Page:Hutton, William Holden - Hampton Court (1897).djvu/86

40 should be even he.' And with that he arose out of his chair, and offered the same to the same gentleman in the black beard, with his cap in his hand. The person to whom he offered then his chair was Sir Edward Neville, a comely knight of a goodly personage, that much more resembled the King's person in that mask than any other. The King, hearing and perceiving the Cardinal so deceived in his estimation and choice, could not forbear laughing; but pulled down his visor, and Master Neville's also, and dashed out such a pleasant countenance and cheer, that all noble estates there assembled, perceiving the King to be there amongst them, rejoiced very much. The Cardinal eftsoons desired his Highness to take the place of estate, to whom the King answered, that he would go first and shift his apparel; and so departed, and went straight into my Lord Cardinal's bedchamber, where was a great fire prepared for him; and there new apparelled him with rich and princely garments. And in the time of the King's absence, the dishes of the banquet were clean taken up, and the table spread again with new and sweet perfumed cloths; every man sitting still until the King's Majesty, with all his maskers, came in among them again, every man new apparelled. Then the King took his seat under the cloth of estate, commanding every person to sit still, as they did before. In came a new banquet before the King's Majesty, and to all the rest throughout the tables, wherein, I suppose, were served two hundred divers dishes of wondrous costly devices and subtilties. Thus