KENILWORTH - Penn State University

Sir Walter ScottFurioso, she imposed on him, as a penance, the task of renderingthe whole poem into English.]Varney arose and retired, making a deep obeisance to theSovereign who had done him so much honour.“The buckling of the spur, and what other rites remain,”said the Queen, “may be finished to-morrow in the chapel;for we intend Sir Richard Varney a companion in his honours.And as we must not be partial in conferring such distinction,we mean on this matter to confer with our cousin of Sussex.”That noble Earl, who since his arrival at Kenilworth, andindeed since the commencement of this Progress, had foundhimself in a subordinate situation to Leicester, was now wearinga heavy cloud on his brow; a circumstance which had notescaped the Queen, who hoped to appease his discontent, andto follow out her system of balancing policy by a mark ofpeculiar favour, the more gratifying as it was tendered at amoment when his rival’s triumph appeared to be complete.At the summons of Queen Elizabeth, Sussex hastily approachedher person; and being asked on which of his followers,being a gentleman and of merit, he would wish the honourof knighthood to be conferred, he answered, with more sinceritythan policy, that he would have ventured to speak forTressilian, to whom he conceived he owed his own life, andwho was a distinguished soldier and scholar, besides a man ofunstained lineage, “only,” he said, “he feared the events of thatnight—” And then he stopped.“I am glad your lordship is thus considerate,” said Elizabeth.“The events of this night would make us, in the eyes ofour subjects, as mad as this poor brain-sick gentleman himself—forwe ascribe his conduct to no malice—should wechoose this moment to do him grace.”“In that case,” said the Earl of Sussex, somewhat discountenanced,your Majesty will allow me to name my master ofthe horse, Master Nicholas Blount, a gentleman of fair estateand ancient name, who has served your Majesty both in Scotlandand Ireland, and brought away bloody marks on his person,all honourably taken and requited.”The Queen could not help shrugging her shoulders slightlyeven at this second suggestion; and the Duchess of Rutland,who read in the Queen’s manner that she had expected thatSussex would have named Raleigh, and thus would have enabledher to gratify her own wish while she honoured his357