would not be denied, compofed his countenance; A. C, 1506. faying, "Sir, you give law to me, and I will dic. tate to you in my turn; Suffolk fhall be deli"vered up; but you will give me your honour "that his life fhall be fafe." Henry agreeing to Bacon, this.propofal, he wrote a letter to the earl of Suffolk, affuring him that he had obtained his pardon; and the king confirming this affertion by another meffage, that nobleman returned to his own country, and was immediately committed close prisoner to the Tower. But the king had refolved that his royal guests should not quit his dominions until the earl's arrival; and, in order to disguise the restraint, he entertained them with feafting and paftimes: through which, however, Philip eafily perceived his intention, and therefore expreffed no defire of departing, until the earl was actually fecured. Then he was allowed to prosecute his voyage, after having been detained three months in England, during which he was inftalled in the order of the garter, and conferred that of the golden fleece on Henry prince of Wales. rives On his arrival at Caftile, he and his confort were at CafPhilip ar fo much careffed by the Spaniards, that Ferdinand tile, where did not think proper to infift upon the adminiftra- he dies. tion, but retired to his own kingdom of Arra gon. Philip dying in a few months after he took poffeffion, his queen was fo overwhelmed with grief, that the loft her reafon; and the government of Caftile reverted to her father Ferdinand, who is faid to have used no endeavour for her cure, left he fhould be fent back to Arragon. Mean while her infant fon, Charles, was left to the guardianship of Lewis king of France, who discharged the office with uncommon fidelity, in appointing the lord of Chevres for his governor. But the difinterested conduct of the French king was not of long duration; for he not only renounced his engagement with 4. C. 1506. with refpect to his eldest daughter Claude, who was betroathed to Charles, but likewife fpirited up the duke of Guelderland to recommence hoftilities in Flanders, left a league fhould be formed againft him by the emperor, the archduke, and Ferdinand. The Flemings intreated Maximilian to come into their country, and take the reigns of government into his own hands, during the minority of his grandchild Charles. The emperor promised to comply with their requeft. In the mean time, he fent thither his daughter Margaret, widow of the duke of Savoy, in quality of gouvernante of the Low Countries: and that princefs concluded a provifional treaty of commerce with Henry, which was ratified at Calais. Rymer. A. C. 1507. Treaty of marriage between Philip's In the fame place his ambaffadors treated of a match between the archduke Charles, and Mary, the king's fecond daughter. This contract, figned on the twenty-fecond of December, imported, fon Charles, That the marriage fhould be confummated as soon and Mary the daughter as Charles fhould have attained to his fourteenth of Henry. year; and that Mary's portion fhould amount to two hundred and fifty thousand crowns of gold: a fum which Henry could very well afford, confidering his immenfe riches, and the method he took to accumulate treasure. His two fpunges, Empfon and Dudley, ftill continued to fuck up the fubftance of his people; and, in the course of this year, commenced another fevere prosecution against Sir William Capel, on pretence of mifconduct during his mayoralty. He was fined in the fum of two thousand pounds; but, being hardened by his former fufferings, he refufed to pay the money, and was committed prifoner to the Tower, where he continued till Henry's death. Knefworth, who had likewife been mayor of London, and both his fheriffs, were amerced in confiderable fums on the fame pretences; Hawes, an alderman, died of vexation 2 vexation occafioned by fuch a charge; and Sir Lawrence Ailmer, with his two fheriffs, being condemned to pay a fine of one thousand pounds, he refufed to comply with the fentence, choofing rather to go to prifon, where he remained until his place was fupplied by Empfon himself. C. 150 Bacon. A. C. 1503, The king, in the midft of thefe acts of extortion, was feized with the gout, which gradually affected his lungs; fo that he underwent fevere fits of the althma, notwithstanding which he continued to tranfact his affairs with his ufual diligence, until his health was fo much impaired, that he began to think of his diffolution; not that he neglected his worldly affairs, though he now began to convert his attention to the concerns of his foul. He ftill employed his endeavours for the accomplishment of his daughter's marriage with the archduke; and in the month of December it was folemnized at London, the lord of Berghes acting as proxy for Charles. At the fame time this nobleman depofited in the hands of Henry a jewel, called The Rich Flower de Lys, by way of pledge for the fum of fifty thoufand crowns lent to the archduke; and the emperor, as his tutor and grandfather, authorized the marriage, and the mortgage for the money, which he appropriated to his own use. As to the match A&t. Pob, between king Henry and Margaret of Auftria, though the contract had been fettled to the fatisfaction of all parties, the king's diforder prevented it from taking effect. Finding his end approach- gil. ing, he refolved to do something that might entitle him to the mercy of heaven: he feemed at length touched with the clamours of the people againft Empfon and Dudley; he diftributed a large fum in charity; he difcharged all prifoners that were confined for debts under forty fhillings; and among other religious foundations finifhed the hofpital of the Savoy, and a fine chapel in Weftminster abbey. Then Polyd. Vit, king Henry VII. A.C.1509. Then he made a will, in which he layed injunc Death and tions upon his heir to make reftitution of all that character of his officers and minifters had unjustly extorted from his fubjects; and died at Richmond in the fiftythird year of his age, and the four and twentieth of his reign, leaving to his fon Henry the crown of England, together with eighteen hundred thoufand pounds fterling in money, jewels, and plate, depofited in the vaults of his palace. Henry was tall, ftrait, and well-fhaped, though flender; of a grave aspect, and faturnine complexion; auftere in address, and reserved in conversation, except when he had a favourite point to carry; and them he could fawn, flatter, and practise all the arts of infinuation. He inherited a natural fund of fagacity, which was improved by study and experience; nor was he deficient in perfonal bravery, or political courage. He was cool, clofe, cunning, dark, distrustful, and defigning; and of all the princes who had fat upon the English throne, the most fordid, selfish, and ignoble. He poffeffed in a peculiar manner the art of turning all his domeftic troubles, and all his foreign difputes, to his own advantage: hence he acquired the appellation of the English Solomon; and all the powers of the continent courted his alliance on account of his wealth, wisdom, and uninterrupted profperity. The nobility he excluded entirely from the administration of public affairs, and employed clergymen and lawyers, who, as they had no interest in the nation, and depended intirely upon his favour, were more obfequious to his will, and ready to concur in all his + Henry VII. had three fons and four daughters ; namely, Arthur, who died in the feventeenth year of his ́age; Henry, who fucceeded him on the throne; Edmund, who did not live to the years of difcretion; two of hie daughters died in their infancy; 5 Margaret was queen of Scotland; and Mary had just been affianced to Charles archduke of Auftria; tho' fhe mar ried Lewis XII. of France, and after his decease, Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk. Hollingshead, arbitrary arbitrary measures. At the fame time it must be 4. C. 1599, |