HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 301 



king s ; and that he fled over into Flanders with his 

 consent and privity. But this is not probable ; both 

 because he never recovered that degree of grace 

 which he had with the king before his going over ; 

 and chiefly, for that the discovery which he had 

 made touching the Lord Chamberlain, which was his 

 great service, grew not from any thing he learned 

 abroad, for that he knew it well before he went. 



These executions, and especially that of the Lord 

 Chamberlain s, which was the chief strength of the 

 party, and by means of Sir Robert Clifford, who was 

 the most inward man of trust amongst them, did 

 extremely quail the design of Perkin and his com 

 plices, as well through discouragement as distrust. 

 So that they were now, like sand without lime, ill 

 bound together ; especially as many as were English, 

 who were at a gaze, looking strange one upon ano 

 ther, not knowing who was faithful to their side ; but 

 thinking that the king, what with his baits, and what 

 with his nets, would draw them all unto him that 

 were any thing worth. And indeed it came to pass, 

 that divers came away by the thread, sometimes one 

 and sometimes another. Barley, that was joint com 

 missioner with Clifford, did hold out one of the 

 longest, till Perkin was far worn ; yet made his 

 peace at the length. But the fall of this great man, 

 being in so high authority and favour, as was thought, 

 wijth the king ; and the manner of carriage of the 

 business, as if there had been secret inquisition upon 

 him for a great time before ; and the cause for which 

 he suffered, which was little more than for saying in 



