Hap what hap, King Harry
may roam from Church to shrine, from Abbey to chantry, so long as he
lists, but none of us will brook to be ruled or misruled by the
foreign woman and the Beauforts in his name, nor reigned over by the
French dame or the beggar's brat, and the traitor coward Beaufort,
but be under our own noble Duke and the White Rose, the only badge
that makes the Frenchman flee."
The boy was scarcely fifteen, but his political tone, as of one who
knew the world, made his father laugh and say, "Hark to the cockerel
crowing loud. Spurs forsooth!"
"The Lords Edward and Edmund are knighted," grunted Rob, "and there's
but few years betwixt us."
"But a good many earldoms and lands," said the Baron. "Hadst spoken
of being out of pagedom, 'twere another thing."
"You are coming, sir," cried Rob, willing to put by the subject.
"You are coming to see how I can win honours."
"Aye, aye," said his father. "When Nevil calls, then must Dacre
come, though his old bones might well be at rest now. Salisbury and
Warwick taking to flight like attainted traitors to please the
foreign woman, saidst thou? Then it is the time men were in the
saddle."
"Well I knew you would say so, and so I told my lord," exclaimed
Robert.
"Thou didst, quotha? Without doubt the Duke was greatly reassured by
thy testimony," said his father drily, while the mother, full of
pride and exultation in her goodly firstborn son, could not but
exclaim, "Daunt him not, my lord; he has done well thus to be sent
home in charge.
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