294 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



trade for the future. This the king did, being sen 

 sible in point of honour, not to suffer a pretender to 

 the crown of England to affront him so near at hand, 

 and he to keep terms of friendship with the country 

 where he did set up. But he had also a further 

 reach : for that he knew well, that the subjects of 

 Flanders drew so great commodity from the trade of 

 England, as by this embargo they would soon wax 

 weary of Perkin ; and that the tumults of Flanders 

 had been so late and fresh, as it was no time for the 

 prince to displease the people. Nevertheless for 

 forms sake, by way of requital, the archduke did 

 likewise banish the English out of Flanders , which 

 in effect was done to his hand. 



The king being well advertised, that Perkin did 

 more trust upon friends and partakers within the 

 realm than upon foreign arms, thought it behoved 

 him to apply the remedy where the disease lay ; and 

 to proceed with severity against some of the princi 

 pal conspirators here within the realm ; thereby to 

 purge the ill humours in England, and to cool the 

 hopes in Flanders. Wherefore he caused to be ap 

 prehended, almost at an instant, John Ratcliffe 

 Lord Fitzwater, Sir Simon Mountford, Sir Thomas 

 Thwaites, William D Aubigny, Robert Ratcliffe, 

 Thomas Cressenor, and Thomas Astwood. All these 

 were arraigned, convicted, and condemned for high 

 treason, in adhering and promising aid to Perkin. 

 Of these the Lord Fitzwater conveyed to Calais, 

 and there kept in hold, and in hope of life, until soon 

 after, either impatient or betrayed, he dealt with his 



