XVII.

maintained with England, by proposing that Henry's CHAP. surviving son should espouse his brother's widow. The English monarch hesitated; but being unwilling to return the portion of Catherine's dowry which he had already received, entered into fresh negociations for a marriage which it required very little penetration to foresee must be fraught with misery to the bride. Catherine was now in the zenith of youth and beauty, and endeared to the nation by her virtues and accomplishments. Her union with Prince Arthur, who was only her junior by three years, promised to confer mutual felicity; but her intended husband, a boy not yet thirteen years old, could not be expected to view his allotted partner with much complacence; and the circumstance of her previous union, in the event of any disagreement between the parties, menaced the calamity which darkened the latter years of this ill-fated princess, and reduced her heart-broken to the grave. Bent upon obtaining the object which they had so much at heart, these considerations did not influence the minds of Ferdinand and Isabella: a bull was procured from the pope, which authorised the solemnization of their daughter's inauspicious nuptials. Henry, however, did not hurry the marriage, and even cautiously preserved the freedom of his son's choice. The alliance therefore was the act of Henry VIII.

CHAP. XVIII.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Immense Expenditure of the Nobles at Arthur's Marriage-Misfortunes of the Earl of Suffolk-his rash Acts—his Flight to Burgundy-and Return-Lincoln's pecuniary Involvements-his second Flight with his Brother-Henry's Uneasiness-Arrest of several Nobles-Execu tion of Tyrrel and Wyndham-Distress of Suffolk-Anathema pronounced against him-Death of the Queen—and of Sir Reginald Bray-Development of Henry's Character after the Decease of his Friends-The King seeks a matrimonial Alliance with the Queen of Naples-his Fastidiousness-and Disappointment-Death of Isabella of Spain-Henry's Alarm—Visit of the Duke of Burgundy—Dilemma of the Stranger-Honours paid to him-Henry's Requests—and ungenerous Conduct-New Marriage Projects-Death of the Duke of Burgundy-Henry aspires to the Hand of Joanna-Faithlessness of Charles V.-Decay of Henry's Health-his Penitence-Original salutary Tendency of his Exactions-Growth of Henry's Avarice— Vain Attempts to repair his Errors-Splendour of his Court-his Attention to Commerce-his extreme Caution-his Clemency-his Attention to the common People-his Conduct to his Wife and Mother-his Courtesy to his Inferiors-his Piety-Death of the King-Conjectures concerning the Dangers awaiting a longer Existence-Extract from Henry's Will-State of the Fine Arts in England-Poets of Henry's Time-Painting-Splendid Suit of the King's Armour-Marriage of Edward IV.'s Daughters.

THE lavish prodigality which Henry's nobles displayed at the celebration of Prince Arthur's wedding proved fatal to another of the unfortunate

XVIII.

nephews of Edward IV. Upon the death of the CHAP. Duke of Suffolk Edmund de la Pole, the second son claimed the title and estates of his father; but the king, resolutely bent upon diminishing the power of the nobility and most anxious to depress the fortunes of the Princes of the blood, refused to admit his pretensions. The elder son, John Earl of Lincoln, who fell in rebellion against the government, had been attainted by parliament, and upon the plea that Edmund was his brother's heir and could only claim through him, the unhappy young man was deprived of his inheritance and a small part of the splendid patrimony of his ill-starred house was alone allotted by the king's bounty. The family honours were likewise withheld; and Edmund, not permitted to bear the proud title of Duke granted by Henry VI. to his paternal ancestor, was simply styled Earl of Suffolk.

Edmund's turbulent spirit and imprudent conduct completed his ruin; he committed an outrage which rendered him amenable to the law, and though Henry did not visit this crime with severity, he supported the dignity of offended justice. Suffolk having, as Dugdale tells us, "killed an ordinary person in his wrath," was commanded to plead the king's pardon in court. The haughty delinquent conceiving himself to be dishonoured by this mandate, refused to submit to the indignity of a public trial, and fled to the court of his aunt the Duchess of Burgundy, whence the king induced him to return by an assurance of renewed favour. At the marriage of Prince Arthur, the earl and his brother Richard appeared with splendour more befitting their former

CHAP. expectations than their present ruined fortunes. XVIII. Embarrassed by debts contracted for the magnificent

appointments which they exhibited on this occasion, and perhaps disgusted with a court wherein they could not entertain a hope of regaining their lost wealth and honours, these rash nobles quitted England, and placed themselves under the protection of Margaret, the king's ancient enemy. Henry now became seriously alarmed, and with his usual precaution endeavoured to penetrate the designs of the fugitives; he found a ready instrument in Sir Robert Curson, who commanded the castle of Hammes. *The knight pretending to desert the English monarch's service on account of some alleged affront, insinuated himself into Suffolk's confidence, and basely betrayed his plans. In consequence of Curson's information, William Courtney Earl of Devonshire, who had married Catherine daughter of Edward IV., William De la Pole the exile's brother, Sir William Wyndham, Sir James Tyrrel, and a few other persons of less note, were committed to the Tower. Suffolk's two noble relatives suffered no other inconvenience save imprisonment. Tyrrel and Wyndham accused of aiding the escape of the king's enemy were condemned to death, and underwent their sentence. Sir James Tyrrel, the inhuman assassin of Edward's children," against whom," says Bacon," the blood of the innocent princes did still crie from under the altar," overtaken at length by the tardy hand of justice, suffered the punishment due to his former crime. Suffolk's ungovernable impetuosity had plunged him into a sea of inextri

• Bacon.

cable difficulties, every hope of mediation between CHAP. him and the monarch whom he had offended was at XVIII. an end, and upon the death of his aunt the Dowager Duchess of Burgundy, being reduced to extreme distress, after wandering for some time through Germany he obtained a shelter in the territories of the Archduke Philip.*

Henry, we are told, about the period in which the execution of Tyrrel and Wyndham took place, pursued his enemies with the thunders of the church: the papal bull which he had procured upon his marriage, anathematizing all those who should disturb the government, was put in requisition; and the Earl of Suffolk and his adherents formally cursed at Paul's Cross.

A few months after the death of Prince Arthur, the nation mourned with affectionate regret the loss of their beloved queen, she died in the Tower of London, a few days subsequent to the birth of a princess, who in a short time followed her mother to the grave. The grace and ornament of her domestic circle, every heart paid its tribute to the truly feminine virtues of this excellent princess; her exemplary conduct as a wife and a parent, characters in which she seemed to forget her claims to sovereignty, elicited the most enthusiastic attachment from all ranks and classes of the community, who evinced the warmth of their esteem and admiration by the simple but expressive appellation of "Good Queen Elizabeth," unanimously conferred upon the gentle heiress of the house of York.† Henry's feelings upon this melancholy event are + Hall.

⚫ Bacon.