"
"Bethink you of the peace of God and the church, my liege lord,"
said the Baron of Gilsland, "among those princes engaged in this
holy Crusade."
"Bethink you how to execute my commands, my liege vassal,"
answered Richard impatiently. "Methinks men expect to turn our
purpose by their breath, as boys blow feathers to and fro. Peace
of the church! Who, I prithee, minds it? The peace of the
church, among Crusaders, implies war with the Saracens, with whom
the princes have made truce; and the one ends with the other.
And besides, see you not how every prince of them is seeking his
own several ends? I will seek mine also--and that is honour.
For honour I came hither; and if I may not win it upon the
Saracens, at least I will not lose a jot from any respect to this
paltry Duke, though he were bulwarked and buttressed by every
prince in the Crusade."
De Vaux turned to obey the King's mandate, shrugging his
shoulders at the same time, the bluntness of his nature being
unable to conceal that its tenor went against his judgment.
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