PART I MIRRAB—THE WITCH MIRRAB—THE WITCH [Pg 11] [Pg 11] CHAPTER I EAST MOLESEY FAIR EAST MOLESEY FAIR Even Noailles, in his letters to his royal master, admits that the weather was glorious, and that the climatic conditions left nothing to be desired. Even Noailles! Noailles, who detested England as the land of humid atmospheres and ill-dressed women! Renard, who was more of a diplomatist and kept his opinions on the fogs and wenches of Old England very much to himself, declared enthusiastically in his letter to the Emperor Charles V, dated October 2nd, 1553, that never had he seen the sky so blue, the sun so bright, nor the people of this barbarous island more merry than on the memorable first day of East Molesey Fair: as all who will, may read for themselves in Vol. III of the Granvelle Papers:— "Aulcungs ne pourroient contempler ciel plus bleu soleil plus brillianct ni peuple plus joieult." Yet what have we to do with the opinions of these noble ambassadors of great and mighty foreign monarchs? Our own chroniclers tell us that East Molesey Fair was the maddest, merriest, happiest time the goodly folk of the Thames Valley had had within memory of the oldest inhabitant. [Pg 12]Was not good Queene Marye, beloved daughter of the great King Henry VIII, crowned at last? crowned in Westminster Abbey, as all her loyal subjects had desired that she should be, despite His Grace of Northumberland and his treasonable faction, whom God and the Queene's most lawful Majesty would punish all in good time? [Pg 12] In the meanwhile let us be joyful and make merry! Such a motley crowd as never was seen. Here's a sheriff from London City, pompous and dignified in dark doublet and hose, with scarlet mantle and velvet cap; beside him
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