life in successful action, there is a certain, if we may so say,
untaught mathesis,--but especially among those who have been bred to the
art of war. A great soldier is a great mechanic, a great mathematician,
though he may know it not; and Warwick, therefore, better than many
a scholar comprehended the principle upon which Adam founded his
experiments. But though he caught also a glimpse of the vast results
which such experiments in themselves were calculated to effect, his
strong common-sense perceived yet more clearly that the time was not
ripe for such startling inventions.

"My friend," he said, "I comprehend thee passably. It is clear to me,
that if thou canst succeed in making the elements do the work of man
with equal precision, but with far greater force and rapidity, thou must
multiply eventually, and, by multiplying, cheapen, all the products of
industry; that thou must give to this country the market of the world;
and that thine would be the true alchemy that turneth all to gold."

"Mighty intellect, thou graspest the truth!" exclaimed Adam.

"But," pursued the earl, with a mixture of prejudice and judgment,
"grant thee success to the full, and thou wouldst turn this bold land
of yeomanry and manhood into one community of griping traders and sickly
artisans. Mort Dieu! we are over-commerced as it is,--the bow is already
deserted for the ell-measure. The town populations are ever the most
worthless in war. England is begirt with mailed foes; and if by one
process she were to accumulate treasure and lose soldiers, she would
but tempt invasion and emasculate defenders. Verily, I avise and implore
thee to turn thy wit and scholarship to a manlier occupation!"

"My life knows no other object; kill my labour and thou destroyest me,"
said Adam, in a voice of gloomy despair. Alas, it seemed that, whatever
the changes of power, no change could better the hopes of science in
an age of iron! Warwick was moved. "Well," he said, after a pause, "be
happy in thine own way. I will do my best at least to protect thee.
To-morrow resume thy labours; but this day, at least, thou must feast
with me."

And at his banquet that day, among the knights and barons, and the
abbots and the warriors, Adam sat on the dais near the earl, and Sibyll
at "the mess" of the ladies of the Duchess of Clarence. And ere the
feast broke up, Warwick thus addressed his company:--

"My friends, though I, and most of us reared in the lap of war, ha