passionate my Lord and father, and to say that he
had been faithful to our Lord King John of happy memory, [Note 3] and
also to our Lord King Richard (whom God pardon!); therefore,
notwithstanding the ill-usage of himself, and the harm he had done the
kingdom, he would rather pardon my fair father than execute him. `For,'
he said, `I would rather be accounted a remiss king than a man of
blood.'"

"Well, that does not sound bad, Magot."

"Oh no! Words are very nice things, Aunt Marjory. And our Lord King
Henry can string them very prettily together. I have no patience--I
say, Eva! Do go and peep into the court and see what is becoming of
that snail of a pedlar!"

"He is in the hall, eating and drinking, Margaret."

"Well, I am sure he has had as much as is good for him!--So then, Aunt
Marjory, my fair father was sent to Devizes: and many nobles became
sureties for him,--my Lord of Cornwall, the King's brother, among
others. And while he was there, he heard of the death of his great
enemy, my Lord of Chester. Then he said, `The Lord be merciful to him:
he was my man by his own doing, and yet he never did me good where he
could work me harm.' And he set himself before the holy cross, and sang
over the whole Psalter for my Lord of Chester. Well, after that,--I
cannot go into all the ups and downs of the matter,--but after a while,
by the help of some of the garrison, my fair father contrived to escape
from Devizes, and joined the Prince of Wales. That was last November;
and he stayed in Wales until the King's journey to Gloucester. Last
March the Lord King came here to the Abbey, and he granted several
manors to my fair mother: and she took the opportunity to plead for my
Lord and father. So when the Lord King went to Gloucester, he was met
by my Lord's Grace of Canterbury, who had been to treat with the Prince
of Wales, and by his advice all those who had been outlawed, and had
sought refuge in Wales, were to be pardoned and received to favour. One
of them, of course, was my fair father. So they met the Lord King at
Gloucester, and he took them to his mercy. My Lord and father said the
Lord King looked calmly on them, and gave them the kiss of peace. But
my fair father himself was so much struck by the manner in which our
Lord had repaid him his good deeds, that, as his varlet Adam told us, he
clasped his hands, and looked up to Heaven, and he said,--`O Jesus,
crucified Saviour, I once when sleeping saw