372 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



&quot; galleys, nor the experience of his pilots and mari- 

 &quot; ners, could be so apt for those seas as theirs. And 

 &quot; therefore that his holiness might do well to move 

 &quot; one of those other kings, who lay fitter for the 

 &quot; purpose, to accompany him by sea. Whereby both 

 &quot; all things would be no sooner put in readiness, and 

 &quot; with less charge, and the emulation and division 

 &quot; of command, which might grow between those 

 &quot; kings of France and Spain, if they should both 

 &quot; join in the war by land upon Grsecia, might be 

 &quot; wisely avoided ; and that for his part he would not 

 &quot; be wanting in aids and contribution. Yet not- 

 &quot; withstanding, if both these kings should refuse, 

 &quot; rather than his holiness should go alone, he would 

 &quot; wait upon him as soon as he could be ready : al- 

 &quot; ways provided, that he might first see all dif- 

 &quot; ferences of the Christian princes amongst them- 

 &quot; selves fully laid down and appeased, as for his own 

 &quot; part he was in none, and that he might have some 

 &quot; good towns upon the coast in Italy put into his 

 &quot; hands, for the retreat and safeguard of his men.&quot; 



With this answer Jasper Pons returned, nothing 

 at all discontented : and yet this declaration of the 

 king, as superficial as it was, gave him that reputa 

 tion abroad, as he was not long after elected by the 

 Knights of Rhodes, the protector of their order : all 

 things multiplying to honour in a prince, that had 

 gotten such high estimation for his wisdom and suffi 

 ciency. 



There were these two last years some proceed 

 ings against heretics, which was rare in this king s 

 reign, and rather by penances, than by fire. The 



