Richard listened, that he might gather a lesson of war; but he said to the knights:
"I do but bethink me of what was said by one of my own men when he heard concerning the bridges. He is a carpenter from Coventry."
"What said he?" asked a deep voice behind them, as it were eagerly.
Then turned they all in their saddles, for there rode Sir Geoffrey of Harcourt, and with him was the prince.
"My Lord Marshal," said Richard, "he did but laugh, and he laughed loudly. Then he told his mates: 'Ye are but fools, and the king is wise. Give me our forest men and the two companies of Kent and the London pikemen that are from the shipbuilding wards of London town. Then, if so be the king wanteth a bridge he can have one. We will even shape it in the woods in the morn, and have it over the stream at sunset.'"
"Richard Neville," said the marshal, "keep thou that saying to thyself, but search out thy man. Bid him and his to pick their wood workers, man by man. We shall have tools in plenty. The men do know each other. I was even now troubled in mind concerning handicraftsmen."
"No need, my Lord Marshal," reverently responded Richard. "I did hear more, and I can bring thee men that have built bridges over bigger streams than these."
"Richard of Wartmont," now broke in the prince, "ride thou with me a space. I would know more of thy men."
Then rode they silently until well apart from the others, and the prince said to his friend:
"This concerning the bridges will please the king. He hath said to me, of the commons and of thy Saxon kin, that now he hath a power that will grow fast, as he will help it grow. It hath not heretofore come to the hand of any king of England, and so some of them have been even too hardly dealt with by the great earls."