on our Puritan convert and his pretty daughter, young
Peyton, and that pretty fellow, your nephew or cousin, is he? Odzooks!
he is much what I was at his age, begotten of Delilah and Lucifer, hand
of iron in glove of velvet, eh, Dick! I hear he is hail-fellow-well-met
with the King and with Buckingham and Killigrew and their wild set. Ah,
boys will be boys! 'We have heard the chimes at midnight,' eh, Dick?"

And the Governor in high good humor skipped up the steps with the
agility of youth, bent low with sugared compliments over the hands of
his hostesses and of Mistress Betty Carrington, and gave courteous
greeting to the assembled gentlemen, after which the company flowed back
into the grateful twilight of hall and "great room," where the weather,
the state of the crops, and the last horse-race engaged them until the
announcement of dinner.

With a flourish of his costly handkerchief, the Governor offered his arm
to the young mistress of the house, and led the way to the dining-room,
where old Humfrey, the butler, marshaled the guests to their seats.
Mistress Betty Carrington had for her cavalier Sir Charles Carew, to
whose honeyed words she listened with a species of awe, wondering in her
innocent soul if all the wild tales they told of this very fine,
smooth-tongued, handsome gentleman could be true.

Doctor Anthony Nash made a long and fluent grace wherein much latinity
was aired, a neat allusion made to the _jus divinum_, and an anathema
hurled against those "who break down the carved work of the sanctuary."
Then was uncovered the mighty saddle of mutton, reposing in the dish of
honor, the roast pig, the haunch of venison, the sirloin of beef, the
breast of veal, the powdered goose, the noble dish of sheepshead and
bluefish, and the pasty in which was entombed a whole flock of pigeons.
These _pieces de resistance_ were flanked by bowls of oysters, by rows
of wild fowl skewered together, by mince pies and a grand salad, while
upon the outskirts of the damask plain were stationed trenchers piled
with wheat bread, platters of pease and smoking potatoes, cauliflower
and asparagus, and a concoction of rice and prunes, seasoned with mace
and cinnamon and a pinch of assafoetida. A great silver salt-cellar
stood in the centre of the table, and smaller receptacles of the same
metal held pepper and spices. Silver flagons of cider and ale were
placed at intervals, the Madeira, Fayal and Rhenish awaiting upon the
sideboard