----

That night, or rather in the early hours of the following morning, a
horseman came spurring up to the Head Gate of Colchester. He alighted
from his panting horse, and threw the reins on its neck.

"Gate, ho!"

Nothing but silence came in answer.

"Gate, ho!" cried the horseman in a louder voice.

"Somebody there?" asked the gatekeeper in a very sleepy voice. "Tarry a
minute, will you? I'll be with you anon."

"Tarry!" repeated the horseman with a contemptuous laugh. "Thou'd not
want me to tarry if thou knewest what news I bring."

"Good tidings, eh? let's have 'em!" said the gatekeeper in a brisker
voice.

"Take them. `God save the Queen!'"

"Call that tidings? We've sung that this five year."

"Nay you've never sung it yet--not as you will. How if it be `God save
Queen Elizabeth'?"

The gate was dashed open in the unsleepiest way that ever gate was
moved.

"You never mean--is the Queen departed?"

"Queen Mary is gone to her reward," replied the horseman gravely. "God
save Queen Elizabeth!"

"God be thanked, and praised!"

"Ay, England is free now. A man may speak his mind, and not die for it.
No more burnings, friend! no more prison for reading of God's Word! no
more hiding of men's heads in dens and caves of the earth! God save the
Queen! long live the Queen! may the Queen live for ever!"

It is not often that the old British Lion is so moved by anything as to
roar and dance in his inexpressible delight. But now and then he does
it; and never did he dance and roar as he did on that eighteenth of
November, 1558. All over England, men went wild with joy. The terrible
weight of the chains in which she had been held, was never truly felt
until they were thus suddenly knocked from the shackled limbs. Old,
calm, sober-minded people--nay, grave and stern, precise and rigid--
every manner of man and woman--all fairly lost their heads, and were
like children in their frantic glee that day Men who were perfect
strangers were seen in the streets shaking hands with each other as
though they were the dearest friends. Women who ordinarily would not of
thought of speaking to one another were kissing each other and calling
on each other to rejoice. Nobody calmed down until he was so worn-out
that wearied nature absolutely forced him to repose. It was seen that
day that however she had been oppressed, compelled to silence, or
tortured into apparent submission, England was Protestant. The pr