addle, laying her hand
on his shoulder for support; and while he, with more gallantry than it
was thought in him, helped her to recover her seat, she said, with a
ravishing look, "The Queen thanks you, Master Knox, for this upholding,"
dwelling on the word this in a special manner; which my grandfather
noticed the more, as he as well as others of the retinue observed, that
she was playing as it were in dalliance.

She then inquired kindly for his health, grieving she had not given
orders for him to bed in the castle; and turning to the Earl of Murray,
she chided his Lordship with a gentleness that was more winning than
praise, why he had not come to her with Master Knox, saying, "We should
then perhaps have not been so sharp in our controversy." But, before the
Earl had time to make answer, she noticed divers gentlemen by name, and
taking off her glove, made a most sweet salutation with her lily hand to
the general concourse of those who had by this time gathered around.

In that gracious gesture, it was plain, my grandfather said, that she
was still scattering her feminine spells; for she kept her hand for some
time bare, and though enjoying the pleasure which her beautiful presence
diffused, like a delicious warmth into the air, she was evidently
self-collected, and had something more in mind than only the triumph of
her marvellous beauty.

Having turned her horse's head, she moved him a few paces, saying,
"Master Knox, I would speak with you." At which he went towards her, and
the rest of the spectators retired and stood aloof.

They appeared for some time to be in an easy and somewhat gay discourse
on her part; but she grew more and more earnest, till Mr Knox made his
reverence and was coming away, when she said to him aloud, "Well, do as
you will, but that man is a dangerous man."

Their discourse was concerning the titular Bishop of Athens, a brother
of the Earl of Huntly, who had been put in nomination for a
superintendent of the church in the West Country, and of whose bad
character her Highness, as it afterwards proved, had received a just
account.

But scarcely had the Reformer retired two steps when she called him
back, and holding out to him her hand, with which, when he approached to
do his homage, she familiarly took hold of his and held it, playing with
his fingers as if she had been placing on a ring, saying, loud enough
to be heard by many on the field,--

"I have one of the greatest matters tha