HISTORY OF KINO HENRY Vll. 361 



presently all corners were laid for him, and such 

 diligent pursuit and search made, as he was fain to 

 turn back, an d get him to the house of Bethlehem, 

 called the priory of Sheen (which had the privilege 

 of sanctuary) and put himself into the hands of the 

 prior of that monastery. The prior was thought an 

 holy man, and much reverenced in those days. He 

 came to the king, and besought the king for Perkin s 

 life only, leaving him otherwise to the king s discre 

 tion. Many about the king were again more hot 

 than ever, to have the king to take him forth and 

 hang him. But the king, that had an high stomach, 

 and could not hate any that he despised, bid, &quot; Take 

 &quot; him forth, and set the knave in the stocks ;&quot; and 

 so promising the prior his life, he caused him to be 

 brought forth. And within two or three days after, 

 upon a scaffold set up in the palace court at West 

 minster, he was fettered and set in the stocks for 

 the whole day. And the next day after, the like was 

 done by him at the cross in Cheapside, and in both 

 places he read his confession, of which we made 

 mention before ; and was from Cheapside conveyed 

 and laid up in the Tower. Notwithstanding all this, 

 the king was, as was partly touched before, grown 

 to be such a partner with fortune, as no body could 

 tell what actions the one, and what the other owned. 

 For it was believed generally, that Perkin was be 

 trayed, and that this escape was not without the 

 king s privity, who had him all the time of his flight 

 in a line ; and that the king did this, to pick a 

 quarrel to him to put him to death, and to be rid of 



