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and large "ailes de pigeon." The guest was the parish priest, who resided under his roof, and was the "friend of the house." The parish was a poor one, but it had spirit enough to raise a subscription in order to supply the altar with a new ciborium—the vessel which holds the "body of the Lord." With the modest sum in hand, the Knight of St. Louis, accompanied by the priest, repaired to Metz, to make the necessary purchase. The orthodox goldsmith placed two vessels before them. One was somewhat small, but suitable to the funds at the knight's disposal; the other was large, splendidly chased, and highly coveted by the priest.

"Here is a pretty article," said the chevalier, pointing to the simpler of the two vessels: "But here is a more worthy," interrupted the priest. "It corresponds with the sum at our disposal," remarked the former. "I am sure it does not correspond with your love for Him for whom the sum was raised," was the rejoinder. "I have no authority to exceed the amount named," whispered the cautious chevalier. "But you have wherewith of your own to supply the deficiency," murmured the priest. The perplexed knight began to feel himself a dissenter from the church, and after a moment's thought, and looking at the smaller as well as the simpler of the two vessels, he exclaimed-"it is large enough for the purpose, and will do honor to the church." "The larger would be more to the purpose, and would do more honor to the Head of the Church," was the steady clerical comment which followed. "Do you mean to say that it is not large enough?" asked the treasurer. "Certainly, since there is a larger, which we may have, if you will only be generous." "Mais!" remonstrated the knight, in a burst of profane impatience, and pointing to the smaller ciborium, "Cela contiendroit le diable!" "Ah, Monsieur le Chevalier," said the priest, by no means shocked at the idiomatic phrase. "Le Bon Dieu est plus grand que le diable!" This stroke won the day, and the goldsmith was the most delighted of the three, at this conclusion to a knotty argument.

George I. was not of a sufficiently generous mind to allow of his distributing honors very profusely. The individuals, however, who were eminently useful to him were often rewarded by being appointed to enjoy the emoluments, if not exercise the duties of several offices, each in his own person. At a period when this

was being done in England, the exact reverse was being accomplished in Spain. Thus we read in the London Gazette of March 29 to April 1, 1718, under the head of Madrid, March 21, the following details, which might be put to very excellent profit in England in these more modern times :

"The King having resolved that no person shall enjoy more than one office in his service, notice has been given to the Duke d'Arco, who is Master of the Horse, and Gentleman of the Bedchamber; the Marquis de Montelegre, Lord Chamberlain and Captain of the Guard of Halberdiers; the Marquis de St. Juan, Steward of the Household, and Master of the Horse to the Queen; and one of the Council of the Harinda, the Marquis de Bedmar, the Minister of War, and President of the Council; and several others who are in the like case, to choose which of their employments they will keep. To which they have all replied that they will make no claim, but will be determined by what his Majesty shall think fit to appoint. The like orders are given in the army, where they who receive pay as General Officers, and have Colouels' commissions besides, are obliged to part with their regiments."

This regulation seriously disturbed the revenue of many a Spanish knight; but it was a wise and salutary regulation, nevertheless. At the very period of its being established, Venice was selling her titles of knighthood and nobility. In the same Gazette from which the above details are extracted, I find it noticed, under the head of "Venice, March 25," that "Signor David, and Paul Spinelli, two Geneva gentlemen, were, upon their petition, admitted this week by the Grand Council, into the Order of the Nobility of this Republic, having purchased that honor for a hundred thousand ducats." It was a large price for so small a privilege.

I have treated of knighthood under George II., sufficiently at length, when speaking of that king himself; and I will add only one trait of his successor.

It was not often that George III. was facetious, but tradition has attributed to him a compound pun, when he was urged by his minister to confer knighthood upon Judge Day, on the return of the latter from India. "Pooh! pooh!" remonstrated the king, “how can I turn a Day into night?" On the ministerial applica

tion being renewed, the king asked, if Mr. Day was married, and an affirmative reply being given, George III. immediately rejoined, "Then let him come to the next drawing-room, and I will perform a couple of miracles; I will not only turn Day into Knight, but I will make Lady-Day at Christmas."

There was a saying of George III. which, put into practice, was as beneficial as many of the victories gained by more chivalrous monarchs. "The ground, like man, was never intended to be idle. If it does not produce something useful it will be overrun with weeds."

Among the men whom James I. knighted, was one who had passed through the career of a page, and notice of whom I have reserved, that I might contrast his career with that of a contemporary and well-known squire.

RICHARD CARR, PAGE; AND GUY FAUX,
ESQUIRE.

Of all the adventurers of the seventeenth century, I do not know any who so well illustrate the objects I have in view, as the two above-named gentlemen. The first commenced life as a page; the second was an esquire by condition, and a man-at-arms. Master Faux, for attempting murder, suffered death; and Richard Carr, although he was convicted of murder, was suffered to live on, and was not even degraded from knighthood.

name.

-a scion

When the Sixth James of Scotland reigned, a poor king in a poor country, there was among his retinue a graceful boy· of the ancient house of Fernyhurst, poor in purse, and proud in At the court of the extravagant yet needy Scottish king, there was but scant living even for a saucy page; and Richard Carr of Fernyhurst turned his back on Mid Lothian, and in foreign travel forgot his northern home.

James, in his turn, directed his face toward the English border; and subsequently, in the vanities of Whitehall, the hunting at Theobald's, the vicious pleasure of Greenwich, and the roysterings at Royston, he forgot the graceful lad who had ministered to him at Holyrood, St. Andrews, and Dunbar.

When this James I. of England had grown nearly tired of his old favorite and minister, Salisbury, for want of better employment he ordered a tilting match, and the order was obeyed with alacrity. In this match Lord Hay resolved to introduce to the King's notice a youth who enjoyed his lordship's especial patronage. Accordingly, when the monarch was seated in his tribune, and the brazen throats of the trumpets had bidden the rough sport to begin, the young squire of Lord Hay, a handsome youth

of twenty, straight of limb, fair of favor, strong-shouldered, smooth-faced, and with a modesty that enhanced his beauty, rode up on a fiery steed, to lay his master's shield and lance at the feet of the monarch. The action of the apprentice warrior was so full of grace, his steed so full of fire, and both so eminently beautiful, that James was lost in admiration. But suddenly, as the youth bent forward to present his master's device, his spur pricked the flank of his charger, and the latter, with a bound and a plunge, threw his rider out of the saddle, and flung young Carr of Fernyhurst, at the feet of his ex-master, the King. The latter recognised his old page, and made amends for the broken leg got in the fall, by nursing the lad, and making him Viscount Rochester, as soon as he was well. James created him knight of the Garter, and taught him grammar. Rochester gave lessons to the King in foreign history. The ill-favored King walked about the court with his arms round the neck of the well-favored knight. He was for ever either gazing at him or kissing him; trussing his points, settling his curls, or smoothing his hose. When Rochester was out of the King's sight James was mindful of him, and confisIcated the estates of honest men in order to enrich his own new favorite. He took Sherborne from the widow and children of Raleigh, with the cold-blooded remark to the kneeling lady, "I maun have it for Carr!"

Rochester was a knight who ruled the King, but there was another knight who ruled Rochester. This was the well-born, hot-headed, able and vicious Sir Thomas Overbury. Overbury polished and polluted the mind of Rochester; read all documents which passed through the hands of the latter, preparatory to reaching those of the King, and not only penned Rochester's own despatches, but composed his love-letters for him. How pointedly Sir Thomas could write may be seen in his "Characters;" and as a poet, the knight was of no indifferent reputation in his day.

Rochester, Sir Thomas, and the King, were at the very height of their too-warm friendship, when James gave Frances Howard, the daughter of the Earl of Suffolk, in marriage to young Devereux, Earl of Essex. The bride was just in her teens. The bridegroom was a day older. The Bishop of Bath and Wells

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