HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 245 



in his court and custody the daughter of Maximilian, 

 who formerly had been sent unto him to be bred and 

 educated in France ; not dismissing or renvoying her, 

 but contrariwise professing and giving out strongly 

 that he meant to proceed with that match. And 

 that for the Duchess of Britain, he desired only to 

 preserve his right of seigniory, and to give her in 

 marriage to some such ally as might depend upon 

 him. 



When the three commissioners came to the court 

 of England, they delivered their ambassage unto the 

 king, who remitted them to his council ; where some 

 days after they had audience, and made their proposi 

 tion by the Prior of the Trinity, who though he were 

 third in place, yet was held the best speaker of them, 

 to this effect. 



&quot; My lords, the king our master, the greatest 



&quot; and mightiest king that reigned in France since 



&quot; Charles the Great, whose name he beareth, hath 



&quot; nevertheless thought it no disparagement to his 



&quot; greatness at this time to propound a peace ; yea, 



&quot; and to pray a peace with the King of England. 



For which purpose he hath sent us his commis- 



&quot; sioners, instructed and enabled with full and ample 



&quot; power to treat and conclude ; giving us further in 



&quot; charge, to open in some other business the secrets 



&quot; of his own intentions. These be indeed the pre- 



&quot; cious love-tokens between great kings, to commu- 



( nicate one with another the true state of their 



&quot; affairs, and to pass by nice points of honour, which 



&quot; ought not to give law unto affection. This I do 



