humour or affection seized him) was intractable, relaxed into a
familiar smile at the duke's greeting, and suffered the young prince
to draw him aside from the groups of courtiers with whom the chamber
was filled, to the leaning-places (as they were called) of a large
mullion window. In the mean while, as they thus conferred, the
courtiers interchanged looks, and many an eye of fear and hate was
directed towards the stately form of the earl. For these courtiers
were composed principally of the kindred or friends of the queen, and
though they dared not openly evince the malice with which they
retorted Warwick's lofty scorn and undisguised resentment at their new
fortunes, they ceased not to hope for his speedy humiliation and
disgrace, reeking little what storm might rend the empire, so that it
uprooted the giant oak, which still in some measure shaded their
sunlight and checked their growth. True, however, that amongst these
were mingled, though rarely, men of a hardier stamp and nobler birth,
--some few of the veteran friends of the king's great father; and
these, keeping sternly and loftily aloof from the herd, regarded
Warwick with the same almost reverential and yet affectionate
admiration which he inspired amongst the yeomen, peasants, and
mechanics,--for in that growing but quiet struggle of the burgesses,
as it will often happen in more civilized times, the great Aristocracy
and the Populace were much united in affection, though with very
different objects; and the Middle and Trading Class, with whom the
earl's desire for French alliances and disdain of commerce had much
weakened his popularity, alone shared not the enthusiasm of their
countrymen for the lion-hearted minister.

Nevertheless, it must here be owned that the rise of Elizabeth's
kindred introduced a far more intellectual, accomplished, and literary
race into court favour than had for many generations flourished in so