346 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



well to pardon them, for that he knew he should 

 leave few subjects in England, if he hanged all that 

 were of their mind ; and began whetting and inciting 

 one another to renew the commotion. Some of the 

 subtilest of them, hearing of Perkin s being in Ireland, 

 found means to send to him to let him know, that 

 if he would come over to them they would serve him. 

 When Perkin heard this news, he began to take 

 heart again, and advised upon it with his council, 

 which were principally three : Herne, a mercer, that 

 had fled for debt ; Skelton, a taylor ; and Astley, a 

 scrivener ; for Secretary Frion was gone. These told 

 him, that he was mightily overseen, both when he 

 went into Kent, and when he went into Scotland ; 

 the one being a place so near London, and under 

 the king s nose ; and the other a nation so distasted 

 with the people of England, that if they had loved 

 him never so well, yet they would never have taken 

 his part in that company. But if he had been so 

 happy as to have been in Cornwall at the first, when 

 the people began to take arms there, he had been 

 crowned at Westminster before this time. For, these 

 kings, as he had now experience, would sell poor 

 princes for shoes. But he must rely wholly upon 

 people ; and therefore advised him to sail over with 

 all possible speed into Cornwall ; which accordingly 

 he did, having in his company four small barks, with 

 some six score or seven score fighting men. He 

 arrived in September at Whitsand-Bay, and forth 

 with came to Bodmin, the blacksmith s town ; where 

 there assembled unto him to the number of three 



