esdale is no common man. He hath had a clerkly education, he hath
travelled among the Free Towns of Italy, he hath deep purpose in all he
doth; and among his projects is the destruction of the nobles here, as
it was whilome effected in Florence, the depriving us of all offices and
posts, with other changes, wild to think of and long to name."

"And we would have suffered this man to triumph!" exclaimed De Fulke:
"we have been to blame."

"Under fair pretence he has gathered numbers, and now wields an army. I
have reason to know that, had he succeeded in estranging ye from Edward,
and had the king fallen, dead or alive, into his hands, his object would
have been to restore Henry of Windsor, but on conditions that would have
left king and baron little more than pageants in the state. I knew this
man years ago. I have watched him since; and, strange though it may seem
to you, he hath much in him that I admire as a subject and should fear
were I a king. Brief, thus runs my counsel: For our sake and the realm's
safety, we must see this armed multitude disbanded; that done, we must
see the grievances they with truth complain of fairly redressed. Think
not, my lords, I avenge my own wrongs alone, when I go with you in your
resolve to banish from the king's councils the baleful influence of the
queen's kin. Till that be compassed, no peace for England. As a leprosy,
their avarice crawls over the nobler parts of the state, and devours
while it sullies. Leave this to me; and, though we will redress
ourselves, let us now assist our king!"

With one voice the unruly officers clamoured their assent to all the
earl urged, and expressed their readiness to sally at once from the
gates, and attack the rebels.

"But," observed an old veteran, "what are we amongst so many? Here a
handful--there an army!"

"Fear not, reverend sir," answered Warwick, with an assured smile; "is
not this army in part gathered from my own province of Yorkshire? Is it
not formed of men who have eaten of my bread and drunk of my cup? Let
me see the man who will discharge one arrow at the walls which contain
Richard Nevile of Warwick. Now each to your posts,--I to the king."

Like the pouring of new blood into a decrepit body seemed the arrival,
at that feeble garrison, of the Earl of Warwick. From despair into the
certainty of triumph leaped every heart. Already at the sight of his
banner floating by the side of Edward's, the gunner had repaired to his
bom