de to the hall of Westminster, and
lay his hand upon the throne; nor till after these things did I and
my father Salisbury say to each other, 'The time has come when neither
peace nor honour can be found for us under King Henry's reign.' Blame
me if you will, Queen Margaret; reject me if you need not my sword; but
that which I did in the gone days was such as no nobleman so outraged
and despaired [Warwick's phrase. See Sir H. Ellis's "Original Letters,"
vol. i., second series.] would have forborne to do,--remembering that
England is not the heritage of the king alone, but that safety and
honour, and freedom and justice, are the rights of his Norman gentlemen
and his Saxon people. And rights are a mockery and a laughter if they do
not justify resistance, whensoever, and by whomsoever, they are invaded
and assailed."

It had been with a violent effort that Margaret had refrained
from interrupting this address, which had, however, produced no
inconsiderable effect upon the knightly listeners around the dais.
And now, as the earl ceased, her indignation was arrested by dismay on
seeing the young prince suddenly leave his post and advance to the side
of Warwick.

"Right well hast thou spoken, noble earl and cousin,--right well, though
right plainly. And I," added the prince, "saving the presence of my
queen and mother,--I, the representative of my sovereign father, in his
name will pledge thee a king's oblivion and pardon for the past, if
thou on thy side acquit my princely mother of all privity to the snares
against thy life and honour of which thou hast spoken, and give thy
knightly word to be henceforth leal to Lancaster. Perish all memories of
the past that can make walls between the souls of brave men."

Till this moment, his arms folded in his gown, his thin, fox-like face
bent to the ground, Louis had listened, silent and undisturbed. He now
deemed it the moment to second the appeal of the prince. Passing his
hand hypocritically over his tearless eyes, the king turned to Margaret
and said,--

"Joyful hour! happy union! May Madame La Vierge and Monseigneur Saint
Martin sanctify and hallow the bond by which alone my beloved kinswoman
can regain her rights and roiaulme. Amen."

Unheeding this pious ejaculation, her bosom heaving, her eyes wandering
from the earl to Edward, Margaret at last gave vent to her passion.

"And is it come to this, Prince Edward of Wales, that thy mother's
wrongs are not thine? Standest t