by two large wax candles, in rich candlesticks; on this were laid certain princely presents, Sir Harry Lee's parting memorials to the Queen. Strains of enchanting fweetness iffued from the temple as the aged knight drew drew near the throne, and Mr. Hales, her Majesty's fervant, a finger of admirable voice and skill, accompanied the inftruments with these touching verses, fuppofed to be addreffed by Sir Henry to the Queen :

My golden locks Time hath to silver turn'd

(Oh, Time! too swift, and swiftness never ceasing),
My youth 'gainst age, and age at youth hath spurn'd;
But spurn'd in vain-youth waneth by increasing-
Beauty, strength, and youth, flowers fading been;
Duty, faith, and love, are roots, and evergreen.

My helmet now shall make an hive for bees,
And lovers' songs shall turn to holy psalms,
A man-at-arms must now sit on his knees
And feed on prayers that are old age's alms.
And so from court to cottage I depart,
My saint is sure of mine unspotted heart.

And when I sadly sit in homely cell,

I'll teach my swains this carol for a song:
Blest be the hearts that think my sovereign well,
Cursed be the souls that think to do her wrong
Goddess, vouchsafe this aged man his right
To be your beadsman now, that was your knight."

984

FENCING AND SWORD PLAY.

ENCING was an art in which, as in

archery, great proficiency was formerly attained by Englishmen. Ladies loved to witness a display of the fencer's skill, and to beftow rewards upon the successful fwordfman. The citizens of London practifed the art extenfively. In the fixteenth century Smithfield was in the zenith of its fword play, and when its glory had paffed away, old writers were wont to speak with regret of the "fword and buckler age in Smithfield." At the commencement

of the seventeenth century, we read in the old play of "Two Angry Women," by Henry Porter, "Sword and buckler fight begin to grow out of ufe. I am forry for it; I shall never fee good manhood again; if it be once gone, this poking fight of rapier and dagger will come up, then a tall man, that is a courageous man and a good sword and buckler man, will be spitted like a cat or a rabbit." Previous to this period "the art of defence and use of weapons was, according to Stowe, "taught by profeffed

169013B

masters" in the city of London; and a writer, who gives a description of the colleges and fchools in and about London in 1615, fays, "In the city there be manie profeffors of the science of defence, and very skilful men in teaching the best and most offenfive and defenfive use of verie many weapons, as of the large fword, back-fword, rapier and dagger, fingle rapier, the cafe of rapiers, the sword and buckler or targate, the pike, the halberd, the long ftaff and others. Henry VIII. made the professors of this art a company or corporation by letters patent, wherein the art is intituled The noble fcience of Defence.' The manner of the proceeding of our fencers in their schools is this: first, they which defire to be taught at their admiffion are called scholars, and as they profit, they take degrees and proceed to be provosts of defence; and that must be wonne by public trial of their proficience and of their skill at certain weapons, which they call prizes, and in the presence and view of many hundreds of people; and at their next and laft prize well and fufficiently performed, they do proceed to be maifters of the science of defence, or maisters of fence as we commonly call them. The king ordained that none but fuch as have thus orderly proceeded by public act and trial, and have the approbation of the principal maifters of their company, may profess or teach this art of defence publicly in any part of England."