Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/483

 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. observing their orderly and not tumultuary arming, doubted the worst. And therefore the wily youth would not set one foot out of his ship, till he might see things were sure. Wherefore the king s forces, perceiving that they could draw on no more than those that were formerly landed, set upon them and cut them in pieces, ere they could fly back to their ships. In which skirmish, besides those that were fled and were slain, there were taken about a hundred and fifty persons. Vhich, for that the king thought, that to punish a few for example was gentlemen s pay ; but for rascal pqpple, they were to be cut off every man, especially in the beginning of an enterprise: and likewise for that he saw that Perkin s forces would now consist chiefly of such rabble and scum of desperate people, he therefore hanged them all for the greater terror. They were brought to London all railed in ropes, like a team of horses in a cart, and were executed, some of them at London and Wapping, and the rest at divers places upon the sea-coast of Kent, Sussex, and Norfolk, for sea-marks or light-houses, to teach Perkin s people to avoid the coast. The king being advertised of the landing of the rebels, thought to leave his progress : but being certified the next day, that they were partly defeated, and partly fled, he continued his progress, and sent Sir Richard Guildford into Kent in message; who calling the country together, did much com mend from the king their fidelity, manhood, and well handling of that service ; and gave them all thanks, and, in private, promised reward to some particulars. Upon the sixteenth of November, this being the eleventh year of the king, was holden the sergeants feast at Ely-place, there being nine sergeants of that call. The king, to honour the feast, was present with his queen at the dinner; being a prince that was ever ready to grace and countenance the professors of the law ; having a little of that, that as he governed his subjects by his laws, so he governed his laws by his lawyers. This year also the king entered into league with the Italian potentates for the defence of Italy against France. For King Charles had conquered the realm of Naples, and lost it again, in a kind of a felicity of a dream. He passed the whole length of Italy without resistance; so that it was true which Pope Alexander was wont to say, &quot;That the Frenchmen came into Italy with chalk in their hands to mark up their lodg ings, rather than with swords to fight.&quot; He like wise entered and won, in effect, the whole king dom of Naples itself, without striking stroke. But presently thereupon he did commit and multiply so many errors, as was too great a task for the best fortune to overcome. He gave no contentment to the Barons of Naples, of the fac tion of the Angeovines; but scattered his rewards according to the mercenary appetites of some about him. He put all Italy upon their guard. by the seizing and holding of Ostia, and the pro tecting of the liberty of Pisa; which made all men suspect that his purposes looked farther than his title of Naples. He fell too soon at difference with Ludovico Sfortia, who was the man that carried the keys which brought him in, and shut him out. He neglected to extinguish some relics of the war. And lastly, in regard of his easy passage through Italy without resist ance, he entered into an overmuch despising of the arms of the Italians; whereby he left the realm of Naples at his departure so much the less provided. So that not long after his return, the whole kingdom revolted to Ferdinando the younger, and the French were quite driven out. Nevertheless Charles did make both great threats and great preparations to re-enter Italy once again. Wherefore at the instance of divers of the states of Italy, and especially of Pope Alex ander, there was a league concluded between the said pope; Maximilian, King of the Romans; Henry, King of England ; Ferdinando and Isa bella, King and Queen of Spain; for so they are constantly placed in the original treaty through out; Augustino Barbadico, Duke of Venice; and Ludovico Sfortia, Duke of Milan ; for the com mon defence of their estates: wherein though Ferdinando of Naples was not named as prin cipal, yet, no doubt, the kingdom of Naples was tacitly included as a fee of the church. There died also this year, Cecile, Duchess of York, mother to King Edward the Fourth, at her castle of Berkhamstead, being of extreme years, and who had lived to see three princes of her body crowned, and four murdered. She was buried at Foderingham, by her husband. This year also the king called his parliament, where many laws were made of a more private and vulgar nature than ought to detain the reader of a history. And it may be justly suspected by the proceedings following, that as the king did excel in good commonwealth laws, so, never theless, he had in secret a design to make use of them, as well forcollectingof treasure as forcorrect- ing of manners ; and so meaning thereby to harrow his people, did accumulate them the rather. The principal law that was made this parlia ment was a law of a strange nature ; rather just than legal ; and more magnanimous than provi dent. This law did ordain, That no person thai did assist in arms, or otherwise, the king for the time being, should after be impeached therefore, or attainted, either by the course of the law, or by act of parliament. But if any such act of at tainder did happen to be made, it should be void and of none effect ; for that it was agreeable to rea son of estate, that the subject should not inquire of the justness of the king s title or quarrel ; and it was agreeable to good conscience, that, what-