But Henry’s tone changed the next instant, and the prisoner became the king.
"Ha! my Lord of Warwick here!—and Jaspar—my dear brother!" and he gave him his hand affectionately. "My Lord of Oxford—God give you good morrow all! What means this?"
"It means, my Lord, that God hath saved King Henry."
And from all around rose the chorus. The King gazed from one to another as though he scarcely believed the evidence of his senses.
"Where are my wife and son?" was his next query.
"At Paris, my Lord, and soon to come hither, if God be serven."
This was Edward’s proper title in the eyes of a Lancastrian.
"Fled, my Lord,—fled the realm: and his wife is in sanctuary with her childre."
It would not have been Henry VI. if he had not answered, "Poor souls!"
"All is o’er of the rebellion," broke in Oxford, always fiery and rash: "all is o’er, your Highness; and we pray you give us leave to conduct you to your own lodging."
"Nay," said the King, kneeling down at the table; "tarry till I have thanked God."
Then, the rest kneeling around bareheaded, he poured forth a fervent thanksgiving. Very simple as this man was in worldly wisdom, he was eloquent when he spoke to God. Then they took from him the prison garb, and attired him in royal robes, and led him to "the King’s lodgings" in the White Tower.
Here a singular ceremony took place. Warwick and his colleagues were not content with merely restoring King Henry, but deemed it a better safeguard to give him the additional advantage of popular election. Accordingly they held a formal _plébiscite_—of whom composed we are not told,—whether simply of the little group of Lancastrian nobles, or of their army of four thousand men, or generally of the citizens of London. This process completed, the King was set on horseback, and conducted to the Bishop of London’s palace.
But Warwick soon discovered that he had an account to settle with his intensely discontented son-in-law. The deposition of Edward, in the eyes of Clarence, was not at all equivalent to the restoration of Henry. He had been ready enough to displace his brother, but his intention—which Warwick had frustrated—had been to set himself, not Henry, on the vacant throne. Clarence was in a very sulky temper, and required a tiresome amount of smoothing. This desirable end was at last accomplished; and having been joined by his excellent brother, the Archbishop of York, who was always constant to one side—the winning one—Warwick proceeded to get up a splendid procession to St. Paul’s Cathedral, which King Henry entered in state on the thirteenth of October. He wore his crown, and Warwick carried his train, while Oxford bore the sword before him. After the procession, Edward of March was solemnly proclaimed a usurper through London.