he
pronounced kneeling;--an attitude in which he was suffered to remain
during a great part of the proceedings. He began with a humble avowal of
his errors, and many expressions of penitence and humility towards her
majesty; a temperate apology for particular parts of his conduct,
followed; but as he was proceeding to reflect in some points on the
conduct of the Irish council, and to refute the exaggerated charges of
his enemies, he was interrupted by the lord keeper, who reminded him
that this was not a course likely to do him good. The earl explained
that he had no wish but to clear himself of disloyalty; it was answered,
that with this he never had been charged. The pathetic eloquence of the
noble prisoner moved many of the council to tears, and was not without
its effect on his enemies themselves. The secretary, who was the first
to rise in reply, even in refuting a part of his excuses, did him
justice in other points, and treated him on the whole with great
courtesy. Finally, it was the unanimous censure of the council, that
the earl should abstain from exercising the functions of
privy-councillor, earl marshal, or master of the ordnance; that he
should return to his own house, and there remain a prisoner as before,
till it should please her majesty to remit both this and all the other
parts of the sentence.

By this solemn hearing the mind of the queen was much tranquillized;
because her grave councillors and learned judges in their speeches,
"amplifying her majesty's clemency and the earl's offences, according to
the manner in the Star-chamber," had held him worthy of much more
punishment than he had yet received. A few days after her majesty
repaired to lady Russel's house in Blackfriars to grace the nuptials of
her daughter, a maid of honor, with lord Herbert, son of the earl of
Worcester;--on which occasion it may be mentioned, that she was conveyed
from the water-side in a _lectica_, or half-litter, borne by six
knights. After dining with the wedding company, she passed to the
neighbouring house of lord Cobham to sup. Here she was entertained with
a mask of eight ladies, who, after performing their appointed part,
chose out eight ladies more to dance the measure, when Mrs. Fitton the
principal masker came and "wooed" the queen also to dance. Her majesty
inquired who she was? "Affection," she replied. "_Affection_," said the
queen, "_is false_;" yet she rose and danced.

Elizabeth was now possessed with a s