rlier youth; and
a dry sarcastic humour, sometimes elevated into wit, gave liveliness to
his sagacious converse.

Montagu desired that the archbishop and himself should demand solemn
audience of Edward, and gravely remonstrate with the king on the
impropriety of receiving the brother of a rival suitor, while Warwick
was negotiating the marriage of Margaret with a prince of France.

"Nay," said the archbishop, with a bland smile, that fretted Montagu
to the quick, "surely even a baron, a knight, a franklin, a poor priest
like myself, would rise against the man who dictated to his hospitality.
Is a king less irritable than baron, knight, franklin, and priest,--or
rather, being, as it were, per legem, lord of all, hath he not
irritability eno' for all four? Ay, tut and tush as thou wilt, John, but
thy sense must do justice to my counsel at the last. I know Edward well;
he hath something of mine own idlesse and ease of temper, but with more
of the dozing lion than priests, who have only, look you, the mildness
of the dove. Prick up his higher spirit, not by sharp remonstrance, but
by seeming trust. Observe to him, with thy gay, careless laugh--which,
methinks, thou hast somewhat lost of late--that with any other prince
Warwick might suspect some snare, some humiliating overthrow of his
embassage, but that all men know how steadfast in faith and honour is
Edward IV."

"Truly," said Montagu, with a forced smile, "you understand mankind; but
yet, bethink you--suppose this fail, and Warwick return to England to
hear that he hath been cajoled and fooled; that the Margaret he had
crossed the seas to affiance to the brother of Louis is betrothed to
Charolois--bethink you, I say, what manner of heart beats under our
brother's mail."

"Impiger, iracundus!" said the archbishop; "a very Achilles, to whom our
English Agamemnon, if he cross him, is a baby. All this is sad truth;
our parents spoilt him in his childhood, and glory in his youth, and
wealth, power, success, in his manhood. Ay! if Warwick be chafed,
it will be as the stir of the sea-serpent, which, according to the
Icelanders, moves a world. Still, the best way to prevent the danger is
to enlist the honour of the king in his behalf,--to show that our
eyes are open, but that we disdain to doubt, and are frank to confide.
Meanwhile send messages and warnings privately to Warwick."

These reasonings finally prevailed with Montagu, and the brothers
returned with one mind t