His words were then so tender and heartfelt, his looks so full of love and admiration, that nobody could doubt but that the queen was in highest favor with her husband, and that he loved her most tenderly.
Only the few who knew the secret of this tenderness of the king, so open and so unreservedly displayed, comprehended fully the danger which threatened the queen; for the king was never more to be dreaded than when he flattered; and on no one did his wrath fall more crushingly than on him whom he had just kissed and assured of his favor.
This was what Earl Douglas said to himself, when he saw with what a cordial look Henry the Eighth chatted with his consort.
Behind the throne of the royal pair was seen John Heywood, in his fantastic and dressy costume, with his face at once noble and cunning; and the king just then broke out into loud, resounding laughter at his sarcastic and satirical observations.
"King, your laugh does not please me to-day," said John Heywood, earnestly.

"It smacks of gall.

Do you not find it so, queen ?" The queen was startled from her sweet reveries, and that was what John Heywood had wished.

He, therefore, repeated his question.
"No, indeed," said she: "I find the king to-day quite like the sun.

He is radiant and bright, like it." "Queen, you do not mean the sun, but the full moon," said John Heywood.
"But only see, Henry, how cheerfully Earl Archibald Douglas over there is chatting with the Duchess of Richmond! I love that good earl.
He always appears like a blind-worm, which is just in the notion of stinging some one on the heel, and hence it comes that, when near the earl, I always transform myself into a crane.