Extracts from The Last Knight Errant for the phrase Italian friar reproached.
From England came word that Warwick had wheeled the feeble-minded King Henry, in his old blue coat, out of retirement in the Tower.32 However, there were two pieces of good news. Edward's queen, Elizabeth (Anthony's and Edward's sister), had given birth to a son while in sanctuary and there was already friction between Warwick and the Lancastrians. But sadly the brilliant Earl of Worcester had been caught and condemned. The Earl was impassive as he was taken through violent crowds to his execution. On the scaffold an Italian friar reproached him for his past cruelty, to which he replied coldly, 'I have governed my actions for the good of the State.' Then he turned to the executioner and asked him to use three strokes to do his work, 'in honour of the Trinity'.