and, taking off his velvet cloak, spread it over the mud for her to walk
upon.
Elizabeth was much pleased; she rewarded Raleigh with a post in the
palace. There, one day, he wrote upon a window which he knew the queen
would pass: "Fain would I climb, but that I fear to fall". When
Elizabeth saw this, she added these words: "If thy heart fail thee,
climb not at all". However, Raleigh did climb very soon to a high place,
for he was clever and brave as well as polite, and he served the queen
in many ways.
It is said that his ships first brought potatoes and tobacco to England
from America, and that he was the first man in this country to smoke.
One day, a servant brought a jug of ale into the room where Raleigh was
sitting and smoking. The man was much alarmed to see smoke coming from
his master's mouth, and he quickly emptied the jug of ale over Raleigh's
head, to put out the fire which he thought was burning within him.
[Illustration: RALEIGH SPREADS HIS CLOAK BEFORE ELIZABETH]
End of Project Gutenberg's True Stories of Wonderful Deeds, by Anonymous