on Sept. 9, 1492 (p. 100), and the failure of all assistance from Maximilian, as well as the conclusion of a peace between Ferdinand and Charles, made the overtures of peace from the French king and the conditions therein contained appear, as Bacon has it, “to the king's taste.” The treaty of Estaples was concluded on Sunday, Nov. 3, 1492. For the better appreciation of the sequence of events throughout the reign a table is appended of the principal events of the reign of Henry VII, ranged according to the regnal years of the king, which are so frequently alluded to in the text without the date A.D. being given. Of course it will be seen that as the reign of Henry commenced Aug. 22nd, 1485, his first regnal year did not end till Aug. 21st, 1486, and therefore an event in his first year may have occurred in the latter half of 1485, or in the former half of 1486, and so for every other year. It will also be observed that between the ist of January and the 25th of March in any year the date is given with double figures ; thus: Marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, Jan. 18th, 1485—6. The reason for this notation is, that the historical year has for a very long period begun on January ist, but the calculation of years used in ecclesiastical and legal documents made the year to commence on March 25th, until the two beginnings of the year were brought into conformity on Jan. Ist, 1753. In the date above quoted, of Henry's marriage, the historical entry thereof would speak of it as having taken place Jan. 18th, 1486, but the ecclesiastical year 1486 had not yet commenced, and therefore in the registers of the Church or of the courts of law this day would be entered as part of the year 1485. To express this the form 1485–6 is used. It will be seen that in the notes large use has been made of the Latin translation of the Life of Henry VIIth, which was certainly made under Bacon's supervision, and perhaps partly by himself (as is indicated in the dedication which precedes the Sermones Fideles), and was designed to make the history accessible to foreigners who knew no English. It appeared that no better method could be adopted for explaining the language of our author, than this use of what may be called his own commentary on the work.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.

Regnal Years of Henry VII.

1.

30 Oct.

II.

Battle of Bosworth Field

221 Aug. 1485.
Issue of Commissions to the Nor-
thern Counties in anticipation of
a war with Scotland

25 Sep.
Coronation of Henry VII
Henry's first Parliament

7 Nov.
Marriage of Henry VII and Eliza-
beth of York

* 18 Jan. 1485-6.
Truce with Scotland for three
years

3 July, 1486.
Birth of Prince Arthur

Sept.
Council at Shene

Feb. 1486—7.
Lambert Simnel lands in Lanca-
shire

4 June, 1487.
Battle of Stoke

16 June,
Siege of Nantes commenced 19 June,

afterwards raised 6 Aug.
Embassy sent to England from
Charles VIII about

Sept.
Henry's second ? Parliament
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth
Murder of James III of Scot-
land

11 June, 1489.
Battle of St Albans (St Aubin) 28 July,

III.

9 Nov.
25 Nov.

1 It is worth notice that August 21 (the day before the battle of Bosworth) is mentioned as the first day of the King's reign, in the act concerning those attainders spoken of in the text, p. 16. 1. 19. Whether this be an accident or an intentional ante-dating of Henry's reign it is impossible to discover. (See Statutes at large 1 Men. VII. c. 6.)

• The acts of this parliament are confused in Bacon's narrative with those of the third Parliament (see notes). He seems to have had no information about this parliament of 1487.

Treaty of Verger 1

21 Aug. 1488. IV. Death of the Duke of Brittany

9 Sep. Great Council at which the

Speech of Chancellor Morton
(p. 53) was made

Nov.
Solemn Embassy from England
to France

II Dec.
Henry's third? Parliament 13 Jan. 1488—9.
First succours sent by Henry to
Brittany

March,
Northern subsidy riot

April, 1489.
V. Embassy from Charles VIII to
England

Nov.
Third Parliament ends

27 Feb. 1489-90 VI. Prince Henry (afterwards Hen. VIII) born

22 June, 1491.
VII.
Henry's fourth Parliament

17 Oct.
Charles VIII marries Anne of
Brittany

6 Dec.
Thanksgiving in St Paul's for the
Conquest of Granada

6 April, 1492. Pope Innocent VIII died

25 July, Pope Alexander VI elected 11 Aug. VIII. English troops sent over to France 9 Sept.

Henry VII goes over to France 6 Oct.
Treaty of Estaples
Embassy of Poynings and War-
ham to Flanders

July, 1493
IX. Commerce with Flanders for-
bidden

18 Sep.
Raid by the Scots on the North-
ern border

Nov.
X. Poynings made Lord Deputy of
Ireland

13 Sep. 1494.
Execution of Sir William Stanley

16 Feb. 1494-5. Italian league against Charles VIII

.25 March, 1495. King Henry visits his mother at Latham

25 June, Warbeck on the coast of Kent 3 July, 1 This was the treaty under which the hostile operations of France against Brittany were terminated till after the death of the Duke of Brittany.

? This parliament was prorogued on 23rd February and met again on the 14th October following.

3 Nov.

XI. Henry's fifth Parliament

Warbeck arrives at Stirling
Commissioners sent from Flan-
ders to England (intercursus
magnus)

Intercursus magnus ratified
XII. Henry VII ratifies the Italian

league
Great Council at Westminster
Cap of Maintenance sent from
the Pope
Henry's sixth Parliament
Subsidy granted
Cornish rebellion begins
Encampment on Blackheath
Battle of Blackheath
Lord Audley beheaded
Cabot's first voyage
The Scotch attack Norham

Warbeck leaves Scotland
XIII.

Perkin besieges Exeter
Treaty with Scotland concluded
King Henry at Excter
Warbeck carried in procession in

London
Palace of Shene burnt
Irish Parliament meets
Charles VIII of France dies
Warbeck's confession read pub-

licly
XIV. Prince Edward born

Ralph Wilford hanged
Treaty with Scotland (containing
arrangements about letters com-
mendatory)
Fox commissioned to treat of a
marriage with Scotland, King
James with Princess Margaret
Perkin Warbeck executed at Ty-

17 Sept. 30 Sept. 7 Oct.

20 Nov.
21 Dec.
28 March, 1498.
7 April,

9 June,
Feb. 1498—9.
13 Feb. 1499

6 May,

XVIII.

the Princess Catharine of Ara-
gon

14 Nov., 1501
Arrest of the friends of the Earl
of Suffolk

March, 1501–2. Death of Prince Arthur

2 April, 1502. Sir James Tirrell executed Marriage of Princess Margaret to King James IV.

25 Jan. 1502—3. Prince Henry created Prince of Wales

18 Feb. Henry's seventh Parliament

16 Jan. 1503—4. Death of Queen Isabella of Spain 26 Nov. 1504. English Ambassadors at Segovia 14 July, 1505. Earl of Suffolk brought to London March, 1505—6. Death of Philip of Castile 25 Sept. 1506.

XIX.
XX.

XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV.

Treaty for marriage of Princess

Mary with Charles of Castile
Henry VII. dies

17 Dec. 1508. 22 April, 1509.