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"beit, here may be occafion to doubt whether "the immense treasure which Henry the Seventh " left behind him was not accidentally the cause

of thofe ills that followed; while the young "Prince his fon, finding fuch a mass of money, "did first carelessly spend, and after strive to 66 supply as he could."

"One of the liberties," fays Lord Herbert, "which our King took at his spare time, was to "love. For as recommendable parts concurred "in his person, and they again were exalted in "his high dignity and valour, fo it must seem

lefs ftrange, if amid the many faire Ladies "which lived in his Court he both gave and "received temptation."

Puttenham, in his "Art of Poetry," gives the following account of a vifit this Prince paid to fome Lady of his Court:

"The King (Henry the Eighth)," fays Puttenham, "having Sir Andrew Flamack his "ftandard-bearer (a merry-conceited man, and

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apt to fcoffe) with him in his barge, paffing "from Westminster to Greenwich, to vifit a fair "Lady whom the King loved, and who was lodged in the tower of the park; the King "coming within fight of the tower, and being disposed to be merry, faid, Flamack, let us

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"rhyme. As well as I can, faid Flamack, if it "please your Grace.

"The King began thus:

"Within this towre

"There lieth a floure

"That hath my hart."

"Flamack answered," adds Puttenham, “in "fo uncleanlie terms as might not now become

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me by the rules of decorum to utter, writing "to fo great a Majestie (Queene Elizabeth); but "the King took them in fo evil part, as he bid "Flamack, Avaunt, varlet! and that he should "be no more neere unto him."

"Her Majesty's noble father," fays Puttenham, fpeaking of Henry the Eighth, father of Queen Elizabeth, " caufed his own head and all "his courtiers to be polled, and his beard to be 66 cut fhort. Before that time," adds he, "it 66 was thought more decent both for old and young to be all fhaven, and to weare long haire, either rounded or fquare. Now again "at this time the young Gentlemen of the Court "have taken up the long haire trayling upon "their shoulders, and think it more decent; for "what refpect I should be glad to knowe."

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According to Hollinfhed, this Prince thus addreffed the Court at Black Fryers, on his conjugal fcruples:

66 YE REVEREND FATHERS,

"I have in marriage a wyfe to me most deere, " & entirely beloved, both for hyr fingular vir"tues of mynde, & alfo for her nobilities of "birth. But fith I am the king of a mightie "kingdom, I muft provide that it may be law"ful for me to lye with hyr duely, lawfully, " & godlye, & to have children by her, unto "the whiche the inheritance of the kingdome "maie by righte mofte juftlie defcend; which

two things fhall follow, if you by jufte judge"ment approve our marriage lawful: if there "be any doubte, I fhall defyre you by your au"thoritie to declare the fame, or fo to take it "awaie, that in this thing both my confcience " & the mynds of the people may be quieted "for after."

"After this," adds Hollinfhed, “ cometh the "Queen, the which there, in presence of the "whole Court, accufeth the Cardinal of un"trouth, deceit, wickedneffe & malice, which "had fowen diffention betwixt her & the King

her husbande, & therefore openly protefted "that she did utterly abhorre, refufe, and for"fake fuch a judge as was not only a moft ma"licious

"licious enemie to her, but also a manifest ad"verfarie to all right & juftice, and therefore "fhe did appeale unto the Pope, committynge "hir whole cause to be judged of him :-& thus "for that day the matter rested.”

The following lines, written by Henry, were (according to the Editor of the "Nuga Anti"qua") prefented and fung to Anne Boleyn during the time of their courtship. Byrd, in Queen Elizabeth's time, fet them to music.

The eagle's force fubdues each byrde that flies,
What metal can refifte the flamynge fire?
Doth not the funne dazzle the cleareft eyes,

And melte the ice, and make the fnowe retire?
The hardeste stones are peirced thro' with tooles;
The wifeft are, with princes, made but fooles.

This Monarch's character was, perhaps, never better described than in the dying words of Cardinal Wolfey to Master Kingston, the Lieutenant of the Tower, who was fent to arrest him: "Hee is a Prince of a moft royall carriage & "hath a princely heart, & rather than he will misse or want any part of his will, he will endanger the one half of his kingdom. I do affure

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you, Master Kingston, that I have often "kneeled before him for three hours together "to perfuade him from his will and appetite, " but

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"but could never prevail. Therefore let me « advise you, you, if you be one of the Privie Coun"fell, (as by your wifdome you are fit,) take "heed what you put into the King's head, for you can never put it out again.

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It appears by a Letter of Gerard de Plaine, that Henry entered into a treaty with the Emperor Maximilian, by which, for a certain fum of money given to him by Henry, Maximilian was to furrender the Imperial dignity to him. It feems as if Henry had not the money ready at the time that the diftreffed Emperor wifhed to exchange his fplendid honour for more fubftantial profit.

"I have heard," fays Puttenham, in his Art of Poetry," that King Henry the Eighth, her "Majefties father, though otherwise the most

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gentle and affable Prince of the world, could "not abide to have any man ftare in his face, or to fix his eye too fteadily upon him, when "he talked with them; nor for a common fuitor "to exclame or cry out for juftice, for that is "offenfive, and as it were a fecret impeachment "of his wrong-doing, as happened once to a "Knight in this realm, of great worship, fpeak❝ing to the King.

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