henry's
dissatisfaction, and understood the secret meaning of his frowns and
sighs. He hoped much from them, and was firmly resolved to draw some
advantage therefrom, to the benefit of his daughter, and the harm of the
queen.

"Your majesty," said he, "I am just on the point of turning traitor, and
accusing my king of an injustice."

The king turned his flashing eyes upon him, and put his hand, sparkling
with jewelled rings, to the golden goblet filled with Rhenish wine.

"Of an injustice--me--your king?" asked he, with stammering tongue.

"Yes, of an injustice, inasmuch as you are for me God's visible
representative on earth. I would blame God if He withdrew from us for
a day the brightness of the sun, the gorgeousness and perfume of His
flowers, for since we children of men are accustomed to enjoy these
glories, we have in a certain measure gained a right to them. So I
accu