foe of England, which I take the Frenchman naturally to be."

"Ah," said Edward, smiling sternly, "I would rather be myself, with
banner and trump, before the walls of Paris, than sending my cousin
the earl to beg the French king's brother to accept my sister as a
bride. And what is to become of my good merchant-ships if Burgundy
take umbrage and close its ports?"

"Beau sire," said Hastings," thou knowest how little cause I have to
love the Earl of Warwick. We all here, save your gracious self, bear
the memory of some affront rendered to us by his pride and heat of
mood! but in this council I must cease to be William de Hastings, and
be all and wholly the king's servant. I say first, then, with
reference to these noble peers, that Warwick's faith to the House of
York is too well proven to become suspected because of the courtesies
of King Louis,--an artful craft, as it clearly seems to me, of the
wily Frenchman, to weaken your throne, by provoking your distrust of
its great supporter. Fall we not into such a snare! Moreover, we may
be sure that Warwick cannot be false, if he achieve the object of his
embassy,--namely, detach Louis from the side of Margaret and Lancaster
by close alliance with Edward and York. Secondly, sire, with regard
to that alliance, which it seems you would repent,--I hold now, as I
have held ever, that it is a master-stroke in policy, and the earl in
this proves his sharp brain worthy his strong arm; for as his highness
the Duke of Gloucester hath now clearly discovered that Margaret of
Anjou has been of late in London, and that treasonable designs were
meditated, though now frustrated, so we may ask why the friends of
Lancaster really stood aloof; why all conspiracy was, and is, in
vain?--Because, sire, of this very alliance with France; because the
gold and subsidies of Louis are not forthcoming; because the