husband; and she has taught her son that, whatever might come, he could
rely upon my fidelity to his person. On the other hand, no one has reason
either to dislike or fear me. I am a simple knight, longing most to be at
home, and at the Court as seldom as may be; besides, I hold myself aloof
from both parties in the state, for you must know that the Court is
composed of two factions.

"The one is that of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, uncle of the king.
He is greatly ambitious; some men even say that he would fain himself be
king, but this I believe not; yet I am sure that he would like to rule in
the name of the king. He has a powerful party, having with him the Duke of
Gloucester, his brother, and other great nobles. On the other hand, he is
ill-liked by the people, and they say at Canterbury the rioters made every
man they met swear to obey the king and commons--by which they meant
themselves--never to accept a king bearing the name of John, and to oppose
Lancaster and Gloucester.

"The king's mother has surrounded him with a number of men who, being for
the most part of obscure birth, have no sympathy with John of Gaunt's
faction, and oppose it in every way.

"Doubtless the majority of these are well fitted for the office that they
hold, but unfortunately there are some amongst them, for the most part
young and with pleasant manners and handsome faces, whom the king makes
his favourites. This again is well-nigh as bad as that John of Gaunt
should have all the power in his own hands, for the people love not king's
favourites, and although the rabble at present talk much of all men being
equal, and rail against the nobles, yet at bottom the English people are
inclined towards those of good birth, and a king's favourite is all the
more detested if he lacks this quality. England, however, would not fare