;
he was haughty and arrogant, hasty and passionate; he denied his God,
quarreled with his king, and rendered himself utterly obnoxious to every
party in the state.

And yet there was a vast amount of good in this strange man. He was
generous and warm hearted to a fault, kind to those in station beneath
him, thoughtful and considerate for his troops, who adored him, cool
in danger, sagacious in difficulties, and capable at need of evincing
a patience and calmness wholly at variance with his ordinary impetuous
character. Although he did not scruple to carry deception, in order to
mislead an enemy, to a point vastly beyond what is generally considered
admissible in war, he was true to his word and punctiliously honorable
in the ordinary affairs of life.

For the historical events I have described, and for the details of
Peterborough's conduct and character, I have relied chiefly upon the
memoir of the earl written by Mr. C. Warburton, and published some
thirty years ago.

CHAPTER I: THE WAR OF THE SUCCESSION

"He is an idle vagabond!" the mayor of the good town of Southampton
said, in high wrath--"a ne'er do well, and an insolent puppy; and as to
you, Mistress Alice, if I catch you exchanging words with him again, ay,
or nodding to him, or looking as if in any way you were conscious of his
presence, I will put you on bread and water, and will send you away for
six months to the care of my sister Deborah, who will, I warrant me,
bring you to your senses."

The Mayor of Southampton must have been very angry indeed when he spoke
in this way to his daughter Alice, who in most matters had her own
way. Especially did it show that he was angry, since he so spoke in the
presence of Mistress Anthony, his wife, who was accustomed to have a by
no means unimportant share in any decision arrived at respecting family
matters.

She was too wise a woman, however, to attempt to arrest the torrent
in full flood, especially as it was a matter on which her husband had
already shown a very unusual determination to have his own way. She
therefore continued to work in silence, and paid no attention to the
appealing glance which her daughter, a girl of fourteen, cast toward
her. But although she said nothing, her husband understood in her
silence an unuttered protest.

"It is no use your taking that scamp's part, Mary, in this matter. I am
determined to have my own way, and the townspeople know well that when
Richard Anthony make