HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 249 



&quot; Christian common weal more than any action that 

 &quot; hath happened of long time. The king our master 

 &quot; hath a purpose and determination to make war 

 &quot; upon the kingdom of Naples ; being now in the 

 &quot; possession of a bastard slip of Arragon, but apper- 

 &quot; taining unto his Majesty by clear and undoubted 

 &quot; right ; which if he should not by just arms seek to 

 &quot; recover, he could neither acquit his honour nor 

 &quot; answer it to his people. But his noble and 

 &quot; Christian thoughts rest not here : for his resolu- 

 &quot; tion and hope is, to make the reconquest of Naples, 

 &quot; but as a bridge to transport his forces into Grecia; 

 &quot; and not to spare blood or treasure, if it were to 

 &quot; the impawning of his crown and dispeopling of 

 &quot; France, till either he hath overthrown the empire 

 &quot; of the Ottomans, or taken it in his way to Paradise. 

 &quot; The king knoweth well, that this is a design that 

 &quot; could not arise in the mind of any king that did 

 &quot; not steadfastly look up unto God, whose quarrel 

 &quot; this is, and from whom cometh both the will and 

 &quot; the deed. But yet it is agreeable to the person 

 &quot; that he beareth, though unworthy of the thrice 

 &quot; Christian King and the eldest son of the church. 

 &quot; Whereunto he is also invited by the example, in 

 &quot; more ancient time, of King Henry the Fourth of 

 &quot; England, the first renowned king of the house of 

 &quot; Lancaster ; ancestor, though not progenitor to 

 &quot; your king; who had a purpose towards the end of 

 &quot; his time, as you know better, to make an expedi- 

 &quot; tion into the Holy Land ; and by the example also, 

 &quot; present before his eyes, of that honourable and 



