"Yes, miss."
I regret to report the scene which followed. After trying hard to drown each other"s voices, the two young maids of honour, who had sworn eternal friendship, commenced pushing, then spitting, then slapping, then beating. Then they pulled each other"s hair--then--yes, then Araminta perceived the wand lying on the terrace, and she seized it with the intention of chastising Euthanasia; and Euthanasia perceiving her intention, seized hold of the other end of the wand. A struggle took place, which ended in the wand breaking in half. Then they separated, Araminta throwing her half at her dearest friend, her dearest friend returning the compliment; after which, they both ran home to the castle, vowing that nothing should ever induce them even to speak one single word to each other as long as they lived. We must leave them to go to their rooms, wash their pretty faces, and repair the damage done to their dresses, while we inform the reader of what is going on in the reception-room of the castle.
The mayor and corporation had duly arrived, and had been ushered into a private room until his Majesty should be ready to receive them. The Earl of Rochester had detained them there purposely to give time for the arrival of the ladies of the corporation, who were by his directions received at a private door. The king, amused with the scheme, allowed Rochester to make his arrangements. When all was ready, the mayor and aldermen, who had been very comfortably regaled with sherry and biscuits, so that the time did not appear too tedious, were requested to enter the presence-chamber, where the king received them in due form.
The mayor, approaching the throne, knelt down and laid at his Majesty"s feet the pet.i.tion, which he was requested by the king to read.
The preamble set forth that the young n.o.bility of the day were not content with the pleasures of the court, but were in the custom of entering the city on the other side of Temple-bar, creating disturbances, and visiting the wives of his Majesty"s dutiful citizens, giving much cause for scandal, "and requesting that in future his Majesty would be pleased to give directions that the n.o.bility should not enter the city without the permission of the corporation, as such would prove most advantageous to the morals of the community."
"Hah!" observed his Majesty, "how is this, my Lord of Rochester? Do our young gallants create disturbances with our good citizens? This must be looked to."
"May it please your Majesty," replied the Earl of Rochester, "a.s.sertion is not proof. Here are now twenty-five of the wealthiest citizens of London present, and on their knees before you--they have twenty-five wives--is there any one who will accuse his wife, or his neighbour"s wife, of listening to the nonsense of these young n.o.bles? Either they must listen to them, or, if they do not listen to them, there is no harm done."
"Very true," replied the king. "Say, Mr Mayor, where are your proofs of what you have now a.s.serted?"
"May it please your Majesty, women are women," replied the mayor.
"I believe we may admit that, your Majesty," rejoined Rochester, with a smile.
"Yes. In that point I agree with Mr Mayor--go on. What further does this pet.i.tion contain?"
"A request that your Majesty will pa.s.s some law by which our city dames may be prevented from vying in expense with those of the court--to forbid stuffs of gold, or Genoa velvet, to be worn by them--and all ornaments of too high price--which are not suitable to our condition as simple artisans, and very ruinous to our pockets."
"May it please your Majesty, as any man can legislate for his own household, I think this last clause quite unnecessary. If the good citizens of London cannot afford to pay for such finery they must prevent their wives from purchasing it."
"That is very true," observed his Majesty; "you must prevent it yourselves."
"May it please your Majesty, we cannot," exclaimed the whole deputation, with one voice.
"Well, this is a very serious affair," replied the king, "and it must be laid before a special privy-council. Are you prepared to prove before the council, when you are called on, that your wives have been guilty of listening to these young gallants--have received them, and admitted their familiarities--say, Mr Mayor, and gentlemen, are you prepared to prove this?"
"All are prepared and ready to swear to it," replied the deputation.
"Well then, Mr Mayor, you will have the goodness to retire for a short time while I consult with my council, which I shall immediately summon; and if the facts are as you say, and you prove them, your pet.i.tion shall be attended to."
The mayor and aldermen, delighted at this gracious reply, rose and humbly backed out of the presence-chamber. As soon as they had retired, the lady mayoress and all the aldermen"s wives were ushered in, requested by his Majesty to be seated on chairs ranged round the throne, and thus was formed King Charles" special council. Rochester read the pet.i.tion in a merry way, and then his Majesty requested the lady mayoress, as first in rank, to give her opinion.
"May it please your Majesty," said the mayoress, "it is very true that many of the young n.o.bility do come within the city walls and prove good customers to our husbands. As for disturbances, I never heard of any, for our husbands are peaceable men; and as for their paying attention to the ladies, it is in my opinion only paying a compliment to our husbands, as well as to ourselves."
"Very well argued," replied the king.--"Your opinion, madam, on this first point," continued the king, addressing himself to one of the aldermen"s ladies.
"Pray, does your Majesty think it fair," replied the lady, who was very pretty, "that our husbands are to leave us all day long, to add to their heaps of money, which they care for more than they do for us, and that we are not to amuse ourselves in some way? Besides, it can"t be wrong, for the king sets the example, and the king can do no wrong."
"May it please your Majesty, that last argument settles the point,"
observed Rochester; "and I believe I may say, that the whole council are of the same opinion."
The ladies bowed their heads in acquiescence.
"And now as to the other request contained in this pet.i.tion, that the ladies shall not in future dress in gold stuff, Genoa velvet, and rich ornaments. What say you, ladies?"
"May it please your Majesty," observed an alderman"s wife, who had been married a week, "aware of what was to come, we have already discussed the point between ourselves. It is admitted that our husbands leave us alone, and that we are justified in receiving the attentions of the young n.o.bles who so honour us. Now if our husbands stayed with us, and kept us company, we would dress to please them; but as they do not, and we are indebted to others for society, why we must dress accordingly.
Courtiers require the splendour of the court, and it is our duty to study to please them, and our husbands" duty to accede to it, as a return for the compliments paid to us."
"This is remarkably good logic, Sire," observed Rochester. "I doubt whether you ever summoned a more wise council."
"A more delightful one, never," replied the king, bowing to the ladies.
"Now we will, if you please, summon in the lord mayor and deputation; and if they are willing, as they say they are, to prove----"
"Yes, if--" rejoined the lady mayoress; and all the other ladies replied, "Yes, if----"
In a few minutes the deputation made its appearance: the mayor and his colleagues entered the room with joyful antic.i.p.ations, and fully prepared to prove all that their pet.i.tion a.s.serted; but what was their dismay when they all beheld their own wives, dressed in stuffs of gold, and Genoa velvet, arranged in a circle round the throne, their eyes flashing fire, and their fans moving with a rapidity that was ever the precursor of a storm. Each dame had singled out her husband, fixed her eyes upon him, and every lord and master had quailed at their lightning flashes. They tottered, rather than walked, up to the throne, and when they again went down upon their knees, each one involuntarily turned round to the direction where his own wife was seated, as if to deprecate her wrath and implore her pardon.
The king bit his lips to control his laughter; Rochester stuffed his handkerchief into his mouth.
"Mr Mayor and gentlemen," said the king, after he had somewhat recovered himself, "I have, as you perceive, summoned a special council to consult on this case; and it has been the decision of the council, that you should now produce these proofs, which you but just now stated you were prepared and willing to do. Mr Mayor, you may proceed, we are all attention."
"May it--please your--ladyship," stammered the mayor.
"It does not please her ladyship," replied the lady mayoress, fanning herself furiously.
"I meant--his Majesty--I would have said--I have no proofs myself to bring forward--but my colleagues are, I believe, well prepared."
"Indeed, Mr Mayor, is it possible that I mistook you? You have no proofs? Well then, who are the other gentlemen who are to bring forward the proofs?"
The deputation answered not.
"My Lord of Rochester, oblige me by putting the question separately to each of these gentlemen."
The question was put, but not one of the deputation had a proof to bring forward.
"By the ma.s.s, but this is strange!" said the king. "But an hour ago they all had proofs, and now they have not one. This is trifling with us, Mr Mayor--an insult to the throne and council. Speak, sir, what means this?"
"May it please your Majesty--it means--that we beg pardon of your Majesty--and of the special council."
"And your pet.i.tion?"
"Is withdrawn, if it so please your Majesty," said the mayor, looking round to the aldermen.
"Yes, your Majesty, is withdrawn."
"For myself, Mr Mayor, I accept your excuses, and you have my pardon; but as for the special council, I must leave you to settle with it how you can.--Ladies, a banquet is prepared; when summoned, it will depend upon yourselves, whether you come alone or attended by the mayor and deputation. Come, my Lord of Rochester, we will not interfere in the arrangements, which will take place better when we are out of the way."
So saying, the king quitted the presence-chamber with the Earl of Rochester, leaving the ladies seated, and their husbands still kneeling.
We shall not dwell upon what took place after the departure of the king; one thing is certain, that the fair s.e.x are very merciful, and as their husbands promised them that in future they should have their own way, dress as they pleased, receive whom they pleased, and spend what money they pleased, the ladies very kindly and magnanimously forgave their spouses; and when they were summoned to the banquet, each lady entered the hall, hanging on the arm of her husband.
This happy reconciliation was duly celebrated. Wine flowed, b.u.mper after b.u.mper was drank, pledge succeeded to pledge, and it was long past midnight before the carouse was over. The moon shone bright, and heated with the wine, Rochester proposed to the ladies that they should take a walk on the terrace before they ordered their carriages to go home. It must be confessed that the ladies had not been so cautious as they ought to have been, and that their steps were not very steady; but could a lady refuse to drink wine with a king or an Earl of Rochester? No! and the consequence was, that they all were merry, and some of them more than merry. As for the husbands, they were reeling and tumbling in all directions, and the terrace-wall, wide as it was, was not sufficiently wide for them. Rochester led the way, and all was fun and merry laughter.
The party had not proceeded far, when a little altercation took place between the mayoress and the alderman"s wife who had given her opinion after her in the council; for it so happened that as they sauntered along, the mayoress had picked up one portion of the broken wand, and the alderman"s lady the other. The wand was of ebony, and highly polished--each would possess herself of the half in the hands of the other, and thus commenced the dispute; and it ended, as all disputes between ladies will end, if they happen to have a stick in their hands when they quarrel, by their beating each other. The mayoress gave the alderman"s wife a slap with her part of the wand--it was immediately returned--when lo and behold----