, the king declared, through the proper
officer, in the House of Lords, that he would not decide upon the
question of the guilt or innocence of the accused, since he had not
demanded a trial, but he thought it best, under all the circumstances
of the case, that Suffolk should leave the country. He therefore
issued a decree of banishment against him for five years. He was
required to leave England before the first of May, and not to put his
foot upon any English soil until the five years were expired.

[Sidenote: The people enraged.]

[Sidenote: A riot.]

The Lords were much displeased at having the affair thus taken out of
their hands. They made a formal protest against this decision, but
they could do nothing more. The people, too, were very much enraged.
They declared that Suffolk should never leave London alive; and on the
day when they expected that he was to be taken from the Tower to be
conveyed to France, a mob of two thousand men collected in the
streets, resolved to kill him.

[Sidenote: Suffolk escapes by sea.]

But the queen devised means for enabling him to evade them. Some of
his servants and followers were seized, but he succeeded in making his
escape, and, after going to his castle in the country, and making some
hurried arrangements there, he went down to the sea-coast at Ipswich,
a town in the eastern part of the island, and there embarked for
France in a vessel which the queen had taken the precaution to have
ready there for him.

[Sidenote: Suffolk made prisoner again.]

The vessel immediately sailed, steering to the southward, of course,
toward the Straits of Dover. As she was passing through the Straits,
between Dover and Calais, a man-of-war named the Nicholas of the
Tower, hove in sight, coming up to the vessel just as they were
sending a boat on shore at Calais to inquire whether Suffolk would be
allowed to land there. The boat was intercepted. At the same time, a
boat from the man-of-war came on board the vessel, bringing officers
who were instructed to search her thoroughly. Of course, they found
Suffolk on board, and the officer, as soon as Suffolk was discovered,
informed him that he must go with him on board the man-of-war.

Suffolk had no alternative but to obey. The captain of the man-of-war
received him, as he stepped upon the deck, with the words, I am glad
to see you, traitor, or something to that effect. Such a salutation
must have plainly indicated to Suffolk what was before