They returned to the Council Chamber, where some of the younger men were standing at the windows looking down at the bonfires and listening to the shouts of the crowd. Salisbury drew Knollys aside before the Council gathered about the board.
“Your fellow must serve. They shall change caps to-night. I have planned what to say to these gentlemen.”
They came together round the great table, and the King’s half-brothers and some of the hot-heads were for a night attack. They talked of arming every man they could muster, opening the gates, and sallying out to attack the mob. The peasants were drunk and fuddled, and could be slaughtered like sheep in the shambles.
Salisbury put their desperate measures aside with the wise air of a sage captain.
“Sirs, we have spoken with the King. He has taken heart of grace, and swears that to-morrow he will speak to these people as their King. Brave words will win more from them than blows.”
They were for arguing the point.
“What, treat with these clowns?”
“Let the King go into the midst of them!”
“They’ll not stand against gentlemen and men of metal. The whole pack is drunk.”
It was Walworth who smothered their adventurous truculence. He had his spies in the crowd. Two of them had been let in at the water-gate, and he had spoken with them after leaving the King’s chamber.