“Your description does not tempt me,” said Richard; “I have no taste for sigh-and-die-away damsels.  Dorothy Lister, however, is accounted fair enough; but, were she fascinating as Venus herself, in my present mood I should not regard her.”

“I’ faith, lad, I pity you, if such be the case,” shrugging his shoulders, more in contempt than compassion.

“Waste not your sympathy upon me,” replied Richard; “but, tell me, how went the show at Preston yesterday?”

“Excellently well, and much to his Majesty’s satisfaction,” answered the squire.  “Proud Preston never was so proud before, and never with such good reason; for if the people be poor, according to the proverb, they take good care to hide their poverty.  Bombards were fired from the bridge, and the church bells rang loud enough to crack the steeple, and bring it down about the ears of the deafened lieges.  The houses were hung with carpets and arras; the streets strewn ankle deep with sand and sawdust; the cross in the market-place was bedecked with garlands of flowers like a May-pole; and the conduit near it ran wine.  At noon there was more firing; and, amidst flourishes of trumpets, rolling of drums, squeaking of fifes, and prodigious shouting, bonnie King Jamie came to the cross, where a speech was made him by Master Breares, the Recorder; after which the corporation presented his Majesty with a huge silver bowl, in token of their love and loyalty.  The King seemed highly pleased with the gift, and observed to the Duke of Buckingham, loud enough to be heard by the bystanders, who reported his speech to me, ’God’s santie! it’s a braw bicker, Steenie, and might serve for a christening-cup, if we had need of siccan a vessel, which, Heaven be praised, we ha’e na!’ After this there was a grand banquet in the town-hall; and when the heat of the day was over the King left with his train for Hoghton Tower, visiting the alum mines on the way thither.  We are bidden to breakfast by Sir Richard, so we must push on, Dick, for his Majesty is an early riser, like myself.  We are to have rare sport to-day.  Hunting in the morning, a banquet, and, as I have already intimated, a masque at night, in which Sir George Goring and Sir John Finett will play, and in which I have been solicited to take the drolling part of Jem Tospot—­nay, laugh not, Dick, Sherborne says I shall play it to the life—­as well as to find some mirthful dame to enact the companion part of Doll Wango.  I have spoken with two or three on the subject, and fancy one of them will oblige me.  There is another matter on which I am engaged.  I am to present a petition to his Majesty from a great number of the lower orders in this county, praying they may be allowed to take their diversions, as of old accustomed, after divine service on Sundays; and, though I am the last man to desire any violation of the Sabbath, being somewhat puritanically inclined as they now phrase it, yet I cannot think any harm can ensue from lawful recreation and honest exercise.  Still, I would any one were chosen to present the petition rather than myself.”