of his favor, already assumed the
right of treating as interlopers such as advanced too rapidly in the
good graces of his sovereign, we learn from an incident which probably
occurred about this time, and is thus related by Naunton. "My lord
Montjoy, being but newly come to court, and then but sir Charles Blount,
had the good fortune one day to run very well a tilt; and the queen
therewith was so well pleased, that she sent him a token of her favor, a
queen at chess of gold, richly enamelled, which his servants had the
next day fastened on his arm with a crimson ribbon; which my lord of
Essex, as he passed through the privy chamber, espying, with his cloak
cast under his arm, the better to commend it to the view, enquired what
it was, and for what cause there fixed. Sir Fulk Greville told him that
it was the queen's favor, which the day before, and after the tilting,
she had sent him: whereat my lord of Essex, in a kind of emulation, and
as though he would have limited her favor, said, 'Now I perceive every
fool must have a favor.'

"This bitter and public affront came to sir Charles Blount's ear, who
sent him a challenge, which was accepted by my lord; and they went near
Marybonepark, where my lord was hurt in the thigh and disarmed: the
queen, missing the men, was very curious to learn the truth; and when at
last it was whispered out, she swore by God's death, it was fit that
some one or other should take him down, and teach him better manners,
otherwise there would be no rule with him[101]."

[Note 101: Fragmenta Regalia.]

Notwithstanding her majesty's ostentation of displeasure against her
favorite on this occasion, it is pretty certain that he could not better
have paid his court to her than by a duel of which, in spite of her
wisdom and her age, she seems to have had the weakness to imagine her
personal charms the cause. She compelled however the rivals to be
reconciled: from this period all the externals of friendship were
preserved between them; and there is even reason to believe,
notwithstanding some insinuations to the contrary, that latterly at
least the sentiment became a genuine one. If the queen had further
insisted on cementing their reconciliation by an alliance, she would
have preserved from its only considerable blot the brilliant reputation
of sir Charles Blount. This courtier, whilst he as yet enjoyed no higher
rank than that of knighthood, had conceived an ardent passion for a
sister of the ear