102 THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN 



To appreciate the meaning of this comparison, it 

 must be remembered that the "pensioners" of Queen 

 Elizabeth's court were a guard of the tallest and 

 handsomest men to be found in the whole kingdom, 

 men, moreover, who were in the pride of youth, and 

 scions of the most distinguished families. Their 

 dress was of extraordinary elegance and enriched 

 heavily with gold embroidery. Hence, "gold coats" 

 for the cowslips. Here and there jewels sparkled 

 and glistened on the pensioners' coats. Hence 

 rubies fairy favors favors from the Queen ! The 

 pensioners also wore pearls in their ears, like Raleigh 

 and Leicester and other noblemen. Hence the fairy 

 had to "hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear." An 

 idea, too, of the size of Titania and her elves is given 

 when the cowslips are considered "tall," and tall 

 enough to be the body-guard of Queen Titania. 

 This was a pretty little allusion to Queen Elizabeth 

 and her court, which the audience that gathered to 

 see the first representation of "A Midsummer Night's 

 Dream" did not fail to catch. 



We get a sidelight on the importance of the pen- 

 sioners in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" * when 

 Dame Quickly tells Fal staff a great cock-and-bull 

 story about the visitors who have called on Mistress 



1 Act II, Scene II. 



