A. C. 1504

Difference between

and Philip,

of Ifabel

queen of Caftile.

In order to make fome fort of atonement for thefe extortions, and do fomething that might re-. commend him to the houfe of Lancaster, he ordered the body of king Henry VI. to be removed from Windfor to Westminster, where it was interred with great pomp; and applied to the pope for a bull to canonize that monarch: but the miracles, attributed to that prince after his death, were fo ill afferted, that his holiness would not admit him to a place among the faints, without fuch a confideration as Henry did not think proper to afford; and therefore the defign was laid afide. Ifabel, queen of Caftile, dying in November, her husband Ferdinand immediately notified her decease to Henry, on the death giving him to understand, that he had appointed him (Ferdinand) administrator of the kingdom of Caftile, for their daughter Joan, married to Philip archduke of Auftria. This prince, being engaged in a war with the duke of Guelderland, could not immediately repair to Spain to take poffeffion of this inheritance, and therefore connived, for the prefent, at the adminiftration of his father-in-law; refolving, however, to deprive him of it with the first opportunity. On the other hand, Ferdinand, by virtue of Ifabel's laft will, pretended to enjoy the administration till his dying day. This was a very interefting difference to Henry, who refembled Ferdinand not only in his difpofition, but even in the nature of his fituation. He knew the majority of his fubjects looked upon his late confort Elizabeth as the rightful queen of England; and that her right had now, of confequence, devolved to the prince of Wales, her fon and lawful fucceffor. He, therefore, confidered the termination of the difference between Ferdinand and Philip, as a precedent for or against his own title. He was afraid that Philip would engage in a league with Lewis XII. and the emperor, in order to expel his father

father-in-law from Caftile, in which cafe he should A. C. 1504. be obliged to fupport his ally againft three powerful adverfaries. He forefaw that fuch contention would involve him in new dangers, and drain his coffers, which he had been at fuch pains to fill, and in the contemplation of which he placed his chief happiness. This was the goal to which all his en- A, C. 1505. deavours tended. He formed the defign of efpoufing the widow of Ferdinand king of Naples, that he might enjoy the great dower which had been affigned to her in that kingdom: and perhaps he thought, that in confequence of this match, he might be chofen arbiter of the differences subsisting between the kings of France and Arragon, touching the territories of Naples. That kingdom had been conquered and divided between them, though this partition was attended by a quarrel, which produced two battles, and these proved fatal to the French intereft in Italy.

The king's defign upon

of Ferdinand

king of

Henry was fo eager to know the difpofition of the Caftilians towards Ferdinand, and the particulars relating to the perfonal qualities and circum- the widow ftances of the queen of Naples, that he sent three perfons in whom he could confide; namely Francis Naples. Marfen, James Braybrook, and John Stile, to obtain intelligence on the fpot. They fet out on pretence of travelling for pleasure; but they were furnished with letters of compliment from Catherine princess of Wales to her aunt and neice the two dowagers of Naples; and they were inftructed to fend home an exact defcription of the complexion, features, ftature, age, health, customs, deportment, and difpofition of the younger queen; together with a circumftantial account of the dower she enjoyed. Howfoever he might have relished the. qualifications of her perfon, he dropped his matrimonial scheme, when he understood that although the fettlement of that princess was very confiderable,

Y 4

as

Hollingshed.

AC, 1505. as established by the marriage contract, yet she had been reduced to an uncertain penfion fince Ferdi nand had fubdued the kingdom, The intelligence which Henry's agents fent from Caftile, was not much more agreeable. Ferdinand ftill continued in the poft of adminiftrator, which he hoped to maintain for life, partly by his influence with Phi lip's counsellors, fome of whom he had gained over to his intereft, and partly by threatning that, in cafe the archduke fhould prove refractory, he would take another wife, and beget an heir to the kingdom of Arragon: but, at the fame time, the nobles and people of Spain were better affected to Philip in right of his wife than to Ferdinand, who had loaded them with burthenfome impofitions. Henry's fecret envoys gave him to understand, that there was actually a project of marriage between Ferdinand and madam de Foix, which would certainly take place, fhould Philip attempt to thwart his father-in-law. They likewise discovered that the marriage of prince Charles of Auftria with Claudia of France would never be folemnized, as Lewis XII. had refolved to beftow that princefs upon the duke of Angoulefme, his prefumptive fucceffor; and that, if Philip and his queen fhould refide in the Low Countries, Ferdinand would endeavour to effect a match between the young prince. of Austria, and Mary, fecond daughter of Henry king of England.

Bacon

Mean while Philip and Joan were proclaimed king and queen of Caftile at Bruffels; though they were prevented from going to take poffeffion of that kingdom by the war of Guelderland and the pregnancy of the queen, who was in a little time delivered of a princefs called Mary, afterwards queen of Hungary. The war being happily terminated, and Joan in a condition to travel, Philip equipped a numerous fleet, and with his queen

embarked

of Caftile is

by distress of

embarked on the tenth of January. In the chan- A.C. 1506. nel they were overtaken by a violent ftorm that Philip king difperfed their fhips; and the veffel that carried driven into Philip and his confort was driven into the harbour Weymouth of Weymouth in Dorfetfhire. The country peo- weather, ple, alarmed at the appearance of fuch a numerous navy, took to their arms. Sir Thomas Trenchard, advancing at the head of fome troops, no sooner learned that the king and queen of Caftile were landed, than he went to offer his respects to them in perfon, and begged they would do him the honour to lodge at his houfe, until the king should be informed of their arrival. Philip, perceiving that there was no poffibility of their re-imbarking immediately, accepted this invitation with a good grace. Henry, being apprised of their landing, fent the earl of Arundel to compliment them in his name; to affure them that he would, with all poffible difparch, have the pleasure of embracing them; and in the mean time that they might command in his dominions. Philip, in order to fhorten the vifit, fet out immediately for the court at Windsor, where he and his confort were received with all the marks of the most cordial friendship: tho' Henry was refolved to derive fome advantage, from the accident that brought them into his dominions. He propofed that as Philip had changed his condition, in becoming king of Caftile, the treaty of commerce between England and the Low Countries fhould be renewed. That prince comprehending and renews perfectly well the delicate nature of his prefent commerce fituation, did not think proper to make any objec- with Henry. tions to this propofal; and the treaty was renewed with fome alteration in favour of the English: among other things they fuppreffed that article of the former treaty by which Philip's fubjects were permitted to fish on the coaft of England. Thefe alterations were fo difagreeable to the Flemings, that they

termed

the treaty of

A. C. 1506. termed this convention Intercurfus Malus, or, The A&t. Pub. Bad Treaty.

This affair being finifhed, Henry propofed a marriage between himself and Philip's fifter Margaret, widow of the duke of Savoy; and the king of Caftile, being well pleafed with the prospect of fuch an alliance, the marriage contract was immediately settled; Philip engaging to pay three hundred thousand crowns, in lieu of a dower to his fifter, together with an annuity of three thoufand Henry pref- eight hundred and fifty. Henry, not yet fatisfied fes him to with these conceffions, feemed altogether deterdeliver up the earl of mined to detain his gueft until he fhould deliver up the earl of Suffolk, from whofe machinations he ftill dreaded fome trouble and difquiet. He therefore took an opportunity when he was alone with Philip, to fay with fome emotion, "Sir,

Suffolk.

you have been faved upon my coaft; I hope 46 you will not fuffer me to be wrecked upon

yours." When the king of Caftile defired to know the meaning of that addrefs, "I mean (re "plied Henry) that fame hair-brained, wild fel

low, my fubject, the earl of Suffolk, who is "protected in your country, and begins to play "the fool, when others are tired of the game. To this explanation Philip answered, "I thought

your felicity had raised you above all fuch ap"prehenfions; but, fince you are uneafy at his "refiding in Flanders, I will banish him from my "dominions." The English monarch expreffing a defire of having him in his power, Philip told him in fome confufion, That he could not deliver him up with any regard to his own honour. and that fuch a step would be ftill lefs for the reputa. tion of Henry, as the world would imagine he had treated his guest as a prifoner. "I will take that

66

difgrace upon myself (faid the king) and fo your "honour will be faved." The other feeing he

would