Victory; from which Time Henry was allowed as fuch.

The Earl of Surry was taken Prifoner with Cateby; the first was fent to the Tower, but the latter, with feveral others, were immediately executed.

Thus an End was put to the Wars between the two Houses of York and Lancaster, begun under King Henry the VIth, and continued to the Death of Richard the IIId; in which were fought in lefs than fixty Years twelve pitched Battles, and two Kings, one Prince, ten Dukes, two Marqueffes, twenty-one Earls, twenty-feven Lords, two Viscounts, one Lord Prior, one Judge, an hundred and thirty-nine Knights, four hundred and forty-one Efquires, and eighty-four thousand, nine hundred and ninety-eight private Soldiers were flain; in the whole amounting to eightyfive thousand, fix hundred and twenty-eight, that loft their Lives in the Quarrel between the two Rofes.

Henry the VIIth.

Henry was Son of Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, by Margaret his Wife, and born at Pembroke Caftle in Wales; and the Prophecy of Cad-wallador, the last King of Britian, was fulfilled by his coming to the Crown.

Henry the VIth, who was reputed a Man of Forefight, upon feeing this Prince one Day at play, faid, (to fome Lords then attending him) This is he that fhall enjoy what we now contest for; tho' the King had then an hopeful Heir alive, and the House of York feveral. By Richmond's fucceeding to the Crown, the notable Predictions of the two Kings were verified.

Still Henry's Claim, in his own Right, was much difputed; but afterwards marrying the Heirefs of the Houfe of York, and being recognized by A& of Parliament, (which we shall presently mention) whatever was thought of it, certainly they were the two beft Evidences of his Right; for, from the Time of his Marriage, he undoubtedly became King de Jure; and even before that Time, from the Entrance of his

Reign, he may be looked upon as having a prefumptive Right to the Allegiance of the People of England, having obliged himself by an early Promife to marry. the Princefs Elizabeth; and the whole Nation was perfuaded he would not fail to perform it. In Fact, as Henry kept his Word, he thereby brought all Hearts to bow to his Title, as before all Knees to his Sword.

The King proceeded by eafy Journeys to the City of London, receiving the Acclamations and Applauses of the People as he paffed on, which indeed were 'true and unfeigned, (fays Lord Bacon) as might well appear in the very Demonftrations, and Fulnefs of the 'Cry; and, in order to disperse the Terror of a Con'queft, he gave Orders, that there fhould be nothing in 'his Journey to London like unto a Warlike March, but rather like to the Progrefs of a King, in full Affu'rance of the Affection of his Subjects.

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He entered the City of London on a Saturday; for, as he had obtained the Victory on a Saturday, he accounted that Day of the Week as a Day prosperous to him. The Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City received him at Shoreditch, and conducted him in great State to St. Paul's; from whence he proceeded to the Bishop of London's Palace, where he refided for fome Time. Yet he did not proceed through the City on Horfeback, or in an open Chair, or on a Throne, but in a clofe Chariot, as one that had been, as Lord Bacon obferves, an Enemy to the whole State, and a pro* fcribed Perfon; therefore, for the prefent, he chofe rather to keep State, and strike a Reverence in the People, than to fawn upon them.'

After the King's Arrival in London, he inftituted a Guard for his Perfon, which confifted of a certain Number of Men under the Command of a Captain, the like are ftill continued, and are known by the Name of the Yeomen of the Guard, and wear at

this

this Day the fame Habit they did at their first Inftitu tion, fave that Gold Lace is added to their Cloathing.

Henry had not been long in London before he gave Direction for his Coronation. As it drew near, he took the Opportunity of dining with Cardinal Bouchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth ; after Dinner he returned by Land over the Bridge to the Tower, where he made twelve Knights Bannerets ; and created Jasper, Earl of Pembroke, his Uncle, Duke of Bedford; Thomas, Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby ; and Edward Courtney, Earl of Devonshire: Thefe he preferred before he was crowned; when he alfo fettled his Privy Council, whereof the Earl of Oxford, Sir Reginald Bray, Sir John Cheyney, Sir Richard Guilford, Sir Thomas Lovell, with the Noblemen laft mentioned were Part.

On the 30th of October he was crowned at Weftinfter, by the Hands of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Innocent the VIIIth then fat in the Papal Chair; Frederick the IIId was Emperor of Germany; Charles the VIIIth, King of France; Ferdinand and Ifabella, King and Queen of Spain; James the IIId, King of Scotland: As to the other Princes that reigned in the other Parts of Europe, we fhall mention them as Occafion arifes.

As foon as he was crowned (under Pretence of better fecuring his Eftate) he fhut up the Earl of Warwick in the Tower, which greatly furprized the People in general. This young Prince was but fifteen Years of Age, and was Son and Heir to George Duke of Clarence, who was ftifled in a Butt of Malmfey. After the Death of his Father, Edward the IVth, his Uncle, caused him to be carefully educated, and created him Earl of Warwick. When Richard was on the Throne he ordered him to be confined; but after the Ufurper's Death the Earl hoped for better Treatment from his Succeffor, though it proved otherwife; for fo far was Henry from releafing him, that he caused him to be more clofely confined; nor was this all, for

he

be put this unhappy Prince to Death by the Hands of• the Executioner, whereby he acted more the Tyrant, than the Tyrant himself, from whom he boafted to have delivered the Kingdom.

The Proceedings of the firji Par

liament held the 7th of Novem

ber, 1485.

On the 7th of November the Parliament met; the firft Bufinefs they proceeded upon, was to pafs an Act to recognize the King's Title*. This Act was worded according to Henry's exprefs Directions; but, before it paffed into a Law, it feems feveral had been returned Members, who were attainted of Treafon, and the Opinion of the Judges was demanded, as to their Right of fitting, who determined, That they could not lawfully fit in the House, until

*The A&t to confirm Henry in his Sovereignty runs in thele Words:

To the Pleasure of Almighty ‹ God, Wealth, Profperity, and Surety of this Realm of England, and to the fingular Comfort of all the King's Subjects of the fame, in avoiding all Ambiguity and Queftions, be ⚫it ordained, eftablished, and enacted by this prefent Parliament, that the Inheritance of the Crown of this Realm of England, &c. fhall reft, remain, and abide in the most • Royal Perfon of our now Sovereign Lord King Henry the • VIIth, and the Heirs of his Body lawfully coming.

Lord Bacon, upon paffing this Law, obferves,' That which con⚫cerned the entailing the Crown

(the King was more than true to his own Will, that he would not endure any Mention of the Lady Elizabeth, no not in the Nature of a special Entail) he carried it otherwife with great Wisdom; for he did not preis ተ

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to have the A&t penned by way of Declaration, or Recognition, or Right. Upon the other Side he avoided to have it by new Law or Qrdinance, but chofe rather a kind of middle Way, by way of Establishment, and that in covert and indifferent Words, That the Inheritance of the Crown fhould reft, remain, and abide in the King, &c. ' which Words might equally be applied, that the Crown fhould continue to him; but whether, as having a former Right to it, (which was doubtful) or have ing it then in Fact and Poffeffion, (which no Man denied) was left fair to Interpretation • either Way. And again, to the Limitation of the Entail, he did not prefs to go further than himself, and the Heirs of his Body; not speaking of the right Heirs, leaving that to the Law to decide, fo as the Entail might feem rather a perfonal Favour to him and his Children, than a total Dif inherifon of the House of York.

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until their Attainders were reverfed. It was farther demanded 'What was to be done in the King's Cafe who ftood attainted with his Friends.' The Judges anfwered, That the Crown took away all Defects and Forfeitures from the Moment the Prince afcended the Throne ; therefore there did not need any Act to restore him. Tho' the Judges gave this as their Opinion, yet Henry took Care to have it ordained in Parliament, That all Records, wherein there was any Mention of his Attainder, fhould be defaced, cancelled, and taken off the File.

The Commons, as foon as they had paffed the Bill for Recognizing Henry's Title to the Crown, prefented an Addrefs to him, wherein they prayed his Majefty to make the Princess Elizabeth his Queen; and when the King came to the House of Peers to give the Royal Affent to the Act, and was placed on the Throne, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal alfo addreffed him to the fame Effect. To which he anfwered, with his own Mouth, That he was content to proceed according to the joint Defire and Request of his two Houses of Parliament.'

These two grand Points being thus fettled, the Parliament next proceeded to pafs an Act to attaint the late Tyrant Richard, with his Adherents; among whom were the late Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Surry, the Lord Lovel, Catefby, and others of leffer Note; in which Act Richard is called by the Name of the Duke of Gloucester.

The King had two Views in getting this Act paffed. First, to fatisfy his Vengeance upon his Enemies; and next, to raise confiderable Sums of Money out of the Eftates of the Attainted.

The other Acts that paffed this Seffion of Parliament were of no Confequence, fave the two underwritten.

* 1. To reduce Aliens, notwithstanding they were made Denizens, Hill, to pay Strangers Customs.

Upon

2. To draw to the King the Seizure and Compofition of Italian Goods for not Employment.