HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 243 



almost come to perfection, and to end them by ima 

 gination ; like ill archers, that draw not their arrows 

 up to the head ; and who might as easily have bedded 

 the lady himself, as to have made a play and disguise 

 of it, thinking now all assured, neglected for a time 

 his further proceeding, and intended his wars. Mean 

 while the French king, consulting with his divines, 

 and finding that this pretended consummation was 

 rather an invention of court, than any ways valid by 

 the laws of the church, went more really to work, 

 and by secret instruments and cunning agents, as 

 well matrons about the young lady as counsellors, 

 first sought to remove the point of religion and ho 

 nour out of the mind of the lady herself, wherein 

 there was a double labour. For Maximilian was not 

 only contracted unto the lady, but Maximilian s 

 daughter was likewise contracted to King Charles. 

 So as the marriage halted upon both feet, and was 

 not clear on either side. But for the contract with 

 King Charles, the exception lay plain and fair ; for 

 that Maximilian s daughter was under years of con 

 sent, and so not bound by law, but a power of dis 

 agreement left to either part. But for the contract 

 made by Maximilian with the lady herself, they were 

 harder driven ; having nothing to alledge, but that 

 it was done without the consent of her sovereign 

 lord King Charles, whose ward and client she was, 

 and he to her in place of a father ; and therefore it 

 was void and of no force for want of such consent. 

 Which defect, they said, though it would not eva 

 cuate a marriage after cohabitation and actual con- 



