les of
the realm, being the Archbishop of Dublin and five bishops; the King's
two brothers, my Lords of Norfolk and Kent; my Lord of Lancaster their
cousin; and all the nobles then present in Bristol town: thus they
gathered, the Duke on the right hand of the throne and the Queen on the
left, the throne all empty. Then a marvellous strange thing happened:
for the Queen rose up and spake, in open Council, to the prelates and
nobles of England. When she first arose (as afterwards I heard say)
were there some murmurs that a woman should so speak; and divers up and
down the hall rowned [whispered] one the other in the ear that it had
been more seemly had she kept to her distaff. But when she ended, so
great was the witchery of her fair face, and the gramary [magic] of her
silver voice, that scarce man was in the hall but was ready to live and
die with her. _Ha, chetife_! how she witched the world! yet never did
she witch me.

How can it be, I marvel at times, that men--and women too--will suffer
themselves to be thus led astray, and yet follow on, oft knowing whither
they go, after some one man or woman, that casteth over them a manner of
gramary? There be some that can witch whom they will, that God keepeth
not. And 'tis not alway a fair face that witcheth; I have known full
unbright [plain, ugly] folks that have this charm with them. And I note
moreover, that many times he that wields it doth use it for evil, and
not for good. I dare not say no good man ever hath the same; for
securely I know not all folks in this world: yet of them I do know, I
cannot call to mind a verily good man or woman that hath seemed me to
possess this power over his fellows. I have known some metely good folk
that had a touch thereof; but of such as I mean, that do indeed wield it
in power, and draw all manner of men to them, and after them, nearhand
whether they choose or no--of such I cannot call to mind one that was
true follower of our Lord. Therefore it seems me an evil power, and one
that may come of Satan, sith it mostly is used in his service. And I
pray God neither of my daughters may ever show the same, for at best it
must be full of peril of pride to him that possesseth it. Indeed, had
it so been, I think they should have shown it afore now.

But now to have back to the hall of Bristol Castle, lest Jack, coming in
to look stealthily over my shoulder as he doth betimes, should say I
have won again into the Annals of Cicely.