"Now, by both sword and sceptre," said Richard, "the world is
leagued to drive me mad!--fools, women, and monks cross me at
every step. How comes he to live still?"
"My gracious liege," said the monk, "I entreated of the Lord of
Gilsland to stay the execution until I had thrown myself at your
royal--"
"And he was wilful enough to grant thy request," said the King; "but it is of a piece with his wonted
obstinacy. And what is it
thou hast to say? Speak, in the fiend's name!"
"My lord, there is a weighty secret, but it rests under the seal
of confession. I dare not tell or even whisper it; but I swear
to thee by my holy order, by the habit which I wear, by the
blessed Elias, our founder, even him who was translated without
suffering the ordinary pangs of mortality, that this youth hath
divulged to me a secret, which, if I might confide it to thee,
would utterly turn thee from thy bloody purpose in regard to
him."
"Good father," said Richard, "that I reverence the church, let
the arms which I now wear for her sake bear witness.
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