The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

IIISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 359
sons, abominable murders, manslaughters, robbe- be by us rewarded with a thousand pound in
ries, extortions, the daily pilling of the people by money, forthwith to be laid down to him, and a
dismes, taxes, tallages, benevolences, and other hundred marks by the yearof inheritance; besides
unlawful impositions and grievous exactions, that he may otherwise merit, both toward God and
with many other heinous effects, to the likely all good people, for the destruction of such a tyrant.
destruction and desolation of the whole realm; 66 Lastly, we do all men to wit, and herein we
shall, by God's grace, and the help and assistance take also God to witness, that whereas God hath
of the great lords of our blood, with counsel of moved the heartof our dearest cousin, the King of
other sad persons, see that the commodities of our Scotland, to aid us in person in this our righteous
realm be employed to the most advantage of the quarrel; it is altogether without any pact or prosame; the intercourse of merchandise betwixt mise, or so much as demand of any thing that may
realm and realm to be ministered and handled as prejudice our crown or subjects: but contrariwise,
shall more be to the common weal and pros- with promise on our said cousin's part, that whenperity of our subjects; and all such dismes, taxes, soever he shall find us in sufficient strength to
tallages, benevolences, unlawful impositions, and get the upper hand of our enemy, which we hope
grievous exactions, as he above rehearsed, to be will be very suddenly, he will forthwith peaceforedone and laid apart, and never from henceforth ably return into his own kingdom; contenting himto be called upon, but in such cases as our noble self only with the glory of so honourable an enprogenitors, kings of England, have of the old time terprise, and our true and faithful love and amity;
been accustomed to have the aid, succour, and which we shall ever, by the grace of Almighty
help of their subjects, and true liege-men. God, so order, as shall be to the great comfort of,, And further, we do, out of our grace and cle- both kingdoms."
mency, hereby as well publish and promise to all But Perkin's proclamation did little edify with
our subjects remission and free pardon of all by- the people of England; neither was he the better
past offences whatsoever, against our person or welcome for the company he came in. Whereestate, in adhering to our said enemy, by whom, fore the King of Scotland, seeing none came in to
we know well, they have been misled, if they shall Perkin, nor none stirred anywhere in his favour,
within time convenient submit themselves unto turned his enterprise into a rode; and wasted and
us. And for such as shall come with the foremost destroyed the country of Northumberland with
to assist our righteous quarrel, we shall make fire and sword. But hearingthat there were forces
them so far partakers of our princely favour and coming against him, and not willing that they
bounty, as shall be highly for the comfort of them should find his men heavy and laden with booty,
and theirs, both during their life and after their he returned into Scotland, with great spoils, dedeath: as also we shall, by all means which God ferring further prosecution till another time. It is
shall put into our hands, demean ourselves to give said, that Perkin, acting the part of a prince handroyal contentment to all degrees and estate of our somely, when he saw the Scottish fell to waste the
people, maintaining the liberties of holy church in country, came to the king in a passionate manner,
their entire,- preserving the honours, privileges, making great lamentation, and desired, that that
and pre-eminences of our nobles from contempt or might not be the manner of making the war; for
disparagement, according to the dignity of their that no crown was so dear to his mind as that he
blood. We shall also unyoke our people from all desired to purchase it with the blood and ruin of
heavy burdens and endurances, and confirm our his country. Whereunto the king answered half
cities, boroughs, and towns, in their charters and in sport, that he doubted much, he was careful for
freedoms, with enlargement where it shall be de- that that was none of his, and that he should be
served; and in all points give our subjects cause too good a steward for his enemy, to save the
to think, that the blessed and debonair govern- country to his use.
ment of our noble father King Edward, in his last By this time, being the eleventh year of the
times, is in us revived. king, the interruption of trade between the Eng" And forasmuch as the putting todeath, or tak- lish and the Flemish began to pinch the merino alive of our said mortal enemy, may be a chants of both nations very sore; which moved
mean to stay much effusion of blood, which other- them by all means they could devise, to affect and
wise may ensue, if by compulsion or fair pro- dispose their sovereigns respectively to open the
mises he shall draw after him any number of our intercourse again; wherein time favoured them.
subjects to resist us, which we desire to avoid, For the archduke and his council began to see,
though we be certainly informed that our said that Perkin would prove but a runagate and a
enemy is purposed and prepared to fly the land, citizen of the world: and that it was the part of
having already made over great masses of the trea- children to fall out about babies. And the king,
sure of our crown, the better to support him in fo- on his part, after the attempts upon Kent and
rei(rn parts, we do hereby declare, that whosoever Northumberland, began to have the business of
shall take or distress our said enemy, though Perkin in less estimation; so as he did not put it
the party be of never so mean acondition, he shall to account in any consultation of state But that