Page 8 - A Knight of the White Cross

"My hope is, madam, that this enterprise will be the final one, -- that, once
successful, our dear land will be no longer deluged with blood, and that

never again shall I be forced to draw my sword against my countrymen."

"'Tis a good and pious wish, Sir Thomas, and heartily do I join in it. My
married life has been one long round of trouble, and none more than T have
cause to wish for peace."

"There is the more hope for it, madam, that these wars have greatly

diminished the number of powerful barons. It is they who are the authors of
this struggle; their rivalries and their ambitions are the ruin of England.
Save for their retainers there would be no armies to place in the field; the

mass of people stand aloof altogether, desiring only to live in peace and
quiet. 'Tis the same here in France; 'tis the powerful vassals of the king that

are ever causing trouble."

"'Tis so indeed, Sir Thomas. But without his feudal lords how could a king

place an army in the field, when his dominions were threatened by a
powerful neighbour?"

"Then it would be the people's business to fight, madam, and I doubt not
that they would do so in defence of their hearths and homes. Besides, the

neighbour would no longer have the power of invasion were he also
without great vassals. These great barons stand between the king and his

subjects; and a monarch would be a king indeed were he able to rule
without their constant dictation, and undisturbed by their rivalry and
ambitions."

"That would be a good time indeed, Sir Thomas," the queen said, with a

smile; "but methinks there is but little chance of its coming about, for at
present it seems to me that the vassals are better able to make or unmake
kings, than kings are able to deprive the great vassals of power; and never

since Norman William set foot in England were they more powerful than
they are at present. What does my chance of recovering our throne rest

upon? Not upon our right, but on the quarrel between Warwick and the
House of Rivers. We are but puppets that the great lords play against each