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The Last of the Barons — Volume 08 by Baron Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton
page 29 of 69 (42%)
flower and prince of my new seignorie,--thou must mate thyself with a
name and a barony that shall be worthy thy fame and thy prospects.
Love beauty, but marry power, Will. In vain would thy king draw thee
up, if a despised wife draw thee down!"

Hastings listened with profound attention to these words. The king
did not wait for his answer, but added laughingly,--

"It is thine own fault, crafty gallant, if thou dost not end all her
spells."

"What ends the spells of youth and beauty, beau sire?"

"Possession!" replied the king, in a hollow and muttered voice.

Hastings was about to answer, when the door opened, and the officer in
waiting announced the Duke of Clarence. "Ha!" said Edward, "George
comes to importune me for leave to depart to the government of
Ireland, and I have to make him weet that I think my Lord Worcester a
safer viceroy of the two."

"Your Highness will pardon me; but, though I deemed you too generous
in the appointment, it were dangerous now to annul it."

"More dangerous to confirm it. Elizabeth has caused me to see the
folly of a grant made over the malmsey,--a wine, by the way, in which
poor George swears he would be content to drown himself. Viceroy of
Ireland! My father had that government, and once tasting the sweets
of royalty, ceased to be a subject! No, no, Clarence--"

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