H. C. Bailey

“ And on a day he rode again with Bran to Siward's hold where the hammers beat a dizzy tune and Siward came red and wringing sweat from his beard to greet him.
"You work well, friend," the King said.
"The land needs iron, my lord."
"Aye, aye, by my soul. Iron is the master of all. Good thanks, friend."
"I know not why, my lord."
"You know and I know. We be too wise for our day."
"We do the work of our day. But if I am aught it is you that have made me, my lord."
"The King's work is all men's work. I have builded better than I knew. It stands. ”

“ Robert of Leicester in the north, old Hugh Bigod in Norfolk were risen in arms already. The great adventure was begun untimely. He was not sure of the young King, he was not sure of his own men, and by what he heard Leicester and Norfolk were not sure of each other. My lord invoked all the saints: "We are like young dogs baiting a bear," he said. "We run in on him one by one and one by one are stricken down. We are like silly rogue foresters that beat a covert before the horsemen are in place." ”

“ What Siward and John would not give no other would give. The iron-masters ever held together. The two rogues spoke for all. If he had time to spend, he might besiege Siward's hold and take it, but the need was instant. Though he pillaged that and every hammer in the weald, he could not seize what was gone or make unwilling men work heartily. And time was all in all. While he struggled for his equipment, the justiciar's host, furnished with all the stores of London and the rich south country, was marching on Leicester and Norfolk, who had nothing but men. ”