Crushed by one sweep of the axe fell Milwater to the earth; down, as
again it swung on high, fell Sir Humphrey Bourchier, who had just
arrived to Gloucester with messages from Edward, never uttered in the
world below. Before Marmaduke's lance fell Sir Thomas Parr; and these
three corpses making a barrier between Gloucester and the earl, the
duke turned fiercely upon Marmaduke, while the earl, wheeling round,
charged into the midst of the hostile line, which scattered to the
right and left.

"On! my merry men, on!" rang once more through the heavy air. "They
give way, the London tailors,--on!" and on dashed, with their joyous
cry, the merry men of Yorkshire and Warwick, the warrior yeomen!
Separated thus from his great foe, Gloucester, after unhorsing
Marmaduke, galloped off to sustain that part of his following which
began to waver and retreat before the rush of Warwick and his
chivalry.

This, in truth, was the regiment recruited from the loyalty of London;
and little accustomed, we trow, were the worthy heroes of Cockaigne to
the discipline of arms, nor trained to that stubborn resistance which
makes, under skilful leaders, the English peasants the most enduring
soldiery that the world has known since the day when the Roman
sentinel perished amidst the falling columns and lava floods [at
Pompeii], rather than, though society itself dissolved, forsake his
post unbidden. "Saint Thomas defend us!" muttered a worthy tailor,
who in the flush of his valour, when safe in the Chepe, had consented
to bear the rank of lieutenant; "it is not reasonable to expect men of
pith and substance to be crushed into jellies and carved into
subtleties by horse-hoofs and pole-axes. Right about face! Fly!"--
and throwing down his sword and shield, the lieutenant fairly took to