HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 261 



For the point of honour, wherein he might suffer for 

 giving over the war ; he considered well, that as he 

 could not trust upon the aids of Ferdinando and 

 Maximilian for supports of war ; so the impuissance 

 of the one, and the double proceeding of the other, 

 lay fair for him for occasions to accept of peace. 

 These things he did wisely foresee, and did as arti 

 ficially conduct, whereby all things fell into his lap 

 as he desired. 



For as for the parliament, it presently took fire, 

 being affectionate, of old, to the war of France ; and 

 desirous afresh to repair the dishonour they thought 

 the king sustained by the loss of Britain. There 

 fore they advised the king, with great alacrity, to 

 undertake the war of France. And although the 

 parliament consisted of the first and second nobility 

 together with principal citizens and townsmen, yet 

 worthily and justly respecting more the people, 

 whose deputies they were, than their own private 

 persons, and finding by the Lord Chancellor s speech 

 the king s inclination that way, they consented that 

 commissioners should go forth for the gathering and 

 levying of a benevolence from the more able sort. 

 This tax, called a benevolence, was devised by 

 Edward the Fourth, for which he sustained much 

 envy. It was abolished by Richard the Third by act 

 of parliament, to ingratiate himself with the people; 

 and it was now revived by the king, but with consent 

 of parliament, for so it was not in the time of King 

 Edward the Fourth. But by this way he raised 

 exceeding great sums. Insomuch as the city of 

 London, in those days, contributed nine thousand 



