nd distracted by faction and feud.
Families are banded together against families, and brothers strive with
brothers for the inheritance each claims as his own. Each lord of some
small territory tries to wrest from his weaker neighbour that which
belongs to him; and if for a moment at some great crisis petty feuds are
forgotten, and a blow is struck for national liberty, scarce has peace
been proclaimed again before the old strife breaks out once more, and
our fair land is desolated by a more grievous war than ever the English
wage."

Wendot bent his head in voiceless assent. He knew something of his
country's history, and that his mother spoke only the sad truth.

"My son," continued she after a pause, "it chances sometimes in this
troubled life of ours that we are called upon to make choice, not
between good and evil, but between two courses, both of which are beset
with difficulties and obstacles, both of which mingle together evil and
good, for which and against which much may be argued on both sides, and
many things that are true be said for and against both. To some such
choice as this has our poor country now come. Experience has taught us
that she is incapable of uniting all her forces and of making of herself
one compact, united kingdom. That course, and that alone, would be her
true salvation; but that course she will not take, and failing that, she
has to choose between being torn and rent by faction till she is an easy
prey to the English king, who will then divide her territories amongst
his own hungry and rapacious barons, or for the princes to submit to pay
him the homage for their lands which he (possibly with injustice)
demands, but which if paid will make of him their friend and protector,
and will enable the country to live in peace and prosperity, assured
that the king will support those who acknowledge him, and that he will
not deprive of their ancestral rights any who will bring their homage to
him, and hold their territory as it were from him. Understandest thou
thus much?"

"Ay, mother, I understand it well; and though there is something in the
thought that stirs my blood and sets it coursing through my veins in
indignation -- for I see not by what right the English king lays claim
to our fair lands -- still I know that conquest gives to the conqueror a
right, and that if he chose to march against us with his armies, he
might well find us too much weakened by our petty feuds to resist his
stron