Some little time elapsed before the King made his appearance, during which the curiosity of such as had not seen him, as was the case with Richard, was greatly excited.  The young man wondered whether the pedantic monarch, whose character perplexed the shrewdest, would answer his preconceived notions, and whether it would turn out that his portraits were like him.  While these thoughts were passing through his mind, a shuffling noise was heard without, and King James appeared at the doorway.  He paused there for a moment to place his plumed and jewelled cap upon his head, and to speak a word with Sir John Finett, and during this Richard had an opportunity of observing him.  The portraits were like, but the artists had flattered him, though not much.  There was great shrewdness of look, but there was also a vacant expression, which seemed to contradict the idea of profound wisdom generally ascribed to him.  When in perfect repose, which they were not for more than a minute, the features were thoughtful, benevolent, and pleasing, and Richard began to think him quite handsome, when another change was wrought by some remark of Sir John Finett.  As the Master of the Ceremonies told his tale, the King’s fine dark eyes blazed with an unpleasant light, and he laughed so loudly and indecorously at the close of the narrative, with his great tongue hanging out of his mouth, and tears running down his cheeks, that the young man was quite sickened.  The King’s face was thin and long, the cheeks shaven, but the lips clothed with mustaches, and a scanty beard covered his chin.  The hair was brushed away from the face, and the cap placed at the back of the head, so as to exhibit a high bald forehead, of which he was prodigiously vain.  James was fully equipped for the chase, and wore a green silk doublet, quilted, as all his garments were, so as to be dagger-proof, enormous trunk-hose, likewise thickly stuffed, and buff boots, fitting closely to the leg, and turned slightly over at the knee, with the edges fringed with gold.  This was almost the only appearance of finery about the dress, except a row of gold buttons down the jerkin.  Attached to his girdle he wore a large pouch, with the mouth drawn together by silken cords, and a small silver bugle was suspended from his neck by a baldric of green silk.  Stiffly-starched bands, edged with lace, and slightly turned down on either side of the face, completed his attire.  There was nothing majestic, but the very reverse, in the King’s deportment, and he seemed only kept upright by the exceeding stiffness of his cumbersome clothes.  With the appearance of being corpulent, he was not so in reality, and his weak legs and bent knees were scarcely able to support his frame.  He always used a stick, and generally sought the additional aid of a favourite’s arm.