HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. G5 hold in any long discontent; and therefore requir ed him to think of his own fortunes, and tochoose out some fitter. place for his exile: telling him withal, that he could not say, hut the English had forsaken him before the Scottish, for that, upon two several trials, none had declared themselves on his side; but nevertheless he would make good what he said to him at his first receiving, which was that he should not repent him for put ting himself into his hands; for that he would not cast him off, but help him with shipping and means to transport him where he should desire. Perkin, not descending at all from his stagelike greatness, answered the king in few words, that he saw his time was not yet come ; but whatso ever his fortunes were, he should both think and speak honour of the king. Taking his leave, he vould not think on Flanders, doubting it was but hollow ground for him since the treaty of the arch duke, concluded the year before; but took his lady, and such followers as would not leave him, and sailed over into Ireland. This twelfth year of the king, a little before this time, Pope Alexander, who loved best those princes that were furthest off, and with whom he had least to do, taking very thankfully the king s late entrance into league for the defence of Italy, did remunerate him with a hallowed sword and cap of maintenance, sent by his nuncio. Pope Innocent had done the like, but it was not received in that glory : for the king appointed the mayor and his brethren to meet the pope s orator at Lon don-bridge, and all the streets between the bridge- foot and the palace of Paul s, where the king then lay, were garnished with- the citizens, standing in their liveries. And the morrow after, being All-hallows-day, the king, attended with many of his prelates, nobles, and principal courtiers, went in procession to Paul s, and the cap and sword were borne before him. And after the procession, the king himself remaining seated in the quire, the lord archbishop, upon the greece of the quire, made a long oration; setting forth the greatness and eminency of that honour which the pope, in these ornaments and ensigns of benediction, had done the king; and how rarely, and upon what high deserts they used to be bestowed : and then recited the king s principal acts and merits, which had made him appear worthy in the eyes of his holiness of this great honour. All this while the rebellion of Cornwall, where of we have spoken, seemed to have no relation to Perkin ; save that perhaps Perkin s proclamation had stricken upon the right vein, in promising to lay down exactions and payments, and so had made them now and then have a kind thought on Parkin. But now these bubbles by much stirring began to meet, as they use to do upon the top of water. The king s lenity, by that time the Corn ish rebels, who were taken and pardoned, and, as it was said, many of them sold by them that had taken them, for twelve pence and two shillings a piece, were come down into their country, had rather emboldened them than reclaimed them; insomuch as they stuck not to say to their neigh bours and countrymen, that the king did well t<> pardon them, for that he knew he should leave few subjects in England, if he hanged all that were of their mind ; and began whetting and in citing one another to renew the commotion. Some of the subtilest of them, hearing of Perkin s be ing in Ireland, found means to send to him to let him know, that if he would come over to them they would serve him. When Perkin heard this news, he began to take heart again, and advised upon it with his council, which were principally three: Herne, a mercer, that had lied for debt; Skelton, a tailor; and Astley, a scrivener ; for Secretary Frion was gone. These told him. that he was mightily over seen, both when he went into Kent, and when he went into Scotland ; the one being a place so near London, and under the king s nose; and the other a nation so distasted with the people of England, that if they had loved him never so well, yet they would never have taken his part in tha company. But if he had been so happy as to have been in Cornwall at the first, when the peo ple began to take arms there, he had been crown ed at Westminister before this time. For these kings, as he had now experience, would sell poor princes for shoes. But he must rely wholly upon people ; and therefore advised him to sail over with all possible speed into Cornwall ; which accordingly he did, having in his company four small barks, with some sixscore or seven- score fighting men. He arrived in September at Whitsand-Bay, and forthwith came to Bodmin, the blacksmith s town; where there assembled unto him to the number of three thousand men of the rude people. There he set forth a new pro clamation, stroking the people with fair promises, and humouring them with invectives against the king and his government. And as it fareth with smoke, that never loseth itself till it be at the highest; he did now before his end raise his style, entitling himself no more Richard, Duke of York, but Richard the Fourth, King of England. His council advised him by all means to make himself master of some good walled town : as well to make his men find the sweetness of rich spoils, and to allure to him all loose and lost peo ple, hy like hopes of booty; as to be a sure re treat to his forces, in case they should have any ill day, or unlucky chance in the field. Where fore they took heart to them, and went on, and besieged the city of Exeter, the principal town foi strength and wealth in those parts. When they were come before Exeter, tney foi bare to use any force at the first, but made con tinual shouts and outcries to terrify the inhabitants. They did likewise in divers places call and lulk 2 H 2
