KENILWORTH - Penn State University

KenilworthThe Earl of Sussex ran so hastily through these directions,that it was with difficulty Tressilian at length found opportunityto express his surprise that he should have proceeded sofar in the affair of Sir Hugh Robsart as to lay his petition atonce before the Queen. “It was the opinion of the younglady’s friends,” he said, “that Leicester’s sense of justice shouldbe first appealed to, as the offence had been committed by hisofficer, and so he had expressly told to Sussex.”“This could have been done without applying to me,” saidSussex, somewhat haughtily. “I at least, ought not to havebeen a counsellor when the object was a humiliating referenceto Leicester; and I am suprised that you, Tressilian, a man ofhonour, and my friend, would assume such a mean course. Ifyou said so, I certainly understood you not in a matter whichsounded so unlike yourself.”“My lord,” said Tressilian, “the course I would prefer, formy own sake, is that you have adopted; but the friends of thismost unhappy lady—”“Oh, the friends—the friends,” said Sussex, interruptinghim; “they must let us manage this cause in the way whichseems best. This is the time and the hour to accumulate everycharge against Leicester and his household, and yours theQueen will hold a heavy one. But at all events she hath thecomplaint before her.”Tressilian could not help suspecting that, in his eagerness tostrengthen himself against his rival, Sussex had purposelyadopted the course most likely to throw odium on Leicester,without considering minutely whether it were the mode ofproceeding most likely to be attended with success. But thestep was irrevocable, and Sussex escaped from further discussingit by dismissing his company, with the command, “Letall be in order at eleven o’clock; I must be at court and in thepresence by high noon precisely.”While the rival statesmen were thus anxiously preparing fortheir approaching meeting in the Queen’s presence, even Elizabethherself was not without apprehension of what mightchance from the collision of two such fiery spirits, each backedby a strong and numerous body of followers, and dividingbetwixt them, either openly or in secret, the hopes and wishesof most of her court. The band of Gentlemen Pensionerswere all under arms, and a reinforcement of the yeomen ofthe guard was brought down the Thames from London. A186