ost valiant sir, more easily
than I can forgive myself. Farewell, sir! One who has lost his sword is
no fit company for you." And as Amyas and the rest departed, he plunged
into the inner tent, stamping and writhing, gnawing his hands with rage
and shame.

As Amyas came out on the battery, Yeo hailed him:

"Master Amyas! Hillo, sir! For the love of Heaven, tell me!"

"What, then?"

"Is his lordship stanch? Will he do the Lord's work faithfully, root and
branch: or will he spare the Amalekites?"

"The latter, I think, old hip-and-thigh," said Amyas, hurrying forward
to hear the news from Raleigh, who appeared in sight once more.

"They ask to depart with bag and baggage," said he, when he came up.

"God do so to me, and more also, if they carry away a straw!" said Lord
Grey. "Make short work of it, sir!"

"I do not know how that will be, my lord; as I came up a captain shouted
to me off the walls that there were mutineers; and, denying that he
surrendered, would have pulled down the flag of truce, but the soldiers
beat him off."

"A house divided against itself will not stand long, gentlemen. Tell
them that I give no conditions. Let them lay down their arms, and trust
in the Bishop of Rome who sent them hither, and may come to save them
if he wants them. Gunners, if you see the white flag go down, open your
fire instantly. Captain Raleigh, we need your counsel here. Mr. Cary,
will you be my herald this time?"

"A better Protestant never went on a pleasanter errand, my lord."

So Cary went, and then ensued an argument, as to what should be done
with the prisoners in case of a surrender.

I cannot tell whether my Lord Grey meant, by offering conditions which
the Spaniards would not accept, to force them into fighting the quarrel
out, and so save himself the responsibility of deciding on their
fate; or whether his mere natural stubbornness, as well as his just
indignation, drove him on too far to retract: but the council of war
which followed was both a sad and a stormy one, and one which he had
reason to regret to his dying day. What was to be done with the enemy?
They already outnumbered the English; and some fifteen hundred of
Desmond's wild Irish hovered in the forests round, ready to side with
the winning party, or even to attack the English at the least sign of
vacillation or fear. They could not carry the Spaniards away with them,
for they had neither shipping nor food, not even handcuffs enough for
th