THE next day the foreign ambassadors came, with their gorgeous trains; and

Tom, throned in awful state, received them. The splendors of the scene

Delighted his eye and fired his imagination at first, but the audience was long

And dreary, and so were most of the addresses — wherefore, what began as a

Pleasure, grew into weariness and homesickness by and by. Tom said the

Words which Hertford put into his mouth from time to time, and tried hard to

Acquit himself satisfactorily, but he was too new to such things, and too ill at

Ease to accomplish more than a tolerable success. He looked sufficiently like a

King, but he was ill able to feel like one. He was cordially glad when the

Ceremony was ended.

The larger part of his day was 'wasted' — as he termed it, in his own mind —

In labors pertaining to his royal office. Even the two hours devoted to certain

Princely pastimes and recreations were rather a burden to him than

Otherwise, they were so fettered by restrictions and ceremonious observances.

However, he had a private hour with his whipping-boy which he counted clear

Gain, since he got both entertainment and needful information out of it.

The third day of Tom Canty's kingship came and went much as the others

Had done, but there was a lifting of his cloud in one way — he felt less

Uncomfortable than at first; he was getting a little used to his circumstances