280 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



The time of the apparition to be, when the king 

 should be engaged into a war with France. But 

 well she knew, that whatsoever should come from 

 her would be held suspected. And therefore, if he 

 should go out of Flanders immediately into Ireland, 

 she might be thought to have some hand in it. And 

 besides, the time was not yet ripe ; for that the two 

 kings were then upon terms of peace. Therefore 

 she wheeled about ; and to put all suspicion afar off, 

 and loth to keep him any longer by her, for that she 

 knew secrets are not long-lived, she sent him un 

 known into Portugal with the Lady Brampton, an 

 English lady, that embarked for Portugal at that 

 time ; with some privado of her own, to have an eye 

 upon him, and there he was to remain, and to expect 

 her further directions. In the mean time she omitted 

 not to prepare things for his better welcome and 

 accepting, not only in the kingdom of Ireland, but 

 in the court of France. He continued in Portugal 

 about a year ; and by that time the King of England 

 called his parliament, as hath been said,, and had de 

 clared open war against France. Now did the sign 

 reign, and the constellation was come, under which 

 Perkin should appear. And therefore he was straight 

 sent unto by the duchess to go for Ireland, according 

 to the first designment. In Ireland he did arrive at 

 the town of Cork. When he was thither come, his 

 own tale was, when he made his confession after 

 wards, that the Irishmen, finding him in some good 

 clothes, came flocking about him, and bare him down 

 that he was the Duke of Clarence that had been 



