ar and destruction. The men of the Small Crafts took their
errand well, and asked them how long they might tarry, so that they
might bear back conditions of peace. The messengers said that they
were not looked for back that day, and the others said that by the
next day at noon they would be all ready to send three of theirs back
across the water with the terms of peace. Then were the messengers
handed over to the guest-masters and made much of, and the masters of
the Crafts fell to close council with Sir Godrick and his captains.

Now whatever other terms they bade need not be told, but the heart of
the matter was this: First that so many of the masters of the Small
Crafts should sit on the Great Council of the City, and that enough of
them to make them of due weight in the Council. This they doubted not
to gain since the war had gone with them. But the other was a harder
matter, to wit, that a Burgreve should be appointed to govern the
City, and that he should be of might to hold a good guard, and eke it
at his will and the will of the Great Council; the said Burgreve to be
chosen by all the Gilds of Craft, voting one with another, and not by
the Great Council; which, as things went, would give the naming of him
into the hands of the Lesser Crafts, who were more than the great
ones, though far less rich and mighty. This indeed seemed like to be
hard to swallow, whereas it was much like putting the King out of his
place. Yet some said that belike by this time the Porte was grown
mightier than the King, and if they would have it so, then would he
have to give way. Herein they were doubtless right; but another thing
had happened of which they knew nought, which was driving the King and
Porte both toward peace, to wit that a king from over-sea had sent
heralds defying the King, and that his host was to be looked for in no
long while, and the King and the Porte both knew that they might make
no head against him, so divided as they of the City then were.
Wherefore when on the next day the three King's men bore back the
terms of peace, they tarried by a little while, and came back in two
hours with safe conduct for as many as Sir Godrick and the Small
Crafts would send. Whereon Sir Godrick and two of the Crafts were
chosen, and went back across the water straightway, and without any
tarrying fell to council with the King and the Porte. There they soon
found what had befallen, and that their matter was like to be carried
throu