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No
spider
ever
took
more
pains
to
repair
the
shattered
meshes
of
his
web
,
than
did
Waldemar
Fitzurse
to
reunite
and
combine
the
scattered
members
of
Prince
John
's
cabal
.
Few
of
these
were
attached
to
him
from
inclination
,
and
none
from
personal
regard
.
It
was
therefore
necessary
,
that
Fitzurse
should
open
to
them
new
prospects
of
advantage
,
and
remind
them
of
those
which
they
at
present
enjoyed
.
To
the
young
and
wild
nobles
,
he
held
out
the
prospect
of
unpunished
license
and
uncontrolled
revelry
;
to
the
ambitious
,
that
of
power
,
and
to
the
covetous
,
that
of
increased
wealth
and
extended
domains
.
The
leaders
of
the
mercenaries
received
a
donation
in
gold
;
an
argument
the
most
persuasive
to
their
minds
,
and
without
which
all
others
would
have
proved
in
vain
.
Promises
were
still
more
liberally
distributed
than
money
by
this
active
agent
;
and
,
in
fine
,
nothing
was
left
undone
that
could
determine
the
wavering
,
or
animate
the
disheartened
.
The
return
of
King
Richard
he
spoke
of
as
an
event
altogether
beyond
the
reach
of
probability
;
yet
,
when
he
observed
,
from
the
doubtful
looks
and
uncertain
answers
which
he
received
,
that
this
was
the
apprehension
by
which
the
minds
of
his
accomplices
were
most
haunted
,
he
boldly
treated
that
event
,
should
it
really
take
place
,
as
one
which
ought
not
to
alter
their
political
calculations
.
"
If
Richard
returns
,
"
said
Fitzurse
,
"
he
returns
to
enrich
his
needy
and
impoverished
crusaders
at
the
expense
of
those
who
did
not
follow
him
to
the
Holy
Land
.
He
returns
to
call
to
a
fearful
reckoning
,
those
who
,
during
his
absence
,
have
done
aught
that
can
be
construed
offence
or
encroachment
upon
either
the
laws
of
the
land
or
the
privileges
of
the
crown
.
He
returns
to
avenge
upon
the
Orders
of
the
Temple
and
the
Hospital
,
the
preference
which
they
showed
to
Philip
of
France
during
the
wars
in
the
Holy
Land
.
He
returns
,
in
fine
,
to
punish
as
a
rebel
every
adherent
of
his
brother
Prince
John
.
Are
ye
afraid
of
his
power
?
"
continued
the
artful
confident
of
that
Prince
,
"
we
acknowledge
him
a
strong
and
valiant
knight
;
but
these
are
not
the
days
of
King
Arthur
,
when
a
champion
could
encounter
an
army
.
If
Richard
indeed
comes
back
,
it
must
be
alone
,
--
unfollowed
--
unfriended
.
The
bones
of
his
gallant
army
have
whitened
the
sands
of
Palestine
.
The
few
of
his
followers
who
have
returned
have
straggled
hither
like
this
Wilfred
of
Ivanhoe
,
beggared
and
broken
men
.
--
And
what
talk
ye
of
Richard
's
right
of
birth
?
"
he
proceeded
,
in
answer
to
those
who
objected
scruples
on
that
head
.
"
Is
Richard
's
title
of
primogeniture
more
decidedly
certain
than
that
of
Duke
Robert
of
Normandy
,
the
Conqueror
's
eldest
son
?
And
yet
William
the
Red
,
and
Henry
,
his
second
and
third
brothers
,
were
successively
preferred
to
him
by
the
voice
of
the
nation
,
Robert
had
every
merit
which
can
be
pleaded
for
Richard
;
he
was
a
bold
knight
,
a
good
leader
,
generous
to
his
friends
and
to
the
church
,
and
,
to
crown
the
whole
,
a
crusader
and
a
conqueror
of
the
Holy
Sepulchre
;
and
yet
he
died
a
blind
and
miserable
prisoner
in
the
Castle
of
Cardiff
,
because
he
opposed
himself
to
the
will
of
the
people
,
who
chose
that
he
should
not
rule
over
them
.
It
is
our
right
,
"
he
said
,
"
to
choose
from
the
blood
royal
the
prince
who
is
best
qualified
to
hold
the
supreme
power
--
that
is
,
"
said
he
,
correcting
himself
,
"
him
whose
election
will
best
promote
the
interests
of
the
nobility
.
In
personal
qualifications
,
"
he
added
,
"
it
was
possible
that
Prince
John
might
be
inferior
to
his
brother
Richard
;
but
when
it
was
considered
that
the
latter
returned
with
the
sword
of
vengeance
in
his
hand
,
while
the
former
held
out
rewards
,
immunities
,
privileges
,
wealth
,
and
honours
,
it
could
not
be
doubted
which
was
the
king
whom
in
wisdom
the
nobility
were
called
on
to
support
.
"
These
,
and
many
more
arguments
,
some
adapted
to
the
peculiar
circumstances
of
those
whom
he
addressed
,
had
the
expected
weight
with
the
nobles
of
Prince
John
's
faction
.
Most
of
them
consented
to
attend
the
proposed
meeting
at
York
,
for
the
purpose
of
making
general
arrangements
for
placing
the
crown
upon
the
head
of
Prince
John
.
It
was
late
at
night
,
when
,
worn
out
and
exhausted
with
his
various
exertions
,
however
gratified
with
the
result
,
Fitzurse
,
returning
to
the
Castle
of
Ashby
,
met
with
De
Bracy
,
who
had
exchanged
his
banqueting
garments
for
a
short
green
kirtle
,
with
hose
of
the
same
cloth
and
colour
,
a
leathern
cap
or
head-piece
,
a
short
sword
,
a
horn
slung
over
his
shoulder
,
a
long
bow
in
his
hand
,
and
a
bundle
of
arrows
stuck
in
his
belt
.
Had
Fitzurse
met
this
figure
in
an
outer
apartment
,
he
would
have
passed
him
without
notice
,
as
one
of
the
yeomen
of
the
guard
;
but
finding
him
in
the
inner
hall
,
he
looked
at
him
with
more
attention
,
and
recognised
the
Norman
knight
in
the
dress
of
an
English
yeoman
.
"
What
mummery
is
this
,
De
Bracy
?
"
said
Fitzurse
,
somewhat
angrily
;
"
is
this
a
time
for
Christmas
gambols
and
quaint
maskings
,
when
the
fate
of
our
master
,
Prince
John
,
is
on
the
very
verge
of
decision
?
Why
hast
thou
not
been
,
like
me
,
among
these
heartless
cravens
,
whom
the
very
name
of
King
Richard
terrifies
,
as
it
is
said
to
do
the
children
of
the
Saracens
?
"
"
I
have
been
attending
to
mine
own
business
,
"
answered
De
Bracy
calmly
,
"
as
you
,
Fitzurse
,
have
been
minding
yours
.
"
"
I
minding
mine
own
business
!
"
echoed
Waldemar
;
"
I
have
been
engaged
in
that
of
Prince
John
,
our
joint
patron
.
"
