The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 381
of stomach, and hardened by his former troubles, And thus this Solomon of England, for Solomon
refused to pay a mite; and belike used some un- also was too heavy upon his people in exactions,
toward speeches of the proceedings, for which he having lived two-and-fifty years, and thereof
was sent to the Tower, and there remained till the reigned three-and-twenty years, and eight months,
king's death. Knesworth likewise, that had been being in perfect memory, and in a most blessed
lately Mayor of London, and both his sheriffs, mind, in a great calm of a consuming sickness,
were for abuses in their offices questioned, and im- passed to a better world, the two-and-twentieth of
prisoned, and delivered upon one thousand four April, 1508, at his palace of Richmond, which he
hundred pounds paid. Hawis, an alderman of himself had built.
London, was put in trouble, and died with thought This king, to speak of him in terms equal to
and anguish before his business came to an end. his deserving, was one of the best sort of wonSir Lawrence Ailmer, who had likewise been ders; a wonder for wise men. He had parts,
Mayor of London, and his two sheriffs, were put both in his virtues and his fortune, not so fit for a
to the fine of one thousand pounds. And Sir commonplace, as for observation. Certainly he
Lawrence, for refusing to make payment, was was religious, both in his affection and obsercommitted to prison, where he stayed till Empson vance. But as he could see clear, for those times,
himself was committed in his place. through superstition, so he would be blinded, now
It is no marvel, if the faults were so light, and and then, by human policy. He advanced churchthe rates so heavy, that the king's treasure of store, men: he was tender in the privilege of sanctuathat he left at his death, most of it in secret ries, though they wrought him much mischief.
places, under his own key and keeping, at Rich- He built and endowed many religious foundamond, amounted, as by tradition it is reported to tions, besides his memorable hospital of the
have done, unto the sum of near eighteen hundred Savoy: and yet was he a great alms-giver in sethousand pounds sterling; a huge mass of money cret; which showed, that his works in public
even for those times. were dedicated rather to God's glory than his
The last act of state that concluded this king's own. He professed always to love and seek
temporal felicity, was the conclusion of a glorious peace; and it was his usual preface in his treaties,
match between his daughter Mary, and Charles, that when Christ came into the world peace was
Prince of Castile, afterwards the great emperor, sung; and when he went out of the world peace
both being of tender years: which treaty was per- was bequeathed. And this virtue could not profected by Bishop Fox, and other his commission- ceed out of fear or softness: for he was valiant
ers at Calais, the year before the king's death. and active, and therefore, no doubt, it was truly
In which alliance, it seemeth, he himself took so Christian and moral. Yet he knew the way to
high contentment, as in a letter which he wrote peace was not to seem to be desirous to avoid
thereupon to the city of London, commanding all wars; therefore would he make offers and fames
possible demonstrations of joy to be made for the of wars, till he had mended the conditions of
same, he expressed himself, as if he thought he peace. It was also much, that one that was so
had built a wall of brass about his kingdom: great a lover of peace, should be so happy in war.
when he had for his sons-in-law, a king of Scot- For his arms, either in foreign or civil wars, were
land, and a prince of Castile and Burgundy. So never unfortunate; neither did he know what a
as now there was nothing to be added to this disaster meant. The war of his coming in, and
great king's felicity, being at the top of all world- the rebellions of the Earl of Lincoln, and the
ly bliss, in regard of the high marriages of his Lord Audley, were ended by victory. The wars
children, his great renown throughout Europe, and of France and Scotland, by peaces sought at his
his scarce credible riches, and the perpetual con- hands. That of Britain, by accident of the
stancy of his prosperous successes, but an oppor- duke's death. The insurrection of the Lord
tune death, to withdraw him from any future Lovel, and that of Perkin at Exeter, and in Kent,
blow of fortune; which certainly (in regard of by flight of the rebels before they came to blows.
the great hatred of his people, and the title of his So that his fortune of arms was still inviolate;
son, being then come to eighteen years of age, the rather sure, for that in the quenching of the
and beinga bold prince andliberal, and thatgained commotions of his subjects, he ever went in perupon the people, by his very aspect and presence) son: sometimes reserving himself to back and
had not been impossible to have come upon him. second his lieutenants, but ever in action; and
To crown also the last year of his reign, as well yet that was not merely forwvardness, but partly
as his first, he did an act of piety, rare, and worthy distrust of others.
to be taken into imitation. For he granted forth He did much maintain and countenance his
a general pardon: as expecting a second corona- laws; which, nevertheless, was no impediment
tion in a better kingdom. He did also declare in to him to work his will: for it was so handled,
his will, that his mind was, that restitution should that neither prerogative nor profit went to dimihe made of those sums which had been unjustly nution. And yet as he would sometimes strain
taken by his officers. up his laws to his prerogative, so would he also