Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 3.djvu/562

542 Scottish council seemed rather that Henry, in his present humour, would refuse to grant again conditions so honourably moderate.

Therefore it was that, on the King's death, they made haste to secure their ground by a ready submission; while at the same time, by electing a regent on their own authority who was known to be hostile to Beton, they at once secured the outward independence of their Government, and took away from Henry a pretence for an armed interference. The two murderers were sent under a guard to Alnwick, where they were placed in the hands of Lord Lisle. When examined on the motives of their crime, one of them—the Lincoln insurgent, Leech—maintained an obstinate silence; his companion, Priestman, who was also a refugee, was more cowardly or less scrupulous. This man stated that they had been in great poverty, and they had supposed that some 'notable exploit' done against their countrymen might bring them into favour at the Court. With this view they had suggested to the King that the herald and his party were probably spies; and, should it so please him, they would intercept and punish them. The King, Priestman said, gave them no answer in words, but from signs and gestures they gathered that 'he forced not, though the men had a shrewd turn.' His secretary was explicit in his encouragement. They need be in no fear, he told them, of being given up to the English: 'If they had killed the King of England