Cuthbert gave one swift backward thought to his companion of the
road and the strange words he had uttered; and he asked with
increasing interest of his lively neighbour:

"But what do men think to gain by such plots? What is the object of
them?"

"Beshrew me if I know or care! My father says they be all mad together,
the moonstruck knaves! They say that the 'Bye' was an attempt to make
prisoner of the King's Majesty, and to keep him in captivity till he
had sworn to change his laws and his ministers--as they say was done
once in Scotland, when he was trying to rule his turbulent subjects
there. As for the 'Main,' that was worse; nothing better than the
murder of the King and Royal family, so that the Lady Arabella might
be Queen in his stead. But neither came to good; it seemeth to me that
these villainous plots never do, And all that results from them is that
the laws are made harsher and harsher, and men groan and writhe under
them, and curse the King and his ministers, when they had better be
cursing their own folly and wickedness in trying to overthrow the
government of their lawful rulers."

"That is one side of the question, Mistress Rachel," said Walter
Cole, in his quiet voice; "but if none had ever revolted against
tyranny, we had all been slaves this day instead of a free nation
of subjects, imposing our just will upon a sovereign in return for
the privileges he grants us. There be limits to endurance. There be
times when those limits are over past, and to submit becomes
weakness and coward folly. Thou speakest as one swimming easily
with the stream. Thou knowest little of the perils of the shoals