know! I'm sure I don't, as it will depend upon my being drunk or sober." "But have they no other means of escape?" inquired Jocelyn, somewhat anxious for the emancipation of his theatrical friend, whose time of performance, three o'clock in the day, was now just at hand. "None, of which I am exactly aware," replied his Lordship, "unless they venture the leap from the window into the garden, which they may do, after all, for a few sprained ancles and insignificant bruises. Ten to one no bones will be broken." Thus unconcernedly dismissing their situation from his thoughts, he led his companion through St. James's Park to the garden, under the wall of which, standing upon the grass walk, was a knot of gentlemen in gay attire, whom Lord Rochester instantly recognised to be the King and his select' band of courtiers. The Monarch, leaning his shoulder against the wall, stood with crossed legs, patting on the head a diminutive spaniel which he held in his arms, and looking up to a gorgeouslydressed female on a terrace of the garden, parallel with the top of the wall. Not very decorous in her attire, and somewhat meretricious in her gestures, Jocelyn could observe, even at a distance, that her features were beautiful, and expressed his opinion that her wit must be at least equal to her charms, by the laughter that every now and then burst from the assemblage below. "That is Nell Gwyn, the actress, now termed Mistress Nelly," said Lord Rochester; “a bold, merry slut; but as for her wit it is of that sort which every shameless jade has at her command, and which such loose fellows as myself (to say nothing of his Majesty, God save the mark!) have seldom any objection to hear. Ten pieces to one, they are discoursing of her last night's performance, with which the King was mightily smitten. Be not seen, for you must not mar the effect of a surprise: I will join the party, and learn their plans for the afternoon, which may assist us in settling our own.” So saying, he walked forward, was welcomed by the King with a nod, and by Mistress Nelly with a pelting of sweetmeats and bon-bons, one of which hitting him in the eye seemed to afford egregious satisfaction to that laughter-loving dame, and scarcely less to the party beneath the wall, who were in their turn assaulted with a shower of the same dainty missiles. Returning from these illustrious triflers, whose amusement was exposed to public observation, he informed Jocelyn that they were about to proceed immediately to St. James's Park, where for a wager lords Castlehaven and Arran had undertaken to run down and kill a stout buck before the King. "We cannot desire a better opportunity of a surprise," he added, "but we have not a moment to lose, so step forward with a good will." With these words he hurried to a masquerade-warehouse in Westminster, where he selected the garb of a sylvan, or a man of the woods, together with a guitar, which he entrusted to a porter, bidding him accompany them to St. James's Park. "But what connexion is there between a sylvan and a French song accompanied by the guitar?" asked Jocelyn, as they paced rapidly along. "None whatever," replied his companion, "and, therefore, the better for our purpose. The King has long lost all taste for that which is appropriate : to be pleased he must be surprised, and this can only be effected by some absurdity; the more preposterous the more likely to succeed." In a short time they reached a ditch behind some bushes, which was instantly converted into our hero's tyring-room; and here, as soon as his metamorphosis was complete, Lord Rochester left him to join the royal party, undertaking to lead them towards his place of concealment, and directing him to start forward as soon as he heard the signal of a whistle. Through the crevices of the hedge Jocelyn saw the two young noblemen, whose vigorous and active limbs were displayed to the best advantage by a light elastic vestment, prepare themselves for their laborious task. A stout buck was selected for the chase: several ladies in riding-dresses, with round black satin hats cocked on one side, and surmounted with scarlet plumes fastened by a diamond loop, were now joined to the royal party in the centre of 8* VOL. II. the Park; while above the circling enclosures were seen the eager faces of the numerous gazers, whom curiosity had attracted to the spot. The two adversaries of the buck, stationing themselves at opposite extremities of the Park, contented themselves for a considerable time with chasing him backward and forward from one to the other; until seeing the poor animal nearly exhausted by its exertions, they joined together in its pursuit, running it fairly down by superior fleetness, and killing it at a small distance from Jocelyn's lurkingplace. Thither the King and his company immediately hastened to examine the dead stag, and congratulate the victors: Lord Rochester, as they returned from the spectacle and approached the bushes, gave the appointed signal, and Jocelyn started from his concealment. At this unexpected apparition several of the ladies shrieked, and ran for protection behind the King, who having been too often encountered by similar masquings and disguises to be at any loss for the meaning of the present, rather enjoyed their terrors, and disposed himself to listen to the song or the address which usually termined these devices. Jocelyn bent himself gracefully upon one knee, rose up, again bowed to the assemblage, struck his guitar, and thus accompanied it with his voice : Les roys d'Egypte et de Syrie Vouloient qu'on embaumat leurs corps, Quelle folie! Avec du vin embaumons nous, Que ce baume est doux! embaumons nous, "Prettily imagined, i'faith!" exclaimed the King, when he had concluded, " and most daintily executed. 'Od's fish, Lauderdale, is n't he a likely spark? What say you, Arlington; is not his voice as charming as Joanni's?-Jermyn, you are undone; yonder is a better leg than your own. Hamilton, did you ever hear a more perfect Frenchman? Whose getting up is this? Your's, Ashley, for a wager; or else some new prank of George's, my merry wag of Buckingham." Both these noblemen having strenuously disavowed any knowledge of the singer, the other courtiers, ever jealous of any new candidate for their master's capricious favour, began to take exceptions against his figure, voice, and pronunciation; while the ladies, after numerous wondering exclamations of who he could be, and what he could be, were unanimous and loud in their admiration. "Will none of you father this well-graced man of the woods?" cried the King:-" then we must e'en bring the culprit himself to confession. Prythee, my tuneful Sylvan, who are you, and who has spirited you to this enterprise ?" Thus interrogated, Jocelyn approached the Monarch, took his father's letter from his bosom, presented it, and retired. Charles happened to be in a particularly good humour; and his appearance |