Darnley — XLI

They all, as glad as birds of joyous prime, Thence led her forth, about her dancing round.

--Spenser.

The bustle, the confusion, the clamour, the questions, and the explanations that ensued, we shall leave the reader to imagine, satisfied that his vivid fancy will do far more justice to such a scene than our worn-out pen.

When the bodies of Sir Payan Wileton and his companion in death had been removed from the chamber of the king, and some sand strewed upon the ground to cover the gory memories that such deeds had left behind, order and tranquillity began to regain their dominion.

"By my faith!

a bloody morning's entertainment have we had," said Francis.

"But you are happy, my good brother of England, in having traitors that will thus despatch each other, and cheat the headsman of his due.

However, from what I have gathered, Osborne Darnley, the Knight of Burgundy, can no longer seem a traitor in the eyes of any one."

"No, truly, my gracious lord," replied Wolsey, willing to pleasure the King of France.

"He stands freed from all spot or blemish, and well deserves the kingly love of either noble monarch."

"'Slife!

my good lord cardinal," cried Henry, "speak for yourself alone!

Now, I say, on my soul, he is still a most deep and egregious traitor; not only, like that Sir Payan Wileton, in having planned his treason, but in having executed it."

"Nay, how so?"

cried Francis, startled at this new charge.

"In what is he a traitor now?"

"In having aided Francis King of France," replied Henry, smiling, "to storm our castle of Guisnes, and take his liege lord and sovereign prisoner."

"Oh!

if that be the case," cried Francis, "I give him up to your royal indignation; but still we have a boon to ask, which our gracious brother will not refuse."

"Name it!

name it!"

exclaimed Henry.

"By St. Mary!

it shall go to pay our ransom, whatever it be."

"You have in your court," replied Francis, "one Lady Constance de Grey, who, though your born subject, is no less vassal to the crown of France; owing homage for the counties of Boissy and the Val de Marne, assured to your late subject the Lord de Grey by Charles the Eighth when he gave him in marriage Constance Countess of Boissy, as a reward for services rendered in Italy----" "We see your object, oh most Christian king!"

cried Henry, laughing.

"We see your object!

What a messenger of Cupid are you!

Well, have your wish.

We give her to your highness so to dispose of as you may think fit; but at the same time claim Lord Osborne Darnley at your hands, to punish according to his demerits.

What say you?

ha!"

"Agreed, agreed!"

replied the King of France.

"He waits me, as I said, even now, in the corridor without, and doubtless thinks I sue for him in vain.

Those guards must have passed him in the corridor."

"No, no; they came the other way," said Henry.

"Ho!

without there!

Sergeant-at-arms, take four stout halberdiers, and, going into the west corridor, attach me for high treason the Lord Osborne Darnley, whom you will there find waiting.

Hist!

hear me, man!

Use him with all gentleness (we do but jest with him), and make some fair excuse to shut him up in one of the chambers of the new palace, the nearer to the great hall the better.

Away!

make speed!

and above all return quick, and let me know where you have put him; but take heed, and let him not see that we mock him: haste!

My good lord cardinal," he continued, turning to Wolsey, "though it be an unmeet task for one of your grave dignity to bear a message to a lady, yet on this day of joy, when our good brother France comes here to greet us in brotherly love, even wise men shall forget their seriousness and be as gay as boys.

Hie then, good Wolsey, to our lady queen.

Tell her to call all the fair flowers of England round about her in our great hall, to welcome Francis of France, and that I will be there immediately upon your steps."

The cardinal bowed low, and instantly obeyed; and Henry proceeded in whispering consultation with Francis till the return of the sergeant-at-arms; then turning to the worthy clothier, who, when he found all the killing and slaying was over, had come out from behind the arras to enjoy the air of royalty, "Come, good Jekin," cried Henry, "now a task for thee.

Hark, man!"

and he whispered something to honest Groby, who instantly replied, "Lord 'a mercy!

yes, your grace!

I know Wilson Goldsmith well; I'll go to him directly; no trouble in life.

Lord!

I guess how it's going to be.

Well, I'm vastly glad, I do declare.

Lord 'a mercy!

I hope your grace's worship will let me be there!"

"Ay, man, ay!"

cried the king; "make speed and come with him.

Ho, Snell!

give me a gown of tissue; bid the guard be ready: we will cross the green to the palace.

Let the marshals be called to clear the way."

In a very few minutes all was prepared; and as the two kings were descending the grand staircase of the castle, news was brought that a band of French nobles, anxious for the safety of their king, had come over from Ardres at all speed to seek him.

Francis sent his commands that they should dismount in the court; and on issuing out of the castle, the monarch found a splendid party of the English and French nobility mingled together, waiting to give them the good morrow.

"Ha, Alençon!

what fear you, man?"

cried the King of France.

"We are all safe.

Sir Richard Heartley, look not for Lord Darnley; he is in security: follow, and you will see him presently."

"Gentlemen all, you are most welcome," said Henry; "follow us, all that love us, to our poor palace here without, and we will make you better cheer, where ladies' words shall replace this summer air, and their sweet looks the sunshine.

Sound 'On before!'

" The trumpets sounded, and, the ushers and marshals clearing the way for the two kings, they passed out of the castle gate, and traversed the green on foot, amidst the shouts and acclamations of the crowd that the arrival of the French nobles, together with various rumours of something extraordinary having happened, had collected in the neighbourhood of the royal lodging.

Arm-in-arm with Francis, Henry, delighting with ostentatious magnificence to show himself to the people, passed round to the front of the palace; and entering the court which we have already described, he proceeded at once to the great hall, called the Hall of the Cloth of Silver, to which, on the announcement of his intentions by Wolsey, the queen had hastily summoned all the elect of the court.

On the entrance of the kings, with all the train of noblemen who had followed them, a temporary confusion ensued, while Francis was presented to the Queen of England, and Henry whispered to her a few brief hints of what had taken place.

"Room, room, lords and ladies!"

cried he at length; "let us have space."

"There would not be space enough for him in the world, if he had his will," whispered Lady Katrine Bulmer to Constance de Grey, who stood by her side, unwillingly appearing in such a meeting.

"On my life, Constance, his eye is fixed upon us!

Now, what would I give to be king, if it were but to outstare him!"

"The Lady Constance de Grey!"

said Henry, in a loud tone: "we would speak with the Lady de Grey."

"Nay, speak gently," said the queen.

"Good my lord, you will frighten her.

Constance, come hither to the queen, your friend!"

With a pale cheek and a beating heart, Constance advanced to the side of the queen, and bending her eyes upon the ground, awaited in silence, not daring to look around.

"Fear not, fair one!"

said Henry; "we are not angry, but only sorry to lose you.

Here is our noble brother, Francis of France, claims you as his vassal at our hands."

Constance looked up, and saw the King of France's eye bent on her with a smile that gave her courage.

"Now, notwithstanding the great love we bear him," continued Henry, "we might have resisted his demand, inasmuch as you are our born subject, had you not shown some slight perverseness against our repeated commands.

We therefore must and will resign you into his hands, unless you instantly agree to receive such lord to be your husband as we shall judge fitting for your rank and station."

"Oh, no, no, my lord!"

cried Constance, clasping her hands, and forgetting, in her fear of fresh persecution, the crowd by which she was surrounded.

"Force me not, I beseech your grace, to wed against my will."

"You see," said Henry, turning to the King of France; "you see the lady is headstrong!

Take her, my good brother; I give her up to you.

There, sweetheart, is your lord and sovereign; see if you can obey him better."

Francis took the fair girl by the hand, and bending down his head, said in a kindly tone, "Lady, fear not.

Lift up your eyes, and tell me if there is one in all this circle you would make your choice."

"No, indeed, my lord," faltered forth Constance, without looking round; "all I ask is to be left in peace."

"If you have ever seen any one to whom you could give your heart, tell me," said Francis.

Constance was silent.

"Then I am to judge that you have not," continued the king; "so I will choose for you."

Constance raised her eyes with a supplicating look; but Francis's face was turned towards Henry, who, with a laughing glance, had taken the queen by the hand, and was leading her towards one of the doors.

"Come, we must follow," cried Francis.

"Lord cardinal, we shall need your company."

Constance gazed round with doubt and apprehension; but Francis led her forward immediately after the King and Queen of England, whispering, as they went, "Fear not, sweet lady!

you are with a friend who knows all."

The whole court followed along one of the splendid galleries of the palace, preceded by Henry and Katherine, who stopped, however, before a door, from before which a page held back the hangings, and "Here," said the King of England, putting a key into Francis's hand, "here you take precedence.

This is the cage, and here is the fetter-maker," pointing to a respectable-looking merchant in a long furred robe who stood with Jekin Groby in a niche hard by.

More and more confused, not knowing what to fear or what to believe, the very uncertainty made Constance's heart sink more than actual danger would have done; but still the King of France led her forward, even before Queen Katherine, and, putting the key in the lock, threw open the door, and drew her gently in, when the first object that met her sight was Osborne Darnley, with his arms folded on his breast, standing before the high altar of a splendid chapel.

Her heart beat;

her eyes grew dim; her brain reeled; and she would have fallen fainting to the ground, but Darnley started forward and clasped her to his heart.

"Nay, nay, this is too much!"

cried the queen, advancing; "see, the poor girl faints!

My good lord, indeed this must not be to-day.

It has been too much for her already.

Some day before the two courts part we will pray my good lord cardinal to speak a blessing on their love.

Bear her into the sacristy, Sir Osborne.

Katrine Bulmer, giddy namesake!

help your friend, while I pray their graces both to return into the hall."

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: One of those rare but pleasant little towns which are fortunate enough to stand upon no high-road, but which, on looking into Cary's Itinerary, will be found to have a way of their own.

It is near Ashford.

] [Footnote 2: This sentence, I am inclined to think, deserves another inverted comma to denote that it is borrowed from some of the writers of that day.

I forget from whom.

] [Footnote 3: A maker of arrows was so called when the good strong bow was the weapon of the English yeoman.

] [Footnote 4: A maker of arrows.

] [Footnote 5: Armour and trappings of his horse.

] [Footnote 6: It will be found in the description of Britain by Holingshed, that even in his days it was held that any man possessing land producing an annual rent of forty pounds (called a knight's fee) could be called upon to undergo the honour of knighthood, or to submit to a fine.

This was sometimes enforced, and the consequence was often what Lady Katrine insinuated, as few of the more powerful nobles of the day did not entertain more than one poor knight in their service.

These, however, were looked upon in a very different light from those whose knighthood had been obtained by military service.

] [Footnote 7: The road from the Temple Bar to the City of Westminster was flanked on one side by noblemen's houses and gardens, producing an effect not unlike that of Kensington Gore; as far, at least, as we can judge from description.

] [Footnote 8: Every knight of that day had his soubriquet, or nickname;

thus the famous Bayard was generally called Piquet.

] [Footnote 9: Since writing the above, I have seen a beautiful sketch by Sir Walter Scott, of a scene very similar.

The coincidence of even the minute points is striking; but I know that Sir Walter, and I trust the public also, will believe me, when I pledge my word that the whole of this book was written before I ever saw "My Aunt Margaret's Mirror," and, I believe, before it was published.

] [Footnote 10: Alluding to the vision of Fair Geraldine, called up in a mirror at the request of Lord Surrey.

] [Footnote 11: I have not been able to discover at what precise period the custom of exacting a ransom from each prisoner taken in battle was dropped in Europe.

It certainly still existed in the reign of Elizabeth, and perhaps still later, for Shakspere (writing in the days of James I. ) makes repeated mention of it.

Some centuries before the period of this tale, Edward the Black Prince fixed the ransom of Du Guesclin at one hundred francs, which the constable considered degrading, and rated himself at the sum of seventy thousand florins of gold.

] [Footnote 12: A suit of horse armour and housings.

] [Footnote 13: We have every reason to believe that this adventure is by no means the invention of Vonderbrugius, but a simple historical fact.

] [Footnote 14: Hall gives an account of this event, with very little variation in the circumstances, stating that only a footman was with the king, one Moody; but, of course, Vonderbrugius may be relied on as the most correct.

] [Footnote 15: It stood nearly where Westminster Bridge stands at present.

] [Footnote 16: This circumstance is generally placed by the French anecdotarians some ten days later; but weconceive that the precision of a Dutchman is to be relied on in preference.

] [Footnote 17: We cannot help calling attention to the scrupulous accuracy of Vonderbrugius.

Supposing that he might, in some fit of unwonted imaginativeness have invented this circumstance, we searched through many tomes for confirmation, when we at last found the whole story alluded to in the exact Montluc; which, though it leaves the Dutchman no other merit than that of a compiler, justifies implicit belief in every part of this surprising history.

] [Footnote 18: The original words of Francis were, _Ma lance contre un écu d'Espagne_; _écu_ meaning either a shield or a crown-piece.

] THE END.

WOODFALL AND KINDER, PRINTERS, LONG ACRE, LONDON.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DARNLEY; OR, THE FIELD OF THE CLOTH OF GOLD *** Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U. S.

copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!

) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties.

Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark.

Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark.

If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy.

You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research.

Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U. S.

copyright law.

Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at www.

gutenberg.

org/license.

Section 1.

General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg electronic works 1. A.

By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement.

If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your possession.

If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1. E.

8. 1. B.

“Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark.

It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.

There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.

See paragraph 1. C below.

There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg electronic works.

See paragraph 1. E below.

1. C.

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg electronic works.

Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States.

If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed.

Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg name associated with the work.

You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when you share it without charge with others.

1. D.

The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work.

Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change.

If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg work.

The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1. E.

Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: 1. E.

1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.

You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online at www.

gutenberg.

org.

If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1. E.

2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U. S.

copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges.

If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1. E.

1 through 1. E.

7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1. E.

8 or 1. E.

9. 1. E.

3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1. E.

1 through 1. E.

7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder.

Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1. E.

4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.

1. E.

5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1. E.

1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg License.

1. E.

6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form.

However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website (www.

gutenberg.

org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form.

Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1. E.

1. 1. E.

7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works unless you comply with paragraph 1. E.

8 or 1. E.

9. 1. E.

8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works provided that: • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.

The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.

Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns.

Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.

” • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License.

You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1. F.

3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1. E.

9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark.

Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1. F.

1. F.

1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U. S.

copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection.

Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1. F.

2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1. F.

3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees.

YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT

LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.

F.

3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE

TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1. F.

3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from.

If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation.

The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund.

If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.

If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1. F.

4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1. F.

3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1. F.

5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.

If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law.

The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1. F.

6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2.

Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.

It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg collection will remain freely available for generations to come.

In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg and future generations.

To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.

gutenberg.

org.

Section 3.

Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service.

The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.

S.

federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516, Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.

gutenberg.

org/contact Section 4.

Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment.

Many small donations ( to ,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States.

Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements.

We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.

To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.

gutenberg.

org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States.

U.

S.

laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses.

Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.

To donate, please visit: www.

gutenberg.