The cardinall reuerentlie sa|luted of the maskers.To whom the lord chamberleine for them said: Sir, for as much as they be strangers, and can not speake English, they haue desired me to declare vnto you, that they hauing vnderstanding of this your trium|phant banket, where was assembled such a number of excellent dames, they could doo no lesse vnder sup|port of your grace, but to repaire hither, to view as well their incomparable beautie, as for to accompa|nie them at mum-chance, and then to danse with them: and sir, they require of your grace licence to accomplish the said cause of their cõming. To whom the cardinall said he was verie well content they should so doo. Then went the maskers, and first salu|ted all the dames, and returned to the most worthie, and there opened their great cup of gold filled with crownes and other péeces of gold, to whome they set certeine péeces of gold to cast at.

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.