"Are you that friar?" repeated the prince.
Several of the by-standers declared that he was not that friar. The little
friar, encouraged by this patronage, found his voice, and pleaded for mercy.
The prince questioned him closely concerning the burning of the castle.
The little friar declared, that he had been in too great fear during the siege
to know much of what was going forward, except that he had been conscious
during the last few days of a lamentable deficiency of provisions, and had
been present that very morning at the broaching of the last butt of sack.
Harpiton groaned in sympathy. The little friar added, that he knew nothing
of what had passed since till he heard the flames roaring at his elbow.
"Take him away, Harpiton," said the prince, "fill him with sack,
and turn him out."
"Never mind the sack," said the little friar, "turn me out at once."
"A sad chance," said Harpiton, "to be turned out without sack."
But what Harpiton thought a sad chance the little friar thought a merry one,
and went bounding like a fat buck towards the abbey of Rubygill.
An arrow, with a letter attached to it, was shot into the camp,
and carried to the prince. The contents were these:--
"Prince John,--I do not consider myself to have resisted lawful authority
in defending my castle against you, seeing that you are at present
in a state of active rebellion against your liege sovereign Richard:
and if my provisions had not failed me, I would have maintained it
till doomsday.
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