times an admirable Jesuit, and no doubt in his own time a very
brilliant Pope. His objects in his present mission were clear and
perspicuous; any breach between Warwick and the king must necessarily
weaken his own position, and the power of his House was essential to
all his views. The object of Gloucester in his intercession was less
defined, but not less personal: in smoothing the way to his brother's
marriage with Isabel, he removed all apparent obstacle to his own with
Anne. And it is probable that Richard, who, whatever his crimes, was
far from inaccessible to affection, might have really loved his early
playmate, even while his ambition calculated the wealth of the
baronies that would swell the dower of the heiress and gild the barren
coronet of his duchy. [Majerns, the Flemish chronicler, quoted by
Bucke ("Life of Richard III"), mentions the early attachment of
Richard to Anne. They were much together, as children, at Middleham.]

"God's truth!" said Warwick, as he lifted his eyes from the scroll in
the king's writing, "ye know well, princely cousin, and thou, my
brother, ye know well how dearly I have loved King Edward; and the
mother's milk overflows my heart when I read these gentle and tender
words which he deigns to bestow upon his servant. My blood is hasty
and over-hot, but a kind thought from those I love puts out much fire.
Sith he thus beseeches me to return to his councils, I will not be
sullen enough to hold back; but, oh, Prince Richard! is it indeed a
matter past all consideration that your sister, the Lady Margaret,
must wed with the Duke of Burgundy?"

"Warwick," replied the prince, "thou mayest know that I never looked
with favour on that alliance; that when Clarence bore the Bastard's
helmet, I withheld my countenance from the Bastard's presence. I
incurred Edward's anger by refusing to attend his court while the