"'Then came there a king, knighthood him led,
Might of the commons made him to reign.'"
And John Ball at his stirrup said, also out of the Vision:—
"'Love is leech of life and next our Lord's self,
And also the straight way that goeth into heaven.'"
“Heaven?” murmured Richard, and after very soft, twixt prayer and amaze, “Thy kingdom come.”
So he turned about and rode at a slow pace, as one in a dream, across the square to his nobles, and there was on his face a shining look as of one who seeth a vision.
“This is the bravest man in all England to-day, and he is our King,” said old Salisbury, and Richard smiled, eyes and mouth radiant, flashing as the sun.
Then said Mayor Walworth, who was ever a blunt man, “Now will I ride swift into the city, sire, and man the wards and bring hither Sir Robert Knollys, and his retainers shall surround these fellows and break their pride.”
Richard turned to look on the Mayor, the smile fading. As one that waketh out of a sweet dream and encountereth the old perplexity he had thought was laid, so Richard stared; and there grew in his eyes a look of fear.
“What need?” he said, and drew rein as he would scape anew to his people.
Then came the Earl of Salisbury close, and who had looked in the old man's face the while he spoke to Richard might not fail to see a great pity therein.