prisoner,--shown as a wild beast in its cage to the
hooting crowd!"

"If not on thyself," exclaimed Rivers, "have pity on these loyal
gentlemen, and for the sake of their lives preserve thine own. What is
flight? Warwick fled!"

"True,--and returned!" added Gloucester. "You are right, my lords. Come,
sire, we must fly. Our rights fly not with us, but shall fight for us in
absence!"

The calm WILL of this strange and terrible boy had its effect upon
Edward. He suffered his brother to lead him from the chamber, grinding
his teeth in impotent rage. He mounted his horse, while Rivers held
the stirrup, and with some six or seven knights and earls rode to the
bridge, already occupied by Hastings and a small but determined guard.

"Come, Hastings," said the king, with a ghastly smile,--"they tell us we
must fly!"

"True, sire, haste, haste! I stay but to deceive the enemy by feigning
to defend the pass, and to counsel, as I best may, the faithful soldiers
we leave behind."

"Brave Hastings!" said Gloucester, pressing his hand, "you do well, and
I envy you the glory of this post. Come, sire."

"Ay, ay," said the king, with a sudden and fierce cry, "we go,--but
at least slaughtering as we go. See! yon rascal troop! ride we through
their midst! Havock and revenge!"

He set spurs to his steed, galloped over the bridge, and before his
companions could join him, dashed alone into the very centre of the
advanced guard sent to invest the fortress, and while they were yet
shouting, "Where is the tyrant, where is Edward?"

"Here!" answered a voice of thunder,--"here, rebels and faytors, in your
ranks!"

This sudden and appalling reply, even more than the sweep of the
gigantic sword, before which were riven sallet and mail as the woodman's
axe rives the fagot, created amongst the enemy that singular panic,
which in those ages often scattered numbers before the arm and the name
of one. They recoiled in confusion and dismay. Many actually threw down
their arms and fled. Through a path broad and clear amidst the forest
of pikes, Gloucester and the captains followed the flashing track of the
king, over the corpses, headless or limbless, that he felled as he rode.

Meanwhile, with a truer chivalry, Hastings, taking advantage of the
sortie which confused and delayed the enemy, summoned such of the loyal
as were left in the fortress, advised them, as the only chance of life,
to affect submission to Warwick; but when the time came