es and green glades of
the New Forest rose before him, with all the hollies shining in the
summer light, or the gorse making a sheet of gold.

The time was not in reality so very long. On the 7th of May, John
Lincoln, the broker, who had incited Canon Beale to preach against the
foreigners, was led forth with several others of the real promoters of
the riot to the centre of Cheapside, where Lincoln was put to death, but
orders were brought to respite the rest; and, at the same time, all the
armed men were withdrawn, the City began to breathe, and the women who
had been kept within doors to go abroad again.

The Recorder of London and several aldermen were to meet the King at his
manor at Greenwich. This was the mothers' opportunity. The civic
dignitaries rode in mourning robes, but the wives and mothers,
sweethearts and sisters, every woman who had a youth's life at stake,
came together, took boat, and went down the river, a strange fleet of
barges, all containing white caps, and black gowns and hoods, for all
were clad in the most correct and humble citizen's costume.

"Never was such a sight," said Jester Randall, who had taken care to
secure a view, and who had come with his report to the Dragon court.
"It might have been Ash Wednesday for the look of them, when they landed
and got into order. One would think every prentice lad had got at least
three mothers, and four or five aunts and sisters! I trow, verily, that
half of them came to look on at the other half, and get a sight of
Greenwich and the three queens. However, be that as it might, not one
of them but knew how to open the sluices. Queen Katharine noted well
what was coming, and she and the Queens of Scotland and France sat in
the great chamber with the doors open. And immediately there's a knock
at the door, and so soon as the usher opens it, in they come, three and
three, every good wife of them with her napkin to her eyes, and working
away with her sobs. Then Mistress Todd, the barber-surgeon's wife, she
spoke for all, being thought to have the more courtly tongue, having
been tirewoman to Queen Mary ere she went to France. Verily her husband
must have penned the speech for her--for it began right scholarly, and
flowery, with a likening of themselves to the mothers of Bethlehem,
(lusty innocents theirs, I trow!) but ere long the good woman faltered
and forgot her part, and broke out `Oh! madam, you that are a mother
yourself for the sake of yo