on the great high-road of life, and was content to give up all his schemes of sovereignty and fame, to make one of us, the flowers of the field.  His kingdom was the heart of Perdita, his subjects her thoughts; by her he was loved, respected as a superior being, obeyed, waited on.  No office, no devotion, no watching was irksome to her, as it regarded him.  She would sit apart from us and watch him; she would weep for joy to think that he was hers.  She erected a temple for him in the depth of her being, and each faculty was a priestess vowed to his service.  Sometimes she might be wayward and capricious; but her repentance was bitter, her return entire, and even this inequality of temper suited him who was not formed by nature to float idly down the stream of life.

During the first year of their marriage, Perdita presented Raymond with a lovely girl.  It was curious to trace in this miniature model the very traits of its father.  The same half-disdainful lips and smile of triumph, the same intelligent eyes, the same brow and chestnut hair; her very hands and taper fingers resembled his.  How very dear she was to Perdita!  In progress of time, I also became a father, and our little darlings, our playthings and delights, called forth a thousand new and delicious feelings.

Years passed thus,—­even years.  Each month brought forth its successor, each year one like to that gone by; truly, our lives were a living comment on that beautiful sentiment of Plutarch, that “our souls have a natural inclination to love, being born as much to love, as to feel, to reason, to understand and remember.”  We talked of change and active pursuits, but still remained at Windsor, incapable of violating the charm that attached us to our secluded life.

  Pareamo aver qui tutto il ben raccolto
  Che fra mortali in piu parte si rimembra.

Now also that our children gave us occupation, we found excuses for our idleness, in the idea of bringing them up to a more splendid career.  At length our tranquillity was disturbed, and the course of events, which for five years had flowed on in hushing tranquillity, was broken by breakers and obstacles, that woke us from our pleasant dream.

A new Lord Protector of England was to be chosen; and, at Raymond’s request, we removed to London, to witness, and even take a part in the election.  If Raymond had been united to Idris, this post had been his stepping-stone to higher dignity; and his desire for power and fame had been crowned with fullest measure.  He had exchanged a sceptre for a lute, a kingdom for Perdita.