384- HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



ness. So these little sands and grains of gold and 

 silver, as it seemeth, helped not a little to make up 

 the great heap and bank. 



But mean while to keep the king awake, the 

 Earl of Suffolk, having been too gay at Prince Ar 

 thur s marriage, and sunk himself deep in debt, had 

 yet once more a mind to be a knight-errant, and to 

 seek adventures in foreign parts ; and taking his 

 brother with him, fled again into Flanders. That, 

 no doubt, which gave him confidence, was the great 

 murmur of the people against the king s govern 

 ment : and being a man of a light and rash spirit, 

 he thought every vapour would be a tempest. Nei 

 ther wanted he some party within the kingdom : for 

 the murmur of people awakes the discontents of no 

 bles ; and again, that calleth up commonly some 

 head of sedition. The king resorting to his wonted 

 and tried arts, caused Sir Robert Curson, captain of 

 the castle at Hammes, being at that time beyond 

 sea, and therefore less likely to be wrought upon by 

 the king, to fly from his charge, and to feign himself 

 a servant of the earl s. This knight, having insinu 

 ated himself into the secrets of the earl, and finding 

 by him upon whom chiefly he had either hope or 

 hold, advertised the king thereof in great secrecy : 

 but nevertheless maintained his own credit and in 

 ward trust with the earl. Upon whose advertisement 

 the king attached William Courtney, Earl of De 

 vonshire, his brother-in-law, married to the Lady 

 Catharine, daughter to King Edward the Fourth ; 

 William de la Pole, brother to the Earl of Suffolk ; 



