you shall not take his life. The King embracing "him faid, Agreed. Then faid the King of "Caftile, Neither, Sir, fhall it diflike you, if I "fend him in fuch a fashion, that he may come "partly with his own good-will. The King replied, It was well thought of, and if it pleased "him, he would join with him in fending to the "Earl a meffage to that purpose. "There were," adds Lord Bacon, "imme"diately meffengers fent from both Kings to "recall the Earl of Suffolk, who, upon gentle "words, was foon charmed, and willing enough “to return, assured of his life, and hoping of "his liberty." Amongst the Archives of the City of Bruffels, the donation of the Kingdom of England to the Duchefs of Burgundy by Perkin Warbeck, as Duke of York, is preserved. "IN gaming with a Prince," fays Puttenham, "it is decent to let him fometimes win, of pur"pose to keepe him pleasant; and never to refuse "his gift, for that is undutifull; nor to forgive "him his loffes, for that is arrogant; nor to give him great gifts, for that is either info"lence or follie; nor to feast him with exceffive 66 charge, for that is both vain and envious: and "therefore D3 "therefore the wife Prince King Henry the "Seventh, her Majefty's grandfather, if he «chaunce had bene to lye at any of his subjects "houses, or to paffe moe meales than one, he "that would take upon him to defray the charge "of his dyet, or of his officers and household, "he would be marveloufly offended with, faying, "What private fubject dare undertake a Prince's charge, or looke into the secret of his expence? "Her Majeftie (i. e. Queen Elizabeth) hath "bene knowne often times to mislike the super"fluous expence of her fubjects bestowed upon "her in times of her progreffes." SINGULAR ARTICLES OF EXPENCE EXTRACTED FROM THE ACCOUNTS OF HENRY VII. IN THE EXCHEQUER: 7th year. Itm to a fello with a berde* £. s. d. a spye in rewarde to my lorde Onvy 0 40 Seall fole in rewarde o 10 8th y'. Itm to Pechie the fole in This was a reign of fmooth chins, a beard therefore was a fingularity. Itm to Ric1 Bedon for writ- L. s. d. 13th y'. -to Maft' Bray for re wards to them that brought cokkes t -to the Herytik O 20 at o 6 8 There are many payments for writing books, which fhew the flow progrefs the art of printing made for fome years. + Henry VII. feems to have been particularly fond of this diverfion, as there are other entries of this fort in his accounts. Bacon fays, the King had (though he were no good Schoolman) the honour to convert a heretic at Canterbury. HENRY THE EIGHTH. [1509-1547.] LORD BACON intended to write the history of the very interesting reign of Henry the Eighth. A few pages only of the Introduction are preserved. It begins thus: "After the decease of that wife and fortunate "King Henry the Seventh, who died in the "height of his profperity, there followed (as "ufeth to do when the fun fetteth fo extremely "clear) one of the fairest mornings of a kingdom "that hath been known in this land or elfe"where: A young King, about eighteen years "of age; for ftature, ftrength, and making, and beauty, one of the goodlieft perfons of his "time. And though he were given to pleasure, yet he was likewife defirous of glory, so that "there was a paffage open to his mind for glory 66 by virtue. Neither was he unadorned by learn"ing, though therein he came fhort of his "brother Arthur. He had never any the least "pique, difference, or jealoufy, with the king "his father, which might give any alteration of "Court or Council upon the change, but all "things paffed in a ftill. He was the firft heir of "the White and Red Rofe, so that there was "now no difcontented party left in the king"dom, but all men's hearts turned towards "him; and not only their hearts but their eyes "alfo, for he was the only Son of the Kingdom. "He had no brother, which though it be a com "fortable thing to have, yet draweth the fubjects eyes a little aside. And yet being a married "man in these young years, it promised hope of fpeedy iffue to fucceed to the Crown. Neither *was there any Queen-Mother who might share is any way in the Government, or clash with his "Counsellors for authority, while the King at "tended his pleasure: no fuch thing as any great and mighty Subject, who might any way "eclipfe or overfhade the Imperial power; and "for the People and State in general, they were "in fuch lownefs of obedience as fubjects were likely to yield, who had lived almost four-and 66 twenty years under fo politic a King as his father; being also one who came partly in by "the fword, and had fo high a courage in all "points of regality, and was ever victorious in "rebellions and feditions of the people. The "crown extremely rich and full of treasure, " and the kingdom like to be fo in a fhort time; "for there was no war, no dearth, no ftop of "trade or commerce: it was only the Crown "which had fucked too hard, and now being full, and upon the head of a young King, was "like to draw lefs. Laftly, he was inheritor of his father's reputation, which was great "throughout the world." Princes, however, like private men, do not always take advantage of the bleffings that are afforded them. Whatever good is procured without effort, is feldom or never improved in proportion to its facility of being fo; and per haps |