HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 379 



sand pounds: and the jointure and advancement 

 assured by the King of Scotland, was two thousand 

 pounds a year, after King James s death, and one 

 thousand pounds a year in present, for the lady s 

 allowance or maintenance. This to be set forth in 

 lands, of the best and most certain revenue. Dur 

 ing the treaty, it is reported, that the king remitted 

 the matter to his council ; and that some of the 

 table, in the freedom of counsellors, the king being 

 present, did put the case, that if God should take 

 the king s two sons without issue, that then the 

 kingdom of England would fall to the King of Scot 

 land, which might prejudice the monarchy of Eng 

 land. Whereunto the king himself replied ; that if 

 that should be, Scotland would be but an accession 

 to England, and not England to Scotland, for that 

 the greater would draw the less : and that it was a 

 safer union for England than that of France. This 

 passed as an oracle, and silenced those that moved 

 the question. 



The same year was fatal, as well for deaths as 

 marriages, and that with equal temper. For the joys 

 and feasts of the two marriages were compensed with 

 the mournings and funerals of Prince Arthur, of 

 whom we have spoken, and of Queen Elizabeth, who 

 died in child-bed in the Tower, and the child lived 

 not long after. There died also that year, Sir Re 

 ginald Bray, who was noted to have had with the 

 king the greatest freedom of any counsellor : but it 

 was but a freedom the better to set off flattery. Yet 

 VOL. 3. z 



