Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/445

 HISTORY OF KINC; HENRY VII. days after. It was a pestilent fever, but, as it moned immediately after his coming to London. seemetli. not seated in the veins or humours, tor His ends in calling a parliament, and that so lli.it there followed no carbuncle, no purple or speedily, wen- chiHiy three : first to procure the, ! id spots, or the like, the mass of the hody he- crown to be entailed upon hiniM-lf. .V t, to ing not tainted ; only a malign vapour flew to the have the attainders of all of his party, which heart and seized the vital spirits; which stirred were in no small number, reversed, and all acts nature to strive to send it forth by an extreme of hostility by them done in his quarrel remiti.-.l sweat. And it appeared by experience, that this and discharged ; and on the other side, to attaint disease was rather a surprise of nature than ob- by parliament the heads and principals of his stinate to remedies, if it were in time looked enemies. The third, to calm and quiet the fears unto. For if the patient were kept in an equal of the rest of th-at party by a general pardon ; not temper, both for clothes, fire, and drink, mode- being ignorant in how great danger a king stands rately warm, with temperate cordials, whereby from his subjects, when most of his subjects are nature s work was neither irritated by heat, nor I conscious iu themselves that they stand in his turned back by cold, he commonly recovered. But infinite persons died suddenly of it, before the manner of the cure and attendance was known. It was conceived not to be an epidemic disease, but to proceed from a malignity in the constitution of the air, gathered by the predispositions of sea sons; and the speedy cessation declared as much. On Simon and Jude s even the king dined with Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal : and, from Lambeth, went by land, over the bridge to the Tower, where the morrow after, he made twelve knights bannerets. But for creations he dispensed them with a sparing hand. For notwithstanding a field so lately fought, and a coronation so near at hand, he only created three : Jasper, Earl of Pembroke, the king s un cle, was created Duke of Bedford ; Thomas, the Lord Stanley, the king s father-in-law, Earl of Derby; and Edward Courtney, Earl of Devon; though the king had then nevertheless a purpose in himself to make more in time of parliament; bearing a wise and decent respect to distribute his creations, some to honour his coronation, and some his parliament. The coronation followed two days after, upon the thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord, 1485; at which time, Innocent the Eighth was Pepe of Rome ; Frederick the Third, Empe ror of Almain; and Maximilian, his son, newly chosen King of the Romans; Charles the Eighth, ing of France; Ferdinando and Isabella, Kings of Spain ; and James the Third, King of Scot land : with all which kings and states the king was at that time in good peace and amity. At danger. Unto these three special motives of a parliament was added, tiiat he, as a prudent and moderate prince, made this judgment, that it was fit for him to hasten to let his people see, that he meant to govern by law, howsoever he caine in by the sword ; and fit also to reclaim them to know him for their king-, whom they had so lately talked of as an enemy or banished man. For that which concerned the entailing of the crown, more than that he was true to his own will, that he would not endure any mention of the Lady Elizabeth, no not in the nature of special entail, he carried it otherwise with great wisdom and measure : for he did not pr^ss to have the act penned by way of declaration or recognition of right; as, on the other side, he avoided to have it by new law or ordinance, but chose, rather, a kind of middle way, by way of establishment, and that under covert and indifferent words ; &quot; that the inheritance of the crown should rest, remain, and abide in the king,&quot; &c., which words might equally be applied, that the crown shall continue to him ; but whether as having former right to it, which was doubtful, or having it then in fact and possession, which no man denied, was left fair to interpretation either way. And again, for the limitation of the entail, he did not press it to go farther than to himself and to the heirs of his body, not speaking of his right heirs, but leaving that to the law to decide ; so as the entail might seem rather a personal favour to him and his children, than a total disinherison to the house of York; and in this form was the law drawn and passed. Which statute he procured which day, also, as if the crown upon his head to be confirmed by the pope s bull the year fol- had put perils into his thoughts, he did institute, | lowing, with mention, nevertheless, by way of for the better security of his person, a band of j recital, of his other titles, both of descent and fifty archers, under a captain, to attend him, by ! conquest: so as now the wreath of three was the name of yeomen of his guard : and yet that it made a wreath of five ; for to the three first titles might be thought to be rather a matter of dignity, j of the two houses, or lines, and conquest, were after the imitation of that he had known abroad, i added two more, the authorities parliamentary and than any matter of diffidence appropriate to his | papal. own case, he made it to be understood for an or- The king likewise, in the reversal of the at- dinance not temporary, but to hold in succession tainders of his partakers, and discharging them forever after. of all offences incident to his service and succour. The seventh of November, the kinj held his had his will; and acts did pass accordingly In parliament at Westminster, which he had sum- the passage whereof, exception was taken to iii- n3