HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 205 



envy than by a war ; and that he would spare no costs 

 or pains, no if it were to go on pilgrimage, for so 

 good an effect ; and concluded, that in this great 

 affair, which he took so much to heart, he would 

 express himself more fully by an ambassage, which 

 he would speedily dispatch unto the French king 

 for that purpose. And in this sort the French am 

 bassadors were dismissed : the king avoiding to 

 understand anything touching the re-annexing of 

 Britain, as the ambassadors had avoided to mention 

 it : save that he gave a little touch of it in the word 

 envy. And so it was, that the king was neither so 

 shallow, nor so ill advertised, as not to perceive the 

 intention of the French for the investing himself of 

 Britain. But first, he was utterly unwilling, how 

 soever he gave out, to enter into war with France. 

 A fame of a war he liked well, but not an achieve 

 ment ; for the one he thought would make him 

 richer, and the other poorer ; and he was possessed 

 with many secret fears touching his own people, 

 which he was therefore loth to arm, and put wea 

 pons into their hands. Yet notwithstanding, as a 

 prudent and courageous prince, he was not so averse 

 from a war, but that he was resolved to choose it, 

 rather than to have Britain carried by France, being 

 so great and opulent a duchy, and situate so oppor 

 tunely to annoy England, either for coast or trade. 

 But the king s hopes were, that partly by negligence, 

 commonly imputed to the French, especially in the 

 court of a young king, and partly by the native 

 power of Britain itself, which was not small ; but 



