200 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 43. must retire to her room for a few minutes, she said, but she would leave me in the hands of Lord Robert. The Lord Robert snatched the opportunity of her absence to speak of his obligations to your Majesty, and to assure me that he was your most devoted servant. She returned almost immediately, and we adjourned to the theatre. The piece which was performed was a comedy, of which I should have understood but little had not the Queen herself been my interpreter. The plot as usual turned on marriage. While it was going on the Queen recurred to the Prince of Spain, and asked about his stature. I replied that his Highness was full grown. She was silent a while, and then said ' ' Eveiy one seems to disdain me. I understand you think of marrying him to the Queen of Scots ? ' Do not believe it, your Majesty/ I said. 'His Highness has been so ill for years past with quartan ague and other disorders that his marriage with any one has been out of the question. Because he is better now, the world is full of idle stories about him. Subjects are never weary of talking of their princes/ ' ' That is true/ she answered. ' It was reported a few days since in London that the King my brother intended to offer him to me.' ' The play was followed by a masque. A number of people in black and white, which the Queen told me were her colours, came in and danced. One of them afterwards stepped forward and recited a sonnet in her praise ; and so the spectacle ended. We adjourned to a saloon where a long table was laid out with prest rvod
