HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII.
kihgdom. Wherefore the king, after often change of places, whether to avoid the danger of the sick ness, or to give occasion of an interview with the archduke, or both, sailed over with his queen to Calais. Upon his coming hither, the archduke sent an honourable embassage unto him, as well to welcome him into those parts, as to let him know, that if it pleased him, he would come and do him reverence. But it was said withal, that the king might be pleased to appoint some place, that were out of any walled town or fortress, for that he had denied the same upon like occasion to the French king: and though he said, he made a great difference between the two kings, yet he would be loath to give a precedent, that might make it after to be expected at his hands, by an other whom he trusted less. The king accepted of the courtesy, and admitted of his excuse, and appointed the place to be at Saint Peter s church without Calais. But withal he did visit the arch duke with ambassadors sent from himself, which were the Lord St. John, and the secretary ; unto whom the archduke did the honour, as, going to mass at Saint Omer s, to set the Lord St. John on his right hand, and the secretary on his left, and so to ride between them to church. The day appointed for the interview the king went on horseback some distance from Saint Peter s church, to receive the archduke: and upon their approach ing, the archduke made haste to light, and offered to hold the king s stirrup at his alighting; which the king would not permit, but descending from horseback, they embraced with great affection ; and withdraAving into the church to a place prepared, they had long conference, not only upon the con firmation of former treaties, and the freeing of com merce, but upon cross marriages, to be had be tween the Duke of York, the king s second son, and the archduke s daughter; and again between Charles, the archduke s son and heir, and Mary, the king s second daughter. But these blossoms of unripe marriages were but friendly wishes, and the airs of loving entertainment ; though one of them came afterwards to conclusion in treaty, though not in effect. But during the time that the two princes conversed and communed toge ther in the suburbs of Calais, the demonstrations on both sides were passing hearty and affection ate, especially on the part of the archduke ; who, besides that he was a prince of an excellent good nature, being conscious to himself how dryly the king had been used by his council in the matter of Perkin, did strive by all means to recover it in the king s affection. And having also his ears continually beaten with the counsels of his father and father-in-law, who, in respect of their jealous hatred against the French king, did always ad vise the archduke to anchor himself upon the amity of King Henry of England ; was glad upon this occasion to put in ure and practice their pre cepts, calling the king patron,* and father, and irotector, (these very words the king repeats, when he certified of the loving behaviour of the archduke to the city,) and what else he could de vise, to express his love and observance to the king. There came also to the king, the governor of Picardy, and the bailiff of Amiens, sent from Lewis the French king to do him honour, and to give him knowledge of his victory, and winning of the Duchy of Milan. It seemeth the king was well pleased with the honours he received from those parts, while he was at Calais, for he did himself certify all the news and occurrents of them n every particular, from Calais, to the mayor and aldermen of London, which, no doubt, made no small talk in the city. For the king, though he could not entertain the good-will of the citi zens, as Edward the Fourth did, yet by affability and other princely graces did ever make very much of them, and apply himself to them. This year also died John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, Chancellor of England, and car dinal. He was a wise man, and an eloquent, but in his nature, harsh and haughty ; much ac cepted by the king, but envied by the nobility, and hated of the people. Neither was his name left out of Perkin s proclamation for any good will, but they would not bring him in amongst the king s casting counters, because he had the image and superscription upon him of the pope, in his honour of cardinal. He won the king with secrecy and diligence, but chiefly because he was his old servant in his less fortunes : and also for that, in his affections, he was not without an inveterate malice against the house of York, under whom he had been in trouble. He was willing also to take envy from the king, more than the king was willing to put upon him : for the king cared not for subterfuges, but would stand envy, and appear in any thing that was to his mind ; which made envy still grow upon him more universal, but less daring. But in the mat ter of exactions, time did after show, that the bishop, in feeding the king s humour, did rather temper it. He had been by Richard the Third committed, as in custody, to the Duke of Buck ingham, whom he did secretly incite to revolt from King Richard. But after the duke was en gaged, and thought the bishop should have been his chief pilot in the tempest, the bishop was gotten into the cock-boat, and fled over beyond seas. But whatsoever else was in the man, he de- serveth a most happy memory, in that he was the principal mean of joining the two roses. He died of great years, but of strong health and powers. The next year, which was the sixteenth year of the king, and the year of our Lord, one thou sand five hundred, was the year of jubilee at Rome. But Pope Alexander, to save the hazard and charges of men s journeys to Rome, thought good to make over those graces by exchange, to such as would pay a convenient rate, seeing they
