Thus perusing all the ladies and gentlewomen, to some they lost, and of some they woone: and marking after this maner all the ladies, they returned to the cardinall with great reuerence,The cardinall plaieth at dice. powring downe all their gold so left in their cup, which was aboue two hundred crownes: At all (quoth the cardinall) and so cast the dice and wan them, whereat was made a great noise and ioy. Then quoth the cardinall to the lord chamberleine,He suspecteth that the king is present and abateth his estate. I praie you (quoth he) that you would shew them, that me séemeth there should be a nobleman amongst them, who is more meet to occu|pie this seat and place than I am, to whome I would most gladlie surrender the same according to my dutie, if I knew him.

Then spake the lord chamberleine to them in French, and they rounding him in the eare, the lord chamberlein said to my lord cardinall: Sir (quoth he) they confesse, that among them there is such a noble personage, whome, if your grace can appoint him out from the rest, he is content to disclose himselfe, and to accept your place. With that the cardinall taking good aduisement among them, at the last (quoth he) me séemeth the gentleman with the blacke beard, should be euen be: and with that he arose out of his chaire, and offered the same to the gentleman in the blacke beard with his cap in his hand.He taketh [...] marks [...] and is decei|ued. The person to whom he offered the chaire was sir Edward Neuill, a comelie knight, that much more resembled the kings person in that maske than anie other.

The king perceiuing the cardinall so deceiued,The king dis|uisardeth his face and is ve|rie pleasant. could not forbeare laughing, but pulled downe his visar and master Neuels also, and dashed out such a pleasant countenance and [...]héere, that all the noble estates there assembles, perceiuing the king to be there among them, reioised verie much. The cardi|nall eftsoons desired his highnesse to take the place of estate. To whom the king answered, that he would go first and shift his apparell, and so departed into my lord cardinals chamber, and there new apparelled him: in which time the dishes of the banket were cleane taken vp, and the tables spred againe with new cleane perfumed cloths, euerie man and wo|man sitting still, vntill the king with all his maskers came among them againe all new apparelled.