"
"Now, by Saint George!" said Richard, again heaving up his arm.
But De Vaux threw himself between the King and the object of his
vengeance, and spoke with the blunt truth of his character, "My
liege, this must not be--here, nor by your hand. It is enough of
folly for one night and day to have entrusted your banner to a
Scot. Said I not they were ever fair and false?" [Such were the
terms in which the English used to speak of their poor northern
neighbours, forgetting that their own encroachments upon the
independence of Scotland obliged the weaker nation to defend
themselves by policy as well as force. The disgrace must be
divided between Edward I. and Edward III., who enforced their
domination over a free country, and the Scots, who were compelled
to take compulsory oaths, without any purpose of keeping them.]
"Thou didst, De Vaux; thou wast right, and I confess it," said
Richard. "I should have known him better--I should have
remembered how the fox William deceived me touching this
Crusade."
"My lord," said Sir Kenneth, "William of Scotland never deceived;
but circumstances prevented his bringing his forces.
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