HENRY THE SEVENTH. 



CCCXCVll 



from the height of that tower, that he did acknowledge to 

 have recovered that kingdom by the help of the Almighty ; 

 nor would he stir from his camp till he had seen a little 

 army of martyrs, to the number of seven hundred and 

 more Christians, that had lived in bonds and servitude, 

 as slaves to the Moors, pass before his eyes, singing a 

 psalm for their redemption.&quot; 



The work was published in folio, in 1622 : (a) and isde- Presenta- 

 dicated to Prince Charles. Copies were presented to the U&amp;lt; 

 King, (b) to Buckingham, (c) to the Queen of Bohemia, (J) 



(.) The Historic of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, written by 

 the Right Honourable Francis Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban. London, 

 printed by W. Stransby, for Matthew Lownes and William Barret, 1622. 



(6) See letter to the King from Gorhambury, dated 20th March, 1621-2, 

 vol. iii. p. xiii. pref. In this letter there is the following passage : &quot; These 

 your majesty s great benefits, in casting your bread upon the waters, as the 

 scripture saith, because my thanks cannot any ways be sufficient to attain, 

 I have raised your progenitor, of famous memory (and now, I hope, of 

 more famous memory than before), King Henry VII. to give your majesty 

 thanks for me; which work, most humbly kissing your majesty s hands, I 

 I do present.&quot; 



(c) Letter of March 20, 1621-2. vol. iii. p. xiii. preface. 



(W) It may please your Majesty, I find in books, and books I dare 

 allege to your majesty, in regard of your singular ability to read and judge 

 of them even above your sex, that it is accounted a great bliss for a man to 

 have leisure with honour. That was never my fortune, nor is. For time 

 was, I had honour without leisure ; and now I have leisure without honour. 

 And I cannot say so neither altogether, considering there remain with me 

 the marks and stamp of the King, your father s, grace, though I go not for 

 so much in value as I have done. But my desire is now to have leisure 

 without loitering, and not to become an abbey-lubber, as the old proverb 

 was, but to yield some fruit of my private life. Having therefore written 

 the reign of your majesty s famous ancestor, King Henry the Seventh, and 

 it having passed the file of his majesty s judgment, and been graciously 

 also accepted of the prince your brother, to whom it is dedicated, I could 

 not forget my duty so far to your excellent majesty, to whom, for that I 

 know and have heard, I have been at all times so much bound, as you are 

 ever present with me, both in affection and admiration, as not to make unto 



