The Last Of The Barons, Volume 12.

earl that nought but some dire mischance could turn the scale. Montagu had cut his way to Warwick; Somerset had re-establis

rer towards the town, when suddenly a pale, sickly, and ghostlike ray of sunshine, rather resembling the watery gleam of a waning moon than the radiance of the Lord of Light, broke through the mists, and showed to the earl's eager troops the banner and badges of a

and his tossing banners, scarcely even yet distinguished from Oxford's starry ensigns, added to the general incertitude and panic. Loud in the midst rose Edward's trumpet voice, while through the midst, like one crest of foam upon a roaring sea, danced his plume of snow. Hark! again, again-near and nearer-the tramp of steeds, the clash of steel, the whiz and hiss of arrows, the shout of "Hastings to the onslaught!" Fresh, and panting for glory and for blood, came on King Edward's large reserve; from all the scattered parts of the field spurred the Yorkist knights, where the uproar, so much mightier than before, told them that the crisis of the war was come. Thither, as vultures to the carcass, they flocked and wheeled; thither D'Eyncourt and Lovell, and Cromwell's bloody sword, and Say's knotted mace; and thither, again rallying his late half-beaten myrmidons, the grim Gloucester, his helmet bruised and dinted, but the boar's teeth still gnashing wrath and horror from the grisly crest. B

ide with Warwick the brothers fronted the

e earl; "a band of my

ow them,-they will f

t men we may. You so ma

retreat. Where is S

er

he can yet rally but one troop of horse-but one-and charge Edward suddenly in the rear, he will yet redeem all. If he refuse, the ruin of his king and the slaughter of the brave men he deserts be on his head! Swi

, Warwick turned to hi

e riders round me,-so

ntagu, to the

rs, in all the former might of his indomitable arm, had Warwick so excelled the martial chivalry of his age, as in that eventful and crowning hour. Thrice almost alone he penetrated into the very centre of Edward's body- guard, literally felling to the earth all before him. Then perished by his battle-axe Lord Cromwell and the redoubted Lord of Say; then, no longer sparing even the old affection, Gloucester was hurled to the ground. The last time he penetrated even to Edward himself, smiting down the king's standard-bearer, unhorsing Hastings, who threw himself on his path; and Edward, setting his teeth in stern joy as he saw him, rose in his stirrups, and for

st eminent (save Sir John Coniers, either slain or fled) might be found, their horses, more exposed than themselves, were for the most part wounded and unfit for further service. At this time the sun again, and

t,-gone the lances of Oxford, the bills of Somerset. Exeter, pierced by the shaft of Alwyn

ard, their thousand banners glittering in the sudden sun; for, as Edward beheld the last wrecks of his foe, stationed near

estruction, and saw the extent of their danger, and their loss,-here the handful, there

"droop not! Henry at Aginco

iners, continued, till there stepped forth their captain, a gray old

Mark Forester!" sai

me on to Warwick, and fell on

r bodies. Your children, father of your followers, your children of Middleham, ask no better fate than to die for

t hope of Lancaster. We may yet join Oxford and Somerset! This way

then addressing the retainers, "when the children fight for a father's honour, the father flies not from the peril into which he has drawn the children. What to me were life, stained by the blood of mine own beloved retainers, basely deserted by their chief? Edward has proclaimed that he will spare none. Fool! he gives us, then, the superhuman mightiness of despair! To your bows!-one shaft-if it pierce t

o, as the guns slackened, ventured forth to learn the news, and who now, filling the churchyard of Hadley, strove hard to catch a peep of Henry the saint, or of Bungey the sorcerer. Mingled with these gleamed the robes of the tymbesteres, pressing nearer and nearer to the b

rd, "nothing now lacks to the king's

ail thy bombards and thy talisman! Hark yet-tell me the secret of the

Unless I gave thee my science, my secret were profi

mself yet," he added to himself; and therewith he began once more to vociferate his incantations. Meanwhile the eyes of Sibyll had turned for a moment from her father; for the burst of sunshine, lighting up the valley below, had suddenly given to her eyes

ed upon the tower of the church behind. And while he so gazed, the knoll from the belfry began solemnly to chime. It

mournfully, "that chime

o

d sunshine to scan the foe and its position, with the eye of his intuitive genius for all that can slaughter man. "This day," he said, "brings no victo

gu?" said

d to himself, "I never wronged, and therefore him I can forgive. Spare the marquis.-I mislike that woo

anty foe. The design was obvious,-to surround on all sides the enemy, driven to its last desperate bay. But Montagu and his brother had not been idle in the breathing-pause; they had planted the greater portion of the archers skilfully among the trees. They had place

of the men had by Warwick's order removed the mail from the destrier's breast; and the noble animal, relieved from the weight, seemed as unexhausted as its rider; save where the champed foam had bespecked its glossy hide, not a hair was turned; and the on-guard of the Yorkis

tcliffe, "I care not of what steps th

ng, Warwick, turning to Mon

d win or die, and by that sacrifice so fired the soldiers, that we turned the day, so now-oh, gentlemen, in another hour ye would jeer me, for my hand fails: this hand that the poo

ger's eyes with one hand, the earl's dagger descended, bright and rapid, a groan went through the ranks. But the effect was unspeakable! The men knew at once that to them, and them alone, their lord intrusted his fortunes and his life; they were nerved to more than mortal daring. No escape for Warwick- why, then, in

lived," said Gloucest

field, God grant

ttled against the line of the Yorkists, and the foe, still advancing, stepped over a hundred corpses to the conflict. Despite the vast preponderance of numbers

But Alwyn, avoiding the quarter defended by the knights, defiled a little towards the left, where his quick eye, inured to the northern fogs, had detected the weakness of the barricade in the spot where Hilyard was stationed; and this pass Alwyn (discarding the bow) resolved to attempt at the point of the pike, the weapon answering to our modern bayonet. The first rush which he headed was so impetuous as to effect an entry. The weight of the numbers behind urged on the foremost, and Hilyard had not sufficient space for the sweep of the two-handed sword which had done good work that day. While here the conflict became fierce and doubtful, the right wing led by D'Eyncourt had pierced the wood, and, surprised to discover no ambush, fell upon the archers in the rear. The scene was now inexpressibly terrific; cries and groans, and the ineffable roar and yell of human passion, resounded demonlike through the shade of the leafless trees. And at this moment, the provident and rapid generalship of Edward had moved up one of his heavy bombards. Warwick and Montagu a

ose dogged energy, resembling his own, moved his admiration, and in whom, by the accent in which Robin called his men, he

are never beaten!" And as the words left his lips, the

e crown!" cried Alwyn

op

Ratcliffe and Lovell, at the head of their appointed knig

ose together; yet, though their roots interlaced, though their branches mingled, one had not taken nourishment from the other. They stood, equal in height and grandeur, the twin giants of the wood. Before these trees, whose ample trunks protected them from the falchions in the rear, Warwick and Montagu took their last post. In front rose, literally, mounds of the slain, whether of foe or friend; for round the

I not so blindly believed in Clarence's fatal order, the savag

ments of a wiser Will. God assoil thee, brother mine. We lea

nds clasped, and then

tremity,-the defiance of brave hearts to the brute force of the many. Where they stood they were visible to thousands, but not a man stirred against them. The memory of Warwick's past achievements, the consciousness of his f

eld! Ye have done al

k. "Edward can harm not thee. Life

We yield not, Sir Knight," answe

corned!" exclaimed a fierce voice; and Ratcliffe, who had

shadow have traversed o

agu's sword, seven sou

amidst the general tor

, round one little sp

stooping casque, a hundred blades gleamed round the joints of his harness. A simultaneous cry was heard; over the mounds of the slain, through the press into the shadow of the oaks, da

hero's eyes unclosed, his lips moved, he raised, with a feeble effort, the gory battle-axe, and the armed crowd recoiled in terror. But the earl's soul, dimly conscious, and abo

these words the breath went, the head fell heavily on its mother earth, the face set, calm and u

hood 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