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Prince young and valorous, and in good terms with his nobles and people, and ill affected to King Henry. At this time also both Maximilian and Charles of France began to bear no good will to the King: the one being displeased 5 with the King's prohibition of commerce with Flanders; the other holding the King for suspect, in regard of his late entry into league with the Italians. Wherefore, besides the open aids of the duchess of Burgundy, which did with sails and oars put on and advance Perkin's designs, there wanted 10 not some secret tides from Maximilian and Charles, which did further his fortunes: insomuch as they, both by their secret letters and messages, recommended him to the King of Scotland.

Perkin therefore coming into Scotland upon those hopes, 15 with a well-appointed company, was by the King of Scots, being formerly well prepared, honourably welcomed, and soon after his arrival admitted to his presence, in a solemn manner: for the King received him in state in his chamber of presence, accompanied with divers of his nobles. 20 And Perkin well attended, as well with those that the King

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had sent before him, as with his own train, entered the room where the King was, and coming near to the King, and bowing a little to embrace him, he retired some paces back, and with a loud voice, that all that were present might hear him, made his declaration in this manner :

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"High and mighty King, your grace, and these your "nobles here present, may be pleased benignly to bow your ears, to hear the tragedy of a young man, that by right "ought to hold in his hand the ball of a kingdom; but by "fortune is made himself a ball, tossed from misery to "misery, and from place to place. You see here before you "the spectacle of a Plantagenet, who hath been carried from "the nursery to the sanctuary; from the sanctuary, to the

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"direful prison; from the prison, to the hand of the cruel tormentor; and from that hand to the wide wilderness, as "I may truly call it, for so the world hath been to me. So

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'that he that is born to a great kingdom, hath not ground "to set his foot upon, more than this where he now standeth 5 "by your princely favour. Edward the fourth, late King of "England, as your grace cannot but have heard, left two "sons, Edward, and Richard duke of York, both very young. "Edward the eldest succeeded their father in the crown, by "the name of King Edward the fifth: but Richard duke of 10 "Gloucester, their unnatural uncle, first thirsting after the "kingdom, through ambition, and afterwards thirsting for "their blood, out of desire to secure himself, employed an "instrument of his, confident to him, as he thought, to "murder them both. But this man that was employed to 15 'execute that execrable tragedy, having cruelly slain King "Edward, the eldest of the two, was moved partly by re"morse, and partly by some other means, to save Richard "his brother; making a report nevertheless to the tyrant, "that he had performed his commandment to both brethren. 20 "This report was accordingly believed, and published gene"rally so that the world hath been possessed of an opinion, "that they both were barbarously made away; though ever "truth hath some sparks that fly abroad, until it appear in "due time, as this hath had. But Almighty God, that stop- 25 "ped the mouth of the lion, and saved little Joash from the tyranny of Athaliah, when she massacred the King's chil"dren; and did save Isaac, when the hand was stretched "forth to sacrifice him; preserved the second brother. For "I myself, that stand here in your presence, am that very 30 "Richard duke of York, brother of that unfortunate Prince 'King Edward the fifth, now the most rightful surviving "heir male to that victorious and most noble Edward, of

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"that name the fourth, late King of England. For the 66 manner of my escape, it is fit it should pass in silence, or, 66 at least, in a more secret relation; for that it may concern some alive, and the memory of some that are dead. Let

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"it suffice to think, that I had then a mother living, a "Queen, and one that expected daily such a commandment "from the tyrant, for the murdering of her children. "in my tender age escaping by God's mercy out of London, "I was secretly conveyed over sea: where, after a time, the 10 "party that had me in charge, upon what new fears, change "of mind or practice, God knoweth, suddenly forsook me. Whereby I was forced to wander abroad, and to seek "mean conditions for the sustaining of my life. Wherefore "distracted between several passions, the one of fear to be 15 "known, lest the tyrant should have a new attempt upon "me; the other of grief and disdain to be unknown, and to "live in that base and servile manner that I did; I resolved "with myself to expect the tyrant's death, and then to put "myself into my sister's hands, who was next heir to the 20 crown. But in this season it happened one Henry Tudor, "son to Edmund Tudor earl of Richmond, to come from "France and enter into the realm, and by subtile and foul means to obtain the crown of the same, which to me right"fully appertained: so that it was but a change from tyrant 25 "to tyrant. This Henry, my extreme and mortal enemy, so "soon as he had knowledge of my being alive, imagined "and wrought all the subtile ways and means he could, to "procure my final destruction: for my mortal enemy hath "not only falsely surmised me to be a feigned person, giving 30 "me nick-names, so abusing the world; but also, to defer "and put me from entry into England, hath offered large "sums of money to corrupt the Princes and their ministers, "with whom I have been retained; and made importune

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"labours to certain servants about my person, to murder or "poison me, and others to forsake and leave my righteous “quarrel, and to depart from my service, as Sir Robert Clif"ford, and others. So that every man of reason may well "perceive, that Henry, calling himself King of England, 5 "needed not to have bestowed such great sums of treasure, 'nor so to have busied himself with importune and inces“sant labour and industry, to compass my death and ruin, "if I had been such a feigned person. But the truth of my “cause being so manifest, moved the most Christian King 10 "Charles, and the lady duchess dowager of Burgundy my “most dear aunt, not only to acknowledge the truth thereof, "but lovingly to assist me. But it seemeth that God above, "for the good of this whole island, and the knitting of these "two kingdoms of England and Scotland in a strait concord 15 "and amity, by so great an obligation, hath reserved the "placing of me in the imperial throne of England for the "arms and succours of your grace. Neither is it the first "time that a King of Scotland hath supported them that 'were bereft and spoiled of the kingdom of England, as of 20 "late, in fresh memory, it was done in the person of Henry "the sixth. Wherefore, for that your grace hath given clear "signs, that you are in no noble quality inferior to your "royal ancestors; I, so distressed a Prince, was hereby "moved to come and put myself into your royal hands, de- 25 "siring your assistance to recover my kingdom of England;

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"promising faithfully to bear myself towards your grace no 'otherwise, than if I were your own natural brother; and 'will, upon the recovery of mine inheritance, gratefully do "you all the pleasure that is in my utmost power."

After Perkin had told his tale, King James answered bravely and wisely; "That whatsoever he were, he should not repent him of putting himself into his hands." And

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from that time forth, though there wanted not some about him, that would have persuaded him that all was but an illusion; yet notwithstanding, either taken by Perkin's amiable and alluring behaviour, or inclining to the recommendation of the great Princes abroad, or willing to take an occasion of a war against King Henry, he entertained him in all things, as became the person of Richard duke of York; embraced his quarrel; and, the more to put it out of doubt, that he took him to be a great Prince, and Io not a representation only, he gave consent, that this duke should take to wife the lady Catharine Gordon, daughter to the earl of Huntley, being a near kinswoman to the King himself, and a young virgin of excellent beauty and virtue.

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Not long after, the King of Scots in person, with Perkin in his company, entered with a great army, though it consisted chiefly of borderers being raised somewhat suddenly, into Northumberland. And Perkin, for a perfume before him as he went, caused to be published a proclamation1 20 of this tenor following, in the name of Richard duke of York, true inheritor of the crown of England:

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"IT hath pleased God, who putteth down the mighty "from their seat, and exalteth the humble, and suffereth "not the hopes of the just to perish in the end, to give us 25 means at the length to shew ourselves armed unto our lieges and people of England. But far be it from us to "intend their hurt or damage, or to make war upon them, "otherwise than to deliver ourself and them from tyranny "and oppression. For our mortal enemy Henry Tudor, a

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1 The original of this proclamation remaineth with Sir Robert Cotton, a worthy preserver and treasurer of rare antiquities: from whose manuscripts I have had much light for the furnishing of this work.

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