La, Mr Compton, you heard that the

narcissus?—She is one of the King's beauties.—How do, Sir Evremond? How do, De Grammont? Always together, Pyramus and Thisbe. I have seen the fine coach you presented to the King. what a hurry you are in. Have Duchess of York is in love with Harry Sidney, her master of the horse? Did you ever hear the echo at Somerset House? Have you read the new translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses? Which do you like best as a preacher, old Dr Fell-how do, Killigrew? how do, Sir George Etherege?-or young Dr Stillingfleet? Do you like these bright yellow locks for dark people? No more do I. That's Monsieur Comminges, the French Ambassador. How do, Sir Charles Sedley? -Here comes Sir Harry Herbert, the Master of the Revels, accompanied by Mr Waller. Only think of their making him so tipsy, notwithstanding his being called the water-drinking poet; and his getting such a dreadful fall down the river-stairs at Somerset House.

he is quite lame still.»

You see

Most fortunately for Jocelyn, who was upon the point of summoning the Duke of Monmouth to the rescue, the master of the revels and the poet came up for the express purpose of effecting his deliverance; not indeed out of any kindness to him, with whom they were personally unacquainted, but in virtue of a commission, which specially charged them to transfer the cherry-clapper, as Lady Babington was sometimes disrespectfully termed, to another victim. Lady Castlemaine, vexed at the King's continued and undisguised dalliance with Mrs (or rather, as we should now

designate a maid of honour, with Miss) Stewart, a dalliance which was even exceeding the customary licence of that latitudinarian court, had despatched these emissaries to inform the sempiternal chatterer, that Miss Stewart was particularly anxious to see her, as she had procured for her some real Hungary water, with the Queen's head labelled upon the bottles. She well knew that her ladyship, who was no respecter of persons or places, would soon invade the sanctity of the bower, which all the rest of the court had so kindly abandoned to the amorous monarch and the maid of honour; and she was equally confident that the King would fly in dismay at the very first appearance of the approaching calamity. Every thing answered to her wishes; Lady Babington had no sooner received the message than she exclaimed, «O, the dear creature! then I will beg her to accept in return my pretty little dear patch-box of mazarine fillagree, and a glue-pot to match. Good bye, Mr Compton, I must really-that's the Cardinal Howard, of Norfolk, the Queen's almoner; and here comes the Duchess of Newcastle, with her hair about her ears, and fifty black patches on her face. La! what a pretty scarlet sword-knot! --good bye, good bye! I really cannot listen to you a moment longer.-La! there is old Sir Henry de Vie, with his ragged beard. I dare say he is going to play cribbage with Lord Chandois. I'm glad he has got rid of his shabby camlet suit. [Isn't he smart?-black velvet, gold buttons looped with lace, trimmed all over with scarlet ribbons, and a gold-lace shoulder-belt! Well, I declare!»-With these words, she hurried away,

darted unceremoniously into the royal recess, out of which the King as instantaneously sprung, as if he had seen a viper; and a loud laugh from Lady Castlemaine and her coterie, of whom the Queen formed one, attested the success of their manoeuvre, the discomfiture of Miss Stewart, and the triumph of her rivals.

In nothing did Jocelyn mark a more decided change, since his absence from the court, than in the demeanour of the Queen, who was now chatting familiarly with her husband's mistress, with the identical woman whose presentation she had resented with such a passion of wrath. Her Majesty had indeed struggled for a length of time to uphold her own dignity, and preserve some little appearance of decorum in the court; but finding the King, however pliable in other matters, inflexible in his gallantry and licentious pleasures, and becoming sensible that opposition would only lead to an open breach between them, without its affording a chance of reforming him, she gradually yielded to circumstances, until she brought herself not only to wink at his intrigues, but even to associate with his courtesans. Nay, so completely had she accommodated herself to the manners of the court, that she relaxed in many instances from the rigour of her religious observances, and at the period of Jocelyn's return had already begun to play cards upon the Sabbath.

While he was indulging these reflexions, he observed that the dancing had every where ceased, and that the band were removed to a small temporary orchestra, at one extremity of the room, beyond which he now noticed for the first time a large green curtain, and

upon inquiring of Sir Henry Herbert the meaning of these demonstrations, he learned that a little masque was about to be performed for the amusement of the court. It had been prepared by Sir Roger L'Estrange, and, being intended to be complimentary to their Majesties, contained much of that gross and fulsome adulation which it would be an insult to offer to any but crowned heads. The characters were all allegorical; and the performers such as could be hastily called from a strolling company, consisting of some halfdozen dressed men, in female attire to represent up virtues, and other abstract personages. Matthew Lock had adapted music to the different scenes, and Capt. Cook had altered one of his anthems for the finale. In short, nothing was omitted, which the hurried nature of the preparation would allow, to give success and eclât to this little entertainment, from which the two composers, and the ingenious author of the blank verse, anticipated no small share of admiration and applause.

the

But, alas! what are the hopes of mortals? Rochester, who had been admitted, as a great favour, and under a promise of secrecy, to one of the rehearsals, observing the clownish nature of the rustic performers, conceived the project of one of those mischievous pranks in which he delighted; and, communicating his plan to Sir Thomas Killigrew, the two conspirators proceeded immediately to put it into execution. While the musical composers were out of the way, and Sir Roger L'Estrange engaged with the company in the hall, they introduced a little collation behind the curtain, pre

tending that it had been sent by the King for the refreshment of the performers. Into the burned sack and other potent compounds they infused an intoxicating mixture. The actors, unaccustomed to such insidious draughts, and willing to do all honour to his Majesty, as well as to their distinguished companions, drank the King's health, and pledged their entertainers, and hobanobb'd with one another until they were sufficiently besotted to be quite ripe for a quarrel. With such vulgar natures, a scuffle and a brawl are generally the immediate consequence of ebriety. Rochester and his friend pretended to quarrel and fight; the actors espoused different sides, and a general engagement ensued, in the midst of which the original combatants slipped away. One of them rang the bell which was to procure silence and draw the attention of the company; the other pulled up the curtain; and the eyes of their Majesties and the assembled court were directed to a scene of scuffling, uproar, and wild confusion, such as has been seldom exhibited to royal or even to plebeian observation.

Had the whole been intended as a burlesque, and the performers received instructions to travestie their various parts, they could not have more successfully reversed their respective attributes and characters. Peace, who appeared to be the foremost and most desperate of the combatants, after laying about him, right and left, with a huge olive branch, which had already felled two of the party, had pursued Victory into a corner, and, having utterly defeated him, was endeavouring to strangle him with his own wreath. Religion was curs