y friend, that a younger brother has but
small honour at home. Peradventure, in calmer times, I might have bowed
my pride to my calling, hunted my brother's dogs, flown his hawks,
rented his keeper's lodge, and gone to my grave contented. But to a
young man, who from his childhood had heard the stirring talk of
knights and captains, who had seen valour and fortune make the way to
distinction, and whose ears of late had been filled by the tales of
wandering minstrels and dissours, with all the gay wonders of Edward's
court, such a life soon grew distasteful. My father, on his death-bed
(like thy uncle, the sub-prior), encouraged me little to follow his own
footsteps. 'I see,' said he, 'that King Henry is too soft to rule his
barons, and Margaret too fierce to conciliate the commons; the only hope
of peace is in the settlement of the House of York. Wherefore, let not
thy father's errors stand in the way of thy advancement;' and therewith
he made his confessor--for he was no penman himself, the worthy old
knight!--indite a letter to his great kinsman, the Earl of Warwick,
commending me to his protection. He signed his mark, and set his seal to
this missive, which I now have at mine hostelrie, and died the same day.
My brother judged me too young then to quit his roof; and condemned me
to bear his humours till, at the age of twenty-three, I could bear no
more! So having sold him my scant share in the heritage, and turned,
like thee, bad land into good nobles, I joined a party of horse in their
journey to London, and arrived yesterday at Master Sackbut's hostelrie
in Eastchepe. I went this morning to my Lord of Warwick; but he was gone
to the king's, and hearing of the merry-makings here, I came hither
for kill-time. A chance word of my Lord of Montagu--whom Saint Dunstan
confound!--made me conceit that a feat of skill with the cloth-yard
might not ill preface my letter to the great earl. But, pardie! it
seems I reckoned without my host, and in seeking to make my fortunes too
rashly, I have helped to mar them." Wherewith he related the particulars
of his interview with Montagu.

Nicholas Alwyn listened to him with friendly and thoughtful interest,
and, when he had done, spoke thus,--

"The Earl of Warwick is a generous man, and though hot, bears little
malice, except against those whom he deems misthink or insult him; he is
proud of being looked up to as a protector, especially by those of his
own kith and name. Your father