200 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



being governed by absolute princes of their own, 

 Anjou, Normandy, Provence, and Burgundy. There 

 remained only Britain to be re-united, and so the 

 monarchy of France to be reduced to the ancient 

 terms and bounds. 



King Charles was not a little inflamed with an 

 ambition to re-purchase and re-annex that duchy : 

 which his ambition was a wise and well-weighed 

 ambition ; not like unto the ambitions of his suc 

 ceeding enterprises of Italy. For at that time, 

 being newly come to the crown, he was somewhat 

 guided by his father s counsels, counsels not coun 

 sellors, for his father was his own council, and had 

 few able men about him. And that king, he knew 

 well, had ever distasted the designs of Italy, and in 

 particular had an eye upon Britain. There were 

 many circumstances that did feed the ambition of 

 Charles with pregnant and apparent hopes of suc 

 cess : the duke of Britain old, and entered into a 

 lethargy, and served with mercenary counsellors, 

 father of two only daughters, the one sickly and not 

 likely to continue; King Charles himself in the 

 flower of age, and the subjects of France at that 

 time well trained for war, both for leaders and 

 soldiers; men of service being not yet worn out 

 since the wars of Lewis against Burgundy. He 

 found himself also in peace with all his neighbour 

 princes. As for those that might oppose to his en 

 terprise, Maximilian king of the Romans, his rival in 

 the same desires (as well for the duchy, as the 

 daughter) feeble in means; and King Henry of 



