208 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



of the duke done unto him aforetime ; yet, he knew 

 well, he would in his wisdom consider of the future, 

 how much it imported his own safety and reputa 

 tion, both in foreign parts, and with his own people, 

 not to suffer Britain, the old confederates of Eng 

 land, to be swallowed up by France, and so many 

 good ports and strong towns upon the coast be in 

 the command of so potent a neighbour king, and so 

 ancient an enemy : and therefore humbly desired 

 the king to think of this business as his own : and 

 therewith brake off, and denied any farther confer 

 ence for treaty. 



Urswick returned first to the French king, and 

 related to him what had passed. Who finding 

 things to sort to his desire, took hold of them, and 

 said; that the ambassador might perceive now that, 

 which he for his part partly imagined before. That 

 considering in what hands the duke of Britain was, 

 there would be no peace but by a mixed treaty of 

 force and persuasion : and therefore he would go on 

 with the one, and desired the king not to desist from 

 the other. But for his own part, he did faithfully 

 promise to be still in the king s power, to rule him in 

 the matter of peace. This was accordingly repre 

 sented unto the king by Urswick at his return, and 

 in such a fashion, as if the treaty were in no sort 

 desperate, but rather stayed for a better hour, till 

 the hammer had wrought and beat the party of 

 Britain more pliant. Whereupon there passed con 

 tinually packets and dispatches between the two 

 kings, from the one out of desire, and from the 



