HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 113 



and went to his lodging prepared in the bishop of 

 London s palace, where he stayed for a time. 



During his ahode there, lie assembled his council 

 and other principal persons, in presence of whom he 

 did renew again his promise to marry with the lady 

 Elizabeth, This he did the rather, because having 

 at his coming out of Britain given artificially, for 

 serving of his own turn, some hopes in case he ob 

 tained the kingdom, to marry Anne, inheritress to 

 the duchy of Britain, whom Charles the Eighth of 

 France soon after married, it bred some doubt and 

 suspicion amongst divers that he was not sincere, or 

 at least not fixed in going on with the match of 

 England so much desired : which conceit also, 

 though it were but talk and discourse, did much 

 afflict the poor lady Elizabeth herself. But howso 

 ever he both truly intended it, and desired also it 

 should be so believed, the better to extinguish envy 

 and contradiction to his other purposes, yet was he 

 resolved in himself not to proceed to the consumma 

 tion thereof, till his coronation and a parliament 

 were past. The one, lest a joint coronation of him 

 self and his queen might give any countenance of 

 participation of title ; the other, lest in the entailing 

 of the crown to himself, which he hoped to obtain by 

 parliament, the votes of the parliament might any 

 ways reflect upon her. 



About this time in autumn, towards the end of 

 September, there began and reigned in the city, and 

 other parts of the kingdom, a disease then new : 

 which by the accidents and manner thereof they 



