I recognized her
Majesty's presence by her discourse in three languages to as many
Ambassadors that were present--though I marked well that she had
not forgotten her own tongue, calling one of her ladies "a sluttish
wench," nor her English spirit in cuffing my Lord of Essex's ears
for some indecorum--which, as a plain man myself, curt in speech
and action, did rejoice me greatly. But I must relate one feat,
the like of which I never saw in England before or since. There
was a dance of the maskers, and in the midst of it her Majesty
asked the Ambassador from Spayne if he had seen the latest French
dance. He replied that he had not. Whereupon Her Most Excellent
Majesty skipt back a pace and forward a pace, and lifting her hoop,
delivered a kick at his Excellency's hat which sent it flying the
space of a good English ell above his head! Howbeit so great was
the acclamation that her Majesty was graciously moved to repeat it
to my Lord of Leicester, but, tripping back, her high heels caught
in her farthingale, and she would have fallen on the ice, but for
that my Lord, with exceeding swiftness and dexterity, whisked his
cloak from his shoulder, spreading it under her, and so received
her body in its folds on the ice, without himself touching her
Majesty's person. Her Majesty was greatly pleased at this, and
bade my Lord buy another cloak at her cost, though it swallowed an
estate; but my Lord replyed, after the lying fashion of the time,
that it was honour enough for him to be permitted to keep it after
"it had received her Royal person.
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