; but she receives his civilities with no better
grace than the implacable Beauty; unscrewing her mouth into a most acid
smile, and looking as though she could bite a piece out of him. In
short, the poor general seems to have as formidable foes to contend with
as a hero of ancient fairy tale, who had to fight his way to his
enchanted princess through ferocious monsters of every kind, and to
encounter the brimstone terrors of some fiery dragon.

[Illustration: Mrs. Hannah]

There is still another circumstance which inclines me to give very
considerable credit to Master Simon's suspicions. Lady Lillycraft is
very fond of quoting poetry, and the conversation often turns upon it,
on which occasions the general is thrown completely out. It happened the
other day that Spenser's Fairy Queen was the theme for the great part of
the morning, and the poor general sat perfectly silent. I found him not
long after in the library with spectacles on nose, a book in his hand,
and fast asleep. On my approach he awoke, slipped the spectacles into
his pocket, and began to read very attentively. After a little while he
put a paper in the place, and laid the volume aside, which I perceived
was the Fairy Queen. I have had the curiosity to watch how he got on in
his poetical studies; but though I have repeatedly seen him with the
book in his hand, yet I find the paper has not advanced above three or
four pages; the general being extremely apt to fall asleep when he
reads.

[Illustration: Asleep When He Reads]

[Illustration: Falconry in Olden Times]

FALCONRY.

Ne is there hawk which mantleth on her perch,
Whether high tow'ring or accousting low,
But I the measure of her flight doe search,
And all her prey and all her diet know.

SPENSER.

There are several grand sources of lamentation furnished to the worthy
squire, by the improvement of society, and the grievous advancement of
knowledge; among which there is none, I believe, that causes him more
frequent regret than the unfortunate invention of gunpowder. To this he
continually traces the decay of some favourite custom, and, indeed, the
general downfall of all chivalrous and romantic usages. "English
soldiers," he says, "have never been the men they were in the days of
the cross-bow and the long-bow; when they depended upon the strength of
the arm, and the English archer could draw a cloth-yard shaft to the
head. These were the times when, at the ba