HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 109 



the lady Elizabeth. On the other side, if he stood 

 upon his own title of the house of Lancaster, in 

 herent in his person, he knew it was a title con 

 demned by parliament, and generally prejudged in 

 the common opinion of the realm, and that it tended 

 directly to the disinherison of the line of York, held 

 then the indubitate heirs of the crown. So that if 

 he should have no issue by the lady Elizabeth, 

 which should be descendants of the double line, then 

 the ancient flames of discord and intestine war?, 

 upon the competition of both houses, would again 

 return and revive. 



As for conquest, notwithstanding Sir William 

 Stanley, after some acclamations of the soldiers in 

 the field, had put a crown of ornament, which 

 Richard wore in the battle, and was found amongst 

 the spoils, upon King Henry s head, as if there were 

 his chief title ; yet he remembered well upon what 

 conditions and agreements he was brought in ; and 

 that to claim as conqueror, was to put as well his 

 own party, as the rest, into terror and fear ; as that 

 which gave him power of disannulling of laws, and 

 disposing of men s fortunes and estates, and the like 

 points of absolute power, being in themselves so 

 harsh and odious, as that William himself, commonly 

 called the Conqueror, howsoever he used and exer 

 cised the power of a conqueror to reward his 

 Normans, yet he forbore to use that claim in the 

 beginning, but mixed it with a titulary pretence, 

 grounded upon the will and designation of Edward 

 the Confessor. But the king, out of the greatness 



