to a sufficient degree of maturity, Charles advanced with a powerful army and invested Rennes, at that time the residence of the duchess, who at last opened. the gates of the city and agreed to marry the king of France. After the celebration of the marriage, she was conducted to St. Denis, where she was crowned, and thence made her entry into Paris amidst the joyful acclamations of the people.

Henry, highly displeased at the unforeseen success of this transaction, was prompted by it to seek the means of vengeance, and the first which his ruling passion suggested to him was a supply of money. He accordingly, on pretence of a French war, issued a commission for levying a benevolence on his people, a species of unlawful taxation, or rather exaction, which had been recently abolished by Richard III. by his statute of 1483, in the preamble of which it is said, that many families had been absolutely. ruined by these pretended presents, which were in reality extorted taxes." This violence (for such it really was) fell chiefly on the commercial part of the nation, who were possessed of the ready money.. The commissioners, who levied it, were instructed to employ a dilemma, in which every one might be comprehended. If the persons applied to lived frugally, they were told that their parsimony must necessarily have enriched them; if their way of living was splendid and hospitable, they were concluded to be opulent, and their quota in the tax was in proportion with their expences Far from being apprehensive of a parliament on account of this arbitrary imposition, Henry soon after summoned that assembly, and he even expected to enrich himself farther by working on their passions: and prejudices. He succeeded so completely in inflaming them by the ideas of subduing France, and of enriching themselves by the spoils of that kingdom, that they granted him two fifteenths; and

the better to enable his vassals and nobility to attend him, an act was passed, empowering them to sell their estates, without paying any fines for alienation.

Ann. 1492 to 1495.

Henry crosses the sea and arrives at Calais on the 6th of October, at the head of an army of twentyfive thousand foot and sixteen hundred horse, and besieges Boulogne; but notwithstanding this appearance of hostility, there had been secret advances made towards peace above three months before, and commissioners had been appointed to treat of the terms. The better to reconcile the minds of men to this unexpected measure, the king's ambassadors arrived in the camp from the Low Countries, and in formed him that no assistance was to be expected from Maximilian. Soon after, messengers came from Spain, and brought news of a peace concluded between that kingdom and France. Though these articles of intelligence were carefully spread throughout the army, the king being still apprehensive lest a sudden peace, after such magnificent promises, might expose him to reproach, he secretly engaged the marquis of Dorset, together with twenty-three persons of distinction, to present him a petition for agreeing to a treaty with Fraace. According to that petition founded on several pretences, all of which might have been foreseen before the embarkation of the forces, no time was lost to put the last hand to the treaty: a few days sufficed for that purpose. The demands of Henry being wholly pecuniary, were readily granted by Charles VIII. He engaged to pay nearly four hundred thousand pounds sterling, partly as a reimbursement of the sums advanced to Britanny, partly as arrears of the pension due to Edward IV. and he stipulated a yearly

pension to Henry and his heirs of twenty-five thousand crowns. Thus the king, as remarked by Bacon, (p. 605) made profit upon his subjects for the war, and upon his enemies for the peace. This treaty was signed at Etaples, November 3d, and ratified November 6th, 1492.

The sudden return of that expensive armament, without having performed any thing for the honour or advantage of the country, highly irritated the minds of the people all over England. In a word, Henry, notwithstanding his prosperous situation, was very unpopular at this period, when a pretender to his crown appeared. He is well known in history by the name of Perkin Warbeck, but he called himself Richard duke of York, the youngest son of Edward IV. late king of England. The opinion adopted by almost all historians, is that Warbeck was an impostor but the learned Dr. Henry, in his History of England, and Mr. Horace Walpole, in his Historical Doubts on the Life and Reign of Richard III. has thrown such a light upon that question, that the contrary opinion may be supported with the most plausible arguments. Previous to any investigation of Warbeck's pretensions and character, it is necessary to state some authentic facts, which never were nor can be denied.

When the last war was ready to break out between France and England, Perkin Warbeck, assuming the name of Richard Plantagenet, duke of York, landed at Cork, where he was joined by the mayor and several others. He wrote to the two potent earls of Desmond and Kildare, to solicit their assistance; but found them unwilling to engage in so dangerous an undertaking: and the Irish, who still smarted from the wounds they had received in supporting Simnel, were in general averse to venture so soon in an attempt of the same kind. When Perkin's affairs were in this unpromising state, he received a

message from the king of France, inviting him to Paris, and promising him protection and assistance. He embarked immediately, and was received by Charles VIII. with all the marks of regard due to the duke of York; a handsome pension and magnificent lodgings were assigned to him, and in order to provide at once for his dignity and security, a guard was given him, of which lord Congresal accepted the office of captain.

Perkin, both by his deportment and personal qualities, supported the prepossession which was spread abroad of his royal pedigree; and the intelligence being received in England, sir George Nevil, sir John Taylor, and above a hundred gentlemen, came to Paris, in order to offer their services to the supposed duke of York, and to share his fortunes. But when the peace was concluded at Etaples, a hint was given him to leave France. He went immediately to the duchess of Burgundy, presented himself to her, as her unfortunate nephew Richard duke of York, and claimed her protection. She at first treated him roughly, calling him an impostor, and saying she had been once deceived, but would not be so a second time. She desired, before all her court, to be informed how he was entitled to assume the name which he bore, examined every circumstance he related with the most scrupulous nicety, put many particular questions to him, and after a long and severe scrutiny of his answers, acknowledged and embraced him as her nephew; the true image of Edward, the sole heir of the Plantagenets, and the legitimate successor to the English throne. She appointed him a guard of thirty halberdiers, treated him in all respects as the head of her family, and honoured him with the appellation of the White Rose of England.

No sooner the news of these transactions reached England, than several gentlemen of the York party

held private consultations, and sent sir Robert Clifford to Brussels to investigate the truth. After having had many conversations with Perkin, he wrote back to England, that he knew perfectly the person of the duke of York, that Perkin was undoubtedly that prince himself, and that no circumstance of his story was susceptible of the least doubt.

In the mean time, Henry sent several trusty spies into the Low Countries, and was informed by them that Perkin Warbeck was the son of one John Osbeck, a converted Jew of Tournay; that he was born in London'; that Edward IV. had been his godfather; that, in his childhood, his parents had carried him with them to Tournay; that, when a young boy, he lived some time with a relation at Antwerp; after which he became such a wanderer, that he could be no farther traced. It was added, to account for his likeness to Edward IV. and to the real duke of York, thât Edward had entertained a secret commerce with the Jew's wife. Such an improbable account, unsupported by any proof, could never lead the king to the discovery of the true history of this young man whoever he was. Other agents of higher rank were sent over to Brussels, and directed to insinuate themselves in the confidence of Warbeck, to watch all his words and actions, and, above all, to spare no expence to gain sir Robert Clifford, which they accomplished; and as he was the most intimate confident of Warbeck, he became a most dangerous enemy to him and to his friends. Many of them, in consequence of information received from him, were all seized in one day, tried and condemned, as guilty of high treason, for corresponding with Warbeck, and promising to join him. Sir William Stanley, the lord chamberlain, who had rendered the greatest services to Henry, who at the battle of Bosworth had saved his life, gained the victory, and placed the crown upon his head, was one of these