arwick's pride will but lead him, if well addressed, to defy affront
and to resist dictation. Besides, our brother has a woman's heart for
his children; and Isabel's face is pale, and that will plead more than
all my eloquence."

"But can the king forgive your intercession and Warwick's contumacy?"

"Forgive!--the marriage once over, what is left for him to do? He
is then one with us, and when Gloucester returns all will be smooth
again,--smooth for the second and more important nuptials; and the
second shall preface the third; meanwhile, you return to the court. To
these ceremonials you need be no party: keep but thy handsome son from
breaking his neck in over-riding his hobby, and 'bide thy time!'"

Agreeably with the selfish but sagacious policy thus detailed, the
prelate departed the next day for Calais, where Clarence was already
urging his suit with the ardent impatience of amorous youth. The
archbishop found, however, that Warwick was more reluctant than he
had anticipated, to suffer his daughter to enter any House without
the consent of its chief; nor would the earl, in all probability, have
acceded to the prayers of the princely suitor, had not Edward, enraged
at the flight of Clarence, and worked upon by the artful queen,
committed the imprudence of writing an intemperate and menacing letter
to the earl, which called up all the passions of the haughty Warwick.

"What!" he exclaimed, "thinks this ungrateful man not only to dishonour
me by his method of marrying his sisters, but will he also play the
tyrant with me in the disposal of mine own daughter! He threats!
he!--enough. It is due to me to show that there lives no man whose
threats I have not the heart to defy!" And the prelate finding him in
this mood had no longer any difficulty in winning his consent. This
ill-omened marriage was, accordingly, celebrated with great and regal
pomp at Calais, and the first object of the archbishop was attained.

While thus stood affairs between the two great factions of the state,
those discontents which Warwick's presence at court had a while laid at
rest again spread, broad and far, throughout the land. The luxury and
indolence of Edward's disposition in ordinary times always surrendered
him to the guidance of others. In the commencement of his reign he
was eminently popular, and his government, though stern, suited to the
times; for then the presiding influence was that of Lord Warwick. As the
queen's counsels prev