Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/453

 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. ler of them was a great discouragement and ap- palrnent to the rest: that there died upon the plan: all the chieftains; that is, the Earl of Lincoln, the Karl of KilJare, Francis. Lord Lovel, Martin Swart, and Sir Thomas Broughton : all making good the tight without any ground given. Only of the Lord Lovel there went a report, that he fled, and swam over Trent on horseback, hut could not recover the farther side by reason of the steep ness of the bank, and so was drowned in the river. But another report leaves him not there, but that he lived long after in a cave or vault. The number that was slain in the field, was of the enemies part, four thousand at the least; and of the king s part, one half his vanguard, besides many hurt, but none of name. There were taken prisoners, amongst others, the counterfeit Plantagenet, now Lambert Simnell again, and the crafty priest his tutor. For Lambert, the king would not take his life, both out of magnanimity, taking him but as an image of wax that others had tempered and moulded ; and likewise out of wisdom, thinking that if he suffered death, he would be forgotten too soon; but being kept alive, he would be a con tinual spectacle, and a kind of remedy against the like enchantments of people in time to come. For which cause he was taken into service in his court to a base office in his kitchen ; so that, in a kind of&quot; mattacina&quot; of human force, he turned a broach that had worn a crown; whereas fortune com monly doth not bring in a comedy or farce, after a tragedy. And afterwards he was preferred to be one of the king s falconers. As to the priest, he was committed close prisoner, and heard of no more; the king loving to seal up his own dangers. After the battle, the king went to Lincoln, where he caused supplications and thanksgivings to be make for his deliverance and victory. And that his devotions might go round in circle, he sent his banner to be offered to our lady, of Walsingham, where before he made his vows. And thus deli vered of this so strange an engine, and new in vention of fortune, he returned to his former con fidence of mind ; thinking now, that all his mis fortunes had come at once. But it fell out unto him according to the*speech of the common people in the beginning of his reign, that said, &quot; It was a token he should reign in labour, because his reign began with a sickness of sweat.&quot; But howso ever the king thought himself now in a haven, yet such was his wisdom, as his confidence did sel dom darken his foresight, especially in thing? near hand. And therefore, awakened by so fresh and unexpected dangers, he entered into due consi deration, as well how to weed out the partakers of the former rebellion, as to kill the seeds of the like in time to come; and withal to takeaway all shelters and harbours for discontented persons, where they miffht hatch and foster rebellions, whicn afterwards might gather strength and mo tion. And first, he did yet again make a pro gress from Lincoln to the northern parts, thougti it were indeed rather an itinerary circuit of jus tice than a progress. For all along as he went, with much severity and strict inquisition, partly by martial law and partly by commission, were punished the adherents and aiders of the late rebels. Not all by death, for the field had drawn much blood, but by fines and ransom, which spared life and raised treasure. Amongst other crimes of this nature, there was diligent inquiry made of such as had raised a bruit and rumour a little be fore the field fought, &quot; that the rebels had the day ; and that the king s army was overthrown, and the king fled.&quot; Whereby it was supposed that many succours, which otherwise would have come unto the king, were cunningly put off and kept back. Which charge and accusation, though it had some ground, yet it was industriously em braced and put on by divers, who having been in themselves not the best affected to the king s part, nor forward to come to his aid, were glad to ap prehend this colour to cover their neglect and cold ness, under the pretence of such discouragements. Which cunning nevertheless the king would not understand, though he lodged it, and noted it in some particulars as his manner was. But for the extirpating of the roots and cause of the like commotions in time to come, the king began to find where his shoe did wring him, and that it was his depressing of the house of York that did rankle and fester the affections of his peo ple. And therefore being now too wise to disdain perils any longer, and willing to give some con tentment in that kind, at least in ceremony, he re solved at last to proceed to the coronation of his queen. And therefore at his coming to London, where he entered in state, and in a kind of tri umph, and celebrated his victory with two days of devotion, for the first day he repaired to Paul s, and had the hymn of &quot;Te Deum&quot; sung, and the morrow after he went in procession, and heard the sermon at the cross, the queen was with great solemnity crowned at Westminister, the five-and- twentieth of November, in the third year of his reign, which was about two years after the mar riage ; like an old christening, that had stayed long for godfathers. Which strange and unusual dis tance of time made it subject to every man s note, that it was an act against his stomach, and put upon him by necessity and reason of state. Soon after, to show that it was now fair weather again, and that the imprisonment of Thomas, Marquis Dorset, was rather upon suspicion of the time than of the man, he, the said marquis, was set at li berty without examination or other circumstance. At that time also the king sent an ambassador unto Pope Innocent, signifying unto him this hia marriage; and that now, like another. Eneas, he had passed through the floods of his former trou hies and travels, and was arrived unto a sate 2E