324 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



the people of England ; neither was he the better 

 welcome for the company he came in. Wherefore 

 the King of Scotland seeing none came in to Perkin, 

 nor none stirred any where in his favour, turned his 

 enterprise into a rode ; and wasted and destroyed the 

 country of Northumberland with fire and sword. 

 But hearing that there were forces coming against 

 him, and not willing that they should find his men 

 heavy and laden with booty, he returned into Scot 

 land, with great spoils, deferring further prosecution 

 till another time. It is said, that Perkin, acting the 

 part of a prince handsomely, when he saw the Scottish 

 fell to waste the country, came to the king in a pas 

 sionate manner, making great lamentation, and de 

 sired, that that might not be the manner of making 

 the war ; for that no crown was so dear to his mind 

 as that he desired to purchase it with the blood and 

 ruin of his country. W hereunto the king answered 

 half in sport, that he doubted much, he was careful 

 for that that was none of his, and that he should be 

 too good a steward for his enemy, to save the coun 

 try to his use. 



By this time, being the eleventh year of the king, 

 the interruption of trade between the English and 

 the Flemish began to pinch the merchants of both 

 nations very sore ; which moved them by all means 

 they could devise, to affect and dispose their sove 

 reigns respectively, to open the intercourse again ; 

 wherein time favoured them. For the archduke and 

 his council began to see, that Perkin would prove 

 but a runagate and a citizen of the world : and that 



