"  Never  be  cast  down  in  spirit,  nor  take  it
too  grievously  to  heart,  if  the  colour  be  a  sus-
picion of  the  pinkish,  —  no  sign  of  rawness  in
that ;  none  whatever.  It  is  as  becoming  to
him  as  to  the  salmon  ;  it  is  as  natural  to  your
pea-chick  in  his  best  cookery,  as  it  is  to  the
finest  October  morning,  —  moist  underfoot,
when  partridge's  and  puss's  and  renard's  scent
lies  sweetly."

Willie  Shakspeare,  in  the  mean  time,  lifted  up
his  hands  above  his  ears  half  a  cubit,  and  taking
breath  again,  said,  audibly,  although  he  willed  it
to  be  said  unto  himself  alone,  —

"  O  that  knights  could  deign  to  be  our
teachers  1  Methinks  I  should  briefly  spring  up
into  heaven,  through  the  very  chink  out  of  which
the  peacock  took  his  neck."

Master  Silas,  who  like  myself  and  the
worshipful  knight,  did  overhear  him,  said
angrily,—

"  To  spring  up  into  heaven,  my  lad,  it  would
be  as  well  to  have  at  least  one  foot  upon  the


40  Examination  of

ground  to  make  the  spring  withal.  I  doubt
whether  we  shall  leave  thee  this  vantage."

*'  Nay,  nay  !  thou  art  hard  upon  him,  Silas,"
said  the  knight.
