its later thoughts of wrath and vengeance, to more gentle memories, to
such memories as fade the last from true and manly hearts!

"Wife! child!" murmured the earl, indistinctly. "Anne! Anne! Dear
ones, God comfort ye!" And with these words the breath went, the head
fell heavily on its mother earth, the face set, calm and undistorted,
as the face of a soldier should be, when a brave death has been worthy
of a brave life.

"So," muttered the dark and musing Gloucester, unconscious of the
throng, "so perishes the Race of Iron. Low lies the last baron who
could control the throne and command the people. The Age of Force
expires with knighthood and deeds of arms. And over this dead great
man I see the New Cycle dawn. Happy, henceforth, he who can plot and
scheme, and fawn and smile!" Waking with a start from his revery, the
splendid dissimulator said, as in sad reproof, "Ye have been over
hasty, knights and gentlemen. The House of York is mighty enough to
have spared such noble foes. Sound trumpets! Fall in file! Way,
there,--way! King Edward comes. Long live the king!"




CHAPTER VII.

THE LAST PILGRIMS IN THE LONG PROCESSION TO THE COMMON BOURNE.

The king and his royal brothers, immediately after the victory, rode
back to London to announce their triumph. The foot-soldiers still
stayed behind to recruit themselves after the sore fatigue. And