300 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



counsellor and chamberlain : and, somewhat contrary 

 to his nature, had winked at the great spoils of Bos- 

 worth-field, which came almost wholly to this man s 

 hands, to his infinite enriching. Yet nevertheless, 

 blown up with the conceit of his merit, he did not 

 think he had received good measure from the king, 

 at least not pressing down and running over, as he 

 expected. And his ambition was so exorbitant and 

 unbounded, as he became suitor to the king for the 

 Earldom of Chester : which ever being a kind of 

 appanage to the principality of Wales, and using to 

 go to the king s son, his suit did not only end in a 

 denial but in a distaste : the king perceiving thereby, 

 that his desires were intemperate, and his cogitations 

 vast and irregular, and that his former benefits were 

 but cheap, and lightly regarded by him. Where 

 fore the king began not to brook him well. And as 

 a little leaven of new distaste doth commonly sour 

 the whole lump of former merits, the king s wit be 

 gan now to suggest unto his passion, that Stanley at 

 Bosworth-field, though he came time enough to save 

 his life, yet he stayed long enough to endanger it. 

 But yet having no matter against him, he continued 

 him in his places until this his fall. 



After him was made Lord Chamberlain, Giles 

 Lord D Aubigny, a man of great sufficiency and 

 valour ; the more because he was gentle and mo 

 derate. 



There was a common opinion, that Sir Robert 

 Clifford, who now was become the state informer, 

 was from the beginning an emissary and spy of the 



