d, is no great matter now; in any case, he was
bound as an honourable gentleman to protect his prisoner, and he did not
do it. In the morning, while the favourite was yet in bed, he was
required to dress himself and come down into the court-yard. He did so
without any mistrust, but started and turned pale when he found it full
of strange armed men. 'I think you know me?' said their leader, also
armed from head to foot. 'I am the black dog of Ardenne!' The time was
come when Piers Gaveston was to feel the black dog's teeth indeed. They
set him on a mule, and carried him, in mock state and with military
music, to the black dog's kennel--Warwick Castle--where a hasty council,
composed of some great noblemen, considered what should be done with him.
Some were for sparing him, but one loud voice--it was the black dog's
bark, I dare say--sounded through the Castle Hall, uttering these words:
'You have the fox in your power. Let him go now, and you must hunt him
again.'

They sentenced him to death. He threw himself at the feet of the Earl of
Lancaster--the old hog--but the old hog was as savage as the dog. He was
taken out upon the pleasant road, leading from Warwick to Coventry, where
the beautiful river Avon, by which, long afterwards, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
was born and now lies buried, sparkled in the bright landscape of the
beautiful May-day; and there they struck off his wretched head, and
stained the dust with his blood.

When the King heard of this black deed, in his grief and rage he
denounced relentless war against his Barons, and both sides were in arms
for half a year. But, it then became necessary for them to join their
forces against Bruce, who had used the time well while they were divided,
and had now a great power in Scotland.

Intelligence was brought that Bruce was then besieging Stirling Castle,
and that the Governor had been obliged to pledge himself to surrender it,
unless he should be relieved before a certain day. Hereupon, the King
ordered the nobles and their fighting-men to meet him at Berwick; but,
the nobles cared so little for the King, and so neglected the summons,
and lost time, that only on the day before that appointed for the
surrender, did the King find himself at Stirling, and even then with a
smaller force than he had expected. However, he had, altogether, a
hundred thousand men, and Bruce had not more than forty thousand; but,
Bruce's army was strongly posted in three square c