An English Garner: Ingatherings from Our History and Literature (4 of 8)
History
An English Garner: Ingatherings from Our History and Literature (4 of 8)
English literature
And now, by way of digression, or rather of refreshing the reader (if
it be lawful in so serious a story to recite a matter incident, and yet
not impertinent to the same) occasion here moveth or rather enforceth
me to touch briefly what happened in the same place and time, by a
certain merry conceited man, being then about Her Grace. Who (noting
the straight and strange keeping of his Lady and Mistress by the said
Sir HENRY BEDINGFIELD, with so many locks and doors, with such watch
and ward about her, as was strange and wonderful) spied a goat in the
ward where Her Grace was; and (whether to refresh her oppressed mind,
or to notify her straight handling by Sir HENRY; or else both), he took
it up on his neck, and followed Her Grace therewith, as she was going
to her lodging. Who, when she saw it, asked him, "What he would do with
him?" willing him to let it alone.
Unto whom, the said party answered, "No, by Saint Mary! if it like
your Grace! will I not! For I cannot tell whether he be one of the
Queen's friends or not. I will, GOD willing! carry him to Sir HENRY
BEDINGFIELD, to know what he is."
So, leaving Her Grace, went, with the goat on his neck, and carried it
to Sir HENRY BEDINGFIELD; who, when he saw him coming with it, asked
him half angrily, "What he had there?"
Unto whom the party answered, saying, "Sir! I cannot tell what he is.
I pray you, examine him! for I found him in the place where my Lady's
Grace was walking, and what talk they have had, I cannot tell. For I
understand him not, but he should seem to me to be some stranger: and I
think verily a Welshman, for he hath a white frieze coat on his back.
And forasmuch as I being the Queen's subject, and perceiving the strait
charge committed to you of her keeping, that no stranger should have
access to her, without sufficient license: I have here found a stranger
(what he is, I cannot tell) in the place where Her Grace was walking;
and, therefore, for the necessary discharge of my duty, I thought it
good to bring the said stranger to you to examine, as you see cause."
And so he set him down.
At which his words, Sir HENRY BEDINGFIELD seemed much displeased, and
said, "Well! well! you will never leave this gear, I see." And so they
departed.
* * * * *
Now to return to the matter from whence we have digressed.
After Her Grace's being there a time [_i.e., about a year_], she
made suit to the Council, that she might be suffered to write to the
Queen; which, at last, was permitted to Her Grace. So that Sir HENRY
BEDINGFIELD brought her pen, ink, and paper; and standing by her, while
she wrote, which he very straitly observed; always, she being weary,
would carry away her letters, and bring them again when she called for
them.
In the finishing thereof, he would have been messenger to the Queen of
the same; whose request Her Grace denied, saying, "One of her own men
should carry them; and that she would neither trust him, nor none of
his thereabouts."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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