Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/497

 HISTORY OF KING HKNRY VII. without his privity; but if the garrison soldiers had been in fault, he would see them punished, and the truce in all points to be preserved. But this answer seemed to the Scottish king but a delay, to make the complaint breathe out with time; and therefore it did rather exasperate him than satisfy him. Bishop Fox, understanding from the king, that the Scottish king was still discontent and impatient, being troubled that the occasion of breaking of the truce should grow from his men, sent many humble and deprecatory letters to the Scottish king to appease him. Whereupon King James, mollified by the bishop s submis sive and eloquent letters, wrote back unto him, that though he were in part moved by his letters, yet he should not be fully satisfied, except he spake with him, as well about the compounding of the present differences, as about other matters that might concern the good of both kingdoms. The bishop, advising first with the king, took his journey for Scotland. The meeting was at Melross, an abbey of the Cistercians, where the king then abode. The king first roundly uttered unto the bishop his offence conceived for the insolent breach of truce, by his men of Norham castle ; whereunto Bishop Fox made such humble and smooth answer, as it was like oil into the wound, whereby it began to heal : and this was done in the presence of the king and his council. After, the king spake with the bishop apart, and opened himself unto him, saying, that these tem porary truces and peaces were soon made, and soon broken, but that he desired a straiter amity with the King of England ; discovering his mind, that if the king would give him in marriage the Lady Margaret, his eldest daughter, that indeed might be a knot indissoluble. That he knew well what place and authority the bishop de servedly had with his master: therefore, if he would take the business to heart, and deal in it effectually, he doubted not but it would succeed well. The bishop answered soberly, that he thought himself rather happy than worthy to be an instrument in such a matter, but would do his best endeavour. Wherefore the bishop returning to the king, and giving account what had passed, and finding the king more than well disposed in it, gave the king advice; first to proceed to a conclusion of peace, and then to go on with the treaty of marriage by degrees. Hereupon a peace was concluded, which was published a little before Christmas, in the fourteenth year of the king s reign, to continue for both the king s lives, and the over-liver of them, and a year after. In this peace there was an article contained, that no Englishman should enter into Scotland, and no Scotchman into England, without letters com mendatory from the kings of either nation. This at the first sight might seem a means to continue a strangeness between the nations; but it was done to lock in the borderers. Vol.. I. 47 This yc-,ir tin rr was also born to the kin^ a third son, who was christened by the name of Edmund, and shortly after died. And much about the same time came news of the death of (Jliarlt .1 the French king, for whom there were celebrated solemn and princely obsequies. It was not long but Pcrkin, who was made of quicksilver, which is hard to hold or imprison, be gan to stir. For, deceiving his keepers, he took him to his heels, and made speed to the sea-coast. But presently all corners were laid for him, and such diligent pursuit and search made, as he was fain to turn back, and get him to the house of Bethlehem, called the priory of Sheen (which had the privilege of sanctuary) and put himself into the hands of the prior of that monastery. The prior was thought a holy man, and much reve renced in those days. He came to the king, and besought the king for Perkin s life only, leaving him otherwise to the king s discretion. Many about the king were again more hot than ever, to have the king to take him forth and ban? him. But the king, that had a high stomach, and could not hate any that he despised, bid, &quot; Take him forth, and set the knave in the stocks ;&quot; and so promising the prior his life, he caused him to be brought forth. And within two or three days after, upon a scaffold set up in the palace court at Westminster, he was fettered and set in the stocks for the whole day. And the next day after, the like was done by him at the cross in Cheapside, and in both places he read his confession, of which we made mention before; and was from Cheap- side conveyed and laid up in the Tower. Not withstanding all this, the king was, as was partly touched before, grown to be such a partner with fortune, as nobody could tell what actions the one, and what the other owned. For it was be lieved, generally, that Perkin was betrayed, and that this escape was not without the king s privity, who had him all the time of his flight in a line ; and that the king did this to pick a quarrel to him to put him to death, and to be rid of him at once: but this is not probable. For that the same in struments who observed him in his flight, might have kept him from getting into sanctuary. But it was ordained, that this winding-ivy of a Plantagenet should kill the true tree itself! For Perkin, after he had been a while in the Tower, began to insinuate himself into the favour and kindness of his keepers, servants to the lieutenan*. of the Tower, Sir John Digby, being four in number; Strangeways, Blewet, Astwood, and Long Roger. These varlets, with mountains of promises, he sought to corrupt, to obtain his escape; but knowing veil, that his own fortunes were made so contemptible, as he could feed no man s hopes, and by hopes he must work, for re wards he had none, he had contrived with him self a vast and tragical plot ; which was, to draw into his company Edward Plantagenet, Earl of