HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 289 



themselves into the familiarity and confidence of the 

 principal persons of the party in Flanders, and so to 

 learn what associates they had, and correspondents, 

 either here in England or abroad ; and how far every 

 one engaged, and what new ones they meant after 

 wards to try or board. And as this for the persons, 

 so for the actions themselves, to discover to the bot 

 tom, as they could, the utmost of Perkin s and the 

 conspirators, their intentions, hopes, and practices. 

 These latter best-be-trust spies had some of them 

 further instructions, to practise and draw off the best 

 friends and servants of Perkin, by making remon 

 strance to them, how weakly his enterprise and 

 hopes were built, and with how prudent and potent 

 a king they had to deal ; and to reconcile them to 

 the king, with promise of pardon and good conditions 

 of reward. And, above the rest, to assail, sap, and 

 work into the constancy of Sir Robert Clifford ; and 

 to win him, if they could, being the man that knew 

 most of their secrets, and who being won away, 

 would most appall and discourage the rest, and in a 

 manner break the knot. 



There is a strange tradition ; that the king being 

 lost in a wood of suspicions, and not knowing whom 

 to trust, had both intelligence with the confessors 

 and chaplains of divers great men ; and for the bet 

 ter credit of his espials abroad with the contrary side, 

 did use to have them cursed at Paul s, by name, 

 amongst the bead-roll of the king s enemies, accord 

 ing to the custom of those times. These espials 

 plied their charge so roundly, as the king had an 



