The masque began.  Two tutelar deities appeared on the stage.  They were followed by a band of foresters clad in Lincoln green, with bows at their backs.  The first deity wore a white linen tunic, with flesh-coloured hose and red buskins, and had a purple taffeta mantle over his shoulders.  In his hand he held a palm branch, and a garland of the same leaves was woven round his brow.  The second household god was a big brawny varlet, wild and shaggy in appearance, being clothed in the skins of beasts, with sandals of untanned cowhide.  On his head was a garland of oak leaves; and from his neck hung a horn.  He was armed with a hunting-spear and wood-knife, and attended by a large Lancashire mastiff.  Advancing to the front of the stage, the foremost personage thus addressed the Monarch—­

“This day—­great King for government admired! 
Which these thy subjects have so much desired—­
Shall be kept holy in their heart’s best treasure,
And vow’d to JAMES as is this month to Caesar. 
And now the landlord of this ancient Tower,
Thrice fortunate to see this happy hour,
Whose trembling heart thy presence sets on fire,
Unto this house—­the heart of all our shire—­
Does bid thee cordial welcome, and would speak it
In higher notes, but extreme joy doth break it. 
He makes his guests most welcome, in his eyes
Love tears do sit, not he that shouts and cries. 
And we the antique guardians of this place,—­
I of this house—­he of the fruitful chase,—­
Since the bold Hoghtons from this hill took name,
Who with the stiff, unbridled Saxons came,
And so have flourish’d in this fairer clime
Successively from that to this our time,
Still offering up to our immortal powers
Sweet incense, wine, and odoriferous flowers;
While sacred Vesta, in her virgin tire,
With vows and wishes tends the hallow’d fire. 
Now seeing that thy Majesty is thus
Greater than household deities like us,
We render up to thy more powerful guard,
This Tower.  This knight is thine—­he is thy ward,
For by thy helping and auspicious hand,
He and his home shall ever, ever stand
And flourish, in despite of envious fate;
And then live, like Augustus, fortunate. 
And long, long mayst thou live!—­To which both men
And guardian angels cry—­“Amen! amen!”

James, who had demeaned himself critically during the delivery of the address, observed at its close to Sir Richard Hoghton, who was standing immediately behind his chair, “We cannot say meikle for the rhymes, which are but indifferently strung together, but the sentiments are leal and gude, and that is a’ we care for.”

On this the second tutelar divinity advanced, and throwing himself into an attitude, as if bewildered by the august presence in which he stood, exclaimed—­

          “Thou greatest of mortals!”—­

And then stopped, as if utterly confounded.