A. C. 1500. The pope proposes a crufade. He accordingly joined thefe confederates, and attacked Ludovico Sforza, fovereign of that dutchy, who was obliged to fly for refuge to the emperor, after having loft all his dominions. But the caftle of Milan, and Genoa, of which he had been in poffeffion, voluntarily fubmitted to Lewis. Pope Alexander VI. having published a jubilee for the beginning of the century, permitted thofe chriftians who lived at a great diftance from Rome, to purchafe the privilege of the festival, without being obliged to vifit the churches of that city. In order to collect the fums arifing from this indulgence," he fent agents into all the ftates of Chriftendom; and employed a Spaniard called Gafpar Pons, for that purpose in England, where he raised a large contribution. This nuncio was directed to inform the king, that his holiness had resolved to publish a crufade against the Turks, and even to go in perfon with the English monarch, the Venetians, and the princes of Italy, to attack Conftantinople by fea, while the other powers of Europe should fall upon them in Thrace, Greece, and different parts of the continent. Henry plainly perceived that Alexander's drift was to amafs money by contributions for this expedition; but, he diffembling his opinion, expreffed the utmoft zeal for the fuccefs of the enterprize; offered to furnish a large proportion of men and money; to ferve under his holiness in perfon; and demanded, that fome ftrong. places on the coaft of Italy might be put into his hands, to ferve as retreat in cafe of neceffity. He even appointed ambaffadors to go and treat with the pontiff on this fubject; and made fuch a parade of his zeal for the intereft of religion, that the knights of Rhodes chofe him protector of their order. But as this was a chimerical project, which Alexander had no intention to execute, he enjoyed the credit of his forwardness, without fubject ing ing himself to the leaft expence; and the other potentates of Europe receiving the pope's proposal with great coldnefs and indifference, the whole scheme vanifhed into smoke. A. C. 1500. has an in archduke England being grievously afflicted with a plague, Bacon, Henry, after having feveral times changed the place The king of his refidence, retired with his queen and family terview to Calais, where he received an embaffy from the with the archduke Philip, defiring a friendly interview; and Philip. the king agreed to meet him in the church of St. Peter, which stands without the gates of Calais, as the archduke expreffed a reluctance to enter a fortified city. At the time fixed for their meeting, Henry being informed of his approach, rode out to receive him on horseback, and Philip alighting, ran up to hold his stirrup; but Henry would not admit of fuch humiliation, and they embraced each other with marks of the moft cordial affection. Then they entered the church, where they had a long conference, in which the archduke defired to live in friendship with the English monarch, whom he addreffed with the appellation of his good patron, father, and protector. During Henry's refidence at Calais, he was alfo vifited by the governor of Picardy, and bailiff of Amiens, fent by the French king, to congratulate him on his coming to the continent; and notify his conqueft of Milan. That prince, in order to testify his good will to the king of England, had follicited and obtained a bull from the pope, declaring him excommunicated, fhould he ever fail in the yearly payments to Henry, ftipulated in the treaty of Eftaples. The pope, at the fame time, granted a difpenfation for the marriage of James king of Scotland, with the princess Margaret, tho' on account of her tender years the confummation was poftponed. Henry being now at peace with all Europe, and Practises ehis dominions enjoying the moft profound repofe, vetortion the of A. C. 1500. the avarice of his difpofition had leisure to exert itself, and his defire of amaffing became every day: more and more rapacious. As he had no longer any pretence for demanding fubfidies from parliament, he refolved to drain the party of Warbeck, until they should be quite exhaufted. On the fuppofition that the adherents of this pretender were ftill fubject to the rigour of the laws, he infifted upon their being indulged with feparate pardons, which they did not at all follicit; and compelled them to pay largely for this indulgence. He appointed commiffioners to fet on foot a new enquiry about those who had in any manner afferted or favoured the revolt of the blacksmith, and that of Perkin Warbeck. These inquifitors were impowered to amerce at difcretion every individual who fhould have the benefit of the pardon; and even to feize the effects of the deceased, fhould their heirs refuse to make a compofition. Such oppreffion augmented the popular clamour against Henry, and was in a great measure attributed to the counfels of cardinal Morton archbishop of Canterbury, who died at this period, very little regretted by the Dean Abi. English. He was fucceeded in his metropolitan fee by Henry Dean bishop of Salisbury; and now the nation perceived, that Henry's avarice and extortion were not the effects of Morton's advice, but qualities inherent in his own conftitution. Never Rymer, was king of England more hated by his fubjects, though this hatred was mingled with fear, produced by his uninterrupted fuccefs, and the opinion of his great ability both as a monarch and a politician. All the powers upon the continent courted his alliance; and all the malecontents of England were overawed into forbearance. A. C. 1501. Notwithstanding this felicity, he was not a little disturbed by an accident which at this juncture encroached upon his repofe. The earl of Suffolk, nephew 7 in difcon tries. nephew to king Edward IV. and brother to the A. C. 1501." earl of Lincoln, who had fallen in the battle of Stoke, chanced to kill a man in his paffion; and, though he was a branch of the houfe of York, the king confented to indulge him with a pardon; but, in order to leave a ftigma upon his character, he obliged him to appear perfonally, and plead his pardon in public. The earl being of an haughty Earl of Sufdifpofition, refented this difgrace fo deeply, that folk retires he retired in difguft to his aunt Margaret, dutchefs tent to the dowager of Flanders; and Henry was not a little Low Counftartled at his retreat. In order to anticipate any Bacon. defigns he might hatch to his prejudice, he fent over emiffaries, who by dint of promises and profeffions, perfuaded him to return and be reconciled to the government. Henry's throne being now fo firmly. eftablished, that there was hardly a poffibility to shake it, Ferdinand king of Arragon, parted with his daughter Catherine, who arriving in England Catherine of in the month of October, was married to Arthur Arragon prince of Wales, and the nuptials were celebrated Arthur at London, with great pomp and folemnity, on Prince of the fourteenth day' of November, the prince being then turned of fifteen, and the lady about the age of eighteen. Her dower amounted to two hundred thousand ducats in money, jewels, and plate; and a third part of the principality of Wales, dukedom of Cornwal, and earldom of Chefter, was affigned to her as a jointure, provided her husband fhould die before his acceffion to the throne.. married to Wales. Rymer. king of This match was fucceeded by the contract of Contract of another marriage, between the king of Scotland, marriage leand Henry's daughter Margaret, on whom her fa- tween James ther bestowed a portion of thirty thousand crowns. Scotland The marriage treaty was ratified by the Scottish and Henry's ambaffadors at London, on the twenty-fourth day Margaret. of January; and the nuptials were folemnized by A. C. 15020 proxy, amidst the rejoicings of the people, who hoped Daughter A.C.1502. hoped the mischiefs attending the mutual enmity of the two kingdoms would ceafe, by virtue of this alliance, tho' perhaps they did not foresee the union. which it afterwards produced. When this affair was debated in council, an English nobleman obferved, that if Henry should survive his male-iffue, the crown would devolve to the king of Scotland; to which infinuation Henry replied, that in fuch a cafe Scotland would become an acceffion to England, as the fmaller would always be fwallowed up in the greater dominion. On this occafion a treaty of perpetual peace between the two nations was figned and confirmed, together with certain articles for preventing excurfions on either fide; but the confummation of marriage was, on account of the tender years of the princefs, poftponed till the following year, when the king accompanied her on her way as far as Colli-Wefton, where he configned her and her attendants to the care of the earl of Northumberland, who, with a confiderable retinue of noblemen and ladies, conveyed her to the king her husband at Edinburgh. Bacon. Death of Henry cre The joy produced by this marriage was foon damped by the death of Arthur prince of Wales, who did not survive his nuptials above five months. He died at Ludlow-Caftie, univerfally regretsed. by the English nation, who had conceived happy omens from his promifing talents; and, in about His brother three months after his decease, his brother Henry ated prince was, in the twelfth year of his age, created prince of Wales, earl of Chester and Flint, the dutchy of Cornwal devolving upon him by act of parliament. During the course of this year the emperor Maximilian sent an embaffy to England, to propose a league against the Turks, and to borrow money of Henry, who chofe rather to prefent him with ten thousand pounds fterling, as a free gift for that purpose, than to engage in the league, or begin a of Wales. traffic |