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8 LIFE OF HOLBEIN'.

in answer, begged his lordship to defer thehonour of his visit to another day ; which thenobleman taking for an affront, came, brokeopen the door, and very rudely went upstairs. Holbein, hearing a noise, left hischamber; and meeting the lord at his door,fell into a violent passion, and pushed himbackwards from the top of the stairs to thebottom. Considering, however, immediatelywhat he had done, he escaped from the tu-mult he had raised, and made the best of hisway to the king. The nobleman, much hurt,though not so much as he pretended, wasthere soon after him; and upon opening hisgrievance, the king ordered Holbein to askpardon for his offence. But this only irri-tated the nobleman the more, who would notbe satisfied with less than his life; uponwhich the king sternly replied, " My lord,you have not now to do with Holbein, butwith me; whatever punishment you may con-trive by way of revenge against him, shall as-suredly be inflicted upon yourself: remember,