numerous body of knights. To prevent the effusion of blood their
common friends intervened; a reconciliation was effected, and four
umpires undertook the task of reconciling their differences. But under
this appearance of friendship all was hollow and insincere. Leicester
sought to circumvent his adversary; Gloucester waited the result of a
plan for the liberation of Edward, which had been concerted through
the means of Thomas de Clare, brother to the Earl, and companion to
the Prince.

One day after dinner Edward obtained permission to take the air
without the walls of Hereford, attended by his keepers. They rode to
Widmarsh. A proposal was made to try the speed of their horses;
several matches were made and run; and the afternoon was passed in a
succession of amusements. A little before sunset there appeared on
Tulington hill a person riding on a gray charger and waving his
bonnet. The Prince, who knew the signal, bidding adieu to the company,
instantly galloped off with his friend, another knight, and four
esquires. The keepers followed; but in a short time Mortimer, with a
band of armed men, issued from a wood, received Edward with
acclamations of joy, and conducted him to his castle of Wigmore. The
next day the Prince met the Earl of Gloucester at Ludlow. They
mutually pledged themselves to forget all former injuries, and to
unite their efforts for the liberation of the King, on condition that
he should govern according to the laws, and should exclude foreigners
from his councils.

When Leicester received the news of Edward's escape, he conceived that
the prince was gone to join the Earl Warenne, and William de Valence,
who a few days before had landed with one hundred and twenty knights
on the coast of Pembrokeshire. Ignorant, however, of his real motions,
he dared not pursue him; but issued writs in the King's name, ordering
the military tenants of the Crown to assemble at first in Worcester,
and afterward in Gloucester. To these he added circular letters to the
bishops, accusing Edward of rebellion, and requesting a sentence of
excommunication against all disturbers of the peace "from the highest
to the lowest." The royalists had wisely determined to cut off his
communication with the rest of the kingdom by securing to themselves
the command of the Severn. Worcester readily opened its gates;
Gloucester was taken by storm; and the castle, after a siege of two
weeks, was surrendered on condition that the garriso