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heart grudged that he was not afore made of council in this matter, as well as he was of the taking of her kindred, and of their putting to death, which were by his assent before devised to be beheaded at Pomfret, this selfsame day, in the which he was not ware that it was by others devised that he himself should the same day be beheaded at London: then, said the Protector, in what wise that sorceress and other of her council, as Shore's wife with her affinity, have by their sorcery and witchcraft thus wasted my body: and therewith plucked up his doublet sleeve to his elbow, on his left arm, where he shewed a wearish withered arm, and small as it was never other. And thereupon every man's mind misgave them, well perceiving that this matter was but a quarrel, for well they wist that the queen was both too wise to go about any such folly, and also, if she would, yet would she of all folk make Shore's wife least of her council, whom of all women she most hated, as that concubine whom the king, her husband, most loved.

Also there was no man there but knew that his arm was ever such sith the day of his birth. Nevertheless the Lord Hastings, which from the death of King Edward kept Shore's wife, whom he somewhat doted in the king's life, saving, it is said, that he forbare her for reverence toward his king, or else of a certain kind of fidelity toward his friend. Yet now his heart somewhat grudged to have her, whom he loved so highly, accused, and that, as he knew well, untruly; therefore he answered, and said, "Certainly, my lord, if they have so done, they be worthy of heinous punishment;" "What!" quoth the Protector, "thou servest me, I ween, with if and with and, I tell thee they have done it, and that will I make good on thy body, traitor!" And therewith (as in great anger) he clapped his fist on the board a great rap, at which token given, one cried treason without the chamber, and therewith a door clapped, and in came rushing men in harness as many as the chamber could hold. And anon the Protector said to the Lord

Hastings, "I arrest thee, traitor!' "What! me, my lord?" quoth he.. "Yea, the traitor!" quoth the Protector; and one let fly at the Lord Stanley, which shrunk at the stroke, and fell under the table, or else his head had been cleft to the teeth, for as shortly as he shrank yet ran the blood about his ears. Then was the Archbishop of York, and Doctor Morton, Bishop of Ely, and the Lord Stanley, taken, and divers other, which were bestowed in divers chambers, save the Lord Hastings

(whom the Protector commanded to speed and shrive him apace), “for by Saint Paul (quoth he) I will not dine till I see thy head off." It booted him not to ask why, but heavily he took a priest at a venture, and made a short shrift, for a longer would not be suffered, the Protector made so much haste to his dinner, which he might not go to till this murther were done, for saving of his ungracious oath. So was he brought forth into the green beside the chapel within the Tower, and his head laid down on a log of timber, that lay there for building of the chapel, and there tyrannously stricken off, and after his body and head were interred at Windsor by his master, King Edward the Fourth, whose souls Jesu pardon. Amen.

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A marvellous case it is to hear, either the warnings that he should have voided, or the tokens of that he could not void. For the next night before his death the Lord Stanley sent to him a trusty messenger in all the haste, requiring him to rise and ride away with him, for he was disposed utterly no longer for to abide, for he had a fearful dream, in the which he thought that a boar with his tusks so rased them both by the heads, that the blood ran about both their shoulders; and, forasmuch as the Protector gave the boar for his cognizance, he imagined that it should be he. This dream made such a fearful impression in his heart, that he was thoroughly determined no longer to tarry, but had his horse ready, if the Lord Hastings would go with him; so that they would ride so far that night that they should be out of danger by the next day. "Ah! good lord (quoth the Lord Hastings to the messenger), leaneth my lord, thy master, so much to such trifles, and hath such faith in dreams, which either his own fear phantasieth, or do rise in the night's rest by reason of the day's thought? Tell him it is plain witchcraft to believe in such dreams, which, if they were tokens of things to come, why thinketh he not that we might as likely make them true by our going, if we were caught and brought back (as friends fail fliers), for then had the boar a cause likely to rase us with his tusks, as folks fled for some falsehood; wherefore either is there peril, nor none there is deed, or, if any be, it is rather in going than abiding. And, if we needs fall in peril one way or other, yet had I liefer that men should say it were by other men's falsehoods than think it were either our own fault, or faint feeble heart; and therefore go to thy master and commend me to him, and say that I pray him to be merry and have no fear, for I assure him I am assured of the man he

wotteth of, as I am sure of mine own hand." "God send grace (quoth the messenger), and so departed. Certain it is also that, in riding toward the Tower the same morning in which he was beheaded, his horse that he accustomed to ride on stumbled with him twice or thrice, almost to the falling; which thing, although it happeth to them daily to whom no mischance is toward, yet hath it been as an old evil token observed as a going toward mischief. Now this that followeth was no warning but an envious scorn. The same morning, ere he were up from his bed, there came to him Sir Thomas Howard, son to the Lord Howard (which lord was one of the priviest of the Lord Protector's council and doing), as it were of courtesy to accompany him to the council, but of truth sent by the Lord Protector to haste him hitherward.

This Sir Thomas, while the Lord Hastings staid awhile communing with a priest, whom he met in Tower Street, brake the lord's tale, saying to him merely, "What, my lord! I pray you come on; wherefore talk you so long with that priest? you have no need of a priest yet: and laughed upon him, as though he would say, "you shall have need of one soon." But little wist the other what he meant (but on night these words were well remembered by them who heard them); so the true Lord Hastings little mistrusted, and was never merrier, nor thought his life in more surety in all his days; which thing is often a sign of change: but I shall rather let anything pass me than the vain surety of man's mind so near his death; for upon the very Tower wharf, so near the place where his head was off so soon after as a man might well cast a ball, a pursuivant of his own, called Hastings, met with him, and of their meeting in that place he was put in remembrance of another time in which it happened them to meet before together in the place, at which time the Lord Hastings had been accused to King Edward by the Lord Rivers, the queen's brother, insomuch that he was for awhile, which lasted not long, highly in the king's indignation. As he now met the same pursuivant in the same place, the jeopardy so well passed, it gave him great pleasure to talk with him thereof, with whom he had talked in the same place of that matter, and therefore he said, "Ah, Hastings, art thou remembered how I met thee here once with a heavy heart?” Yea, my lord (quoth he), that I remember well, and thanked be God they got no good nor you no harm thereby." "Thou wouldest say so (quoth he) if thou knowest so much as I do, which few know yet, and more shall shortly." That meant he,

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that the Earl Rivers, and the Lord Richard, and Sir Thomas Vaughan should that day be beheaded at Pomfret, as they were in deed; which act he wist well should be done, but nothing ware that the axe hung so near his own head. "In faith, man (quoth he), I was never so sorry nor never stood in so great danger of my life, as I did when thou and I met here; and lo! the world is turned now; now stand mine enemies in the danger, as thou mayest hap to hear more hereafter, and I never in my life merrier, nor never in so great surety." I pray God it prove so" (quoth Hastings). Prove! (quoth he) doubtest thou that? nay, nay, I warrant thee." And so in manner displeased he entered into the Tower, where he was not long on life as you have heard. 0 Lord God, the blindness of our mortal nature! when he most feared, he was in most surety; and, when he reckoned himself most surest, he lost his life, and that within two hours after. Thus ended this honourable man a good knight and gentle, of great authority with his prince, of living somewhat dissolute, plain and open to his enemy, and sure and secret to his friend, easy to beguile, as he that of good heart and courage foresaw no perils, a loving man, and passing well-beloved, very faithful and trusty enough; but trusting too much was his destruction, as you may perceive.

332.-CHRISTMAS IN THE NORTH OF GERMANY.

CHRISTMAS WITHIN DOORS.

COLERIDGE.

Ratzeburg, 1799. .

THERE is a Christmas custom here which pleased and interested me. The children make little presents to their parents, and to each other; and the parents to the children. For three or four months before Christmas the girls are all busy, and the boys save up their pocketmoney, to make or purchase these presents. What the present is to be is cautiously kept secret, and the girls have a world of contrivances to conceal it-such as working when they are out on visits, and the others are not with them; getting up in the morning before day-light, and the like. Then, on the evening before Christmas Day, one of the parlours is lighted up by the children, into which the parents must not

go. A great yew bough is fastened on the table at a little distance from the wall, a multitude of little tapers are fastened in the bough, but so as not to catch it till they are nearly burnt out, and coloured paper hangs and flutters from the twigs. Under this bough the children lay out in great order the presents they mean for their parents, still concealing in their pockets what they intend for each other. Then the parents are introduced, and each presents his little gift, and then bring out the rest one by one from their pockets, and present them with kisses and embraces. Where I witnessed this scene there were eight or nine children, and the eldest daughter and the mother wept aloud for joy and tenderness; and the tears ran down the face of the father, and he clasped all his children so tight to his breast, it seemed as if he did it to stifle the sob that was rising within him. I was very much affected. The shadow of the bough and its appendages on the wall, and arching over on the ceiling, made a pretty picture ; and then the raptures of the very little ones, when at last the twigs and their needles began to take fire and snap!-Oh, it was a delight for them! On the next day, in the great parlour, the parents lay out on the table the presents for the children: a scene of more sober joy succeeds, as on this day, after an old custom, the mother says privately to each of her daughters, and the father to his sons, that which he has observed most praiseworthy, and that which was most faulty in their conduct. Formerly, and still in all the smaller towns and villages throughout North Germany, these presents were sent by all the parents to some one fellow, who in high buskins, a white robe, a mask, and an enormous flax wig, personates Knecht Rupert, the servant Rupert. On Christmas night he goes round to every house, and says that Jesus Christ his master sent him thither; the parents and elder children receive him with great pomp of reverence, while the little ones are most terribly frightened. He then inquires for the children, and, according to the character' which he hears from the parent, he gives them the intended present, as if they came out of heaven from Jesus Christ. Or, if they should have been bad children, he gives the parents a rod, and in the name of his master recommends them to use it frequently. About ́seven or eight years old the children are let into the secret, and it is curious to observe how faithfully they keep it.

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