oney at all when at last he
was enlarged, but must eat his meals at the Ambassador's table, so that
he could not in any way come away into England till he had written for
more money and had earned a further salary. And that again was a matter
of many months, and later he spent more in drinking and with Scots women
till he persuaded himself that he had forgotten his cousin that was now
a Queen. Moreover, it was made clear to him by those about him that it
was death to leave his post unpermitted.

But, with the coming of the Court up into the north parts, his
impatience grew again, so that he could no longer eat but only drink and
fight. It was rumoured that the Queen was riding with the King, and he
swore a mighty oath that he would beg of her or of the King leave at
last to be gone from that hateful city; and the nearer came the King the
more his ardour grew. So that, when the news came that the King was
turned back, Culpepper could no longer compound it with himself. He had
then a plenty of money, having kept his room for seven days, and the
night before that he had won half a barony at dice from a Scots archer.
But he had no passport into England; therefore, because he was afraid to
ask for one, being certain of a refusal, he blacked his face and hands
with coal and then took refuge on a coble, leaving the port of Leith for
Durham. He had well bribed the master of this ship to take him as one of
his crew. In Durham he stayed neither to wash nor to eat, but, having
bought himself a horse, he rode after the King's progress that was then
two days' journey to the south, and came up with them. He had no wits
left more than to ask of the sutlers at the tail of the host where the
Queen was. They laughed at this apparition upon a haggard horse, and one
of them that was a notable cutpurse took all the gold that he had, only
giving him in exchange the news that the Queen was at Pontefract, from
which place she had never stirred. With a little silver that he had in
another bag he bought himself a provision of food, a store of drink, and
a poor Kern to guide him, running at his saddle-bow.

He saw neither hills nor valleys, neither heather nor ling: he had no
thoughts but only that of finding the Queen his cousin. At times the
tears ran down his begrimed face, at times he waved his sword in the air
and, spurring his horse, he swore great oaths. How he fared, where he
rested, by what roads he went over the hills, that he never kne